Hi Bella and welcome to our little group. And I'm sorry you had to join us.

I'm Jen (or Jenny) and I've battled Ra since 1977. Still trucking along. Like many here, I take a biologic drug(I'm on Orencia) and shots of MTX(saves my stomach using the shots). Been on just about everything out there.

You need to get off prednisone as it can eventually kill you. It can stop your body from making it's own steroids and over the long run, shut down the entire immune system. And there are a whole host of other problems it can cause as well. We get off because it can be worse than RA itself.

MTX is about as safe a drug as there is...believe it or not. Developed in the late 1940's early 1950's for cancer chemo, it has been heavily studied. It was finally approved for RA back in 1982 and has been studied even more since then. More is known about MTX than any other drug out there. It sounds scary because the side effects we read about are for those using high doses for cancer...we take a tiny amount in comparison. And we take a drug/vitamin that reverses the effects....folic acid. I take it every day and have a stronger form of it called Leucovorin just in case I need something stronger. Thing is....it works. And if it doesn't work well enough, then we can take other drugs along with it. But don't fear MTX...fear prednisone.

Takes time to find the right combo of meds that will keep your Ra at bay. But studies have shown that the course of your Ra during the first 5-6 years will determine the course it will take for the rest of your life. You keep it under tight control and it will stay that way....why rheumies now put us on the heavy stuff right away. These weren't available when I got Ra so take advantage of them.

This is a chronic disease that has no cure and never goes away so it takes a lot of time to adjust. Just go slowly and know that many here have gone through what you are now suffering with and can help. We all cry and have our bad days but we also are very supportive and a pretty happy bunch. Just takes time to adjust your thinking.

Very glad to hear you have a supportive hubby and dog. You'll need them. Or I can "rent" you one of my RA cats...just wrap one around a bad joint and the body heat makes everything feel better! Purring helps too!

gentle hugs...............Jen

Jen has given you a lot of really good information. I know I would take mthx over prednisone any day. It did affect my liver, but for some reason, I have an ultra sensitive liver. My enzymes were high before I ever started on mthx, probably because of antihistamines. Yep, those have some serious side effects too.

As for going off prednisone, you have to remember that it is only going to be for a short time. I had to do that last year a lot, to see if the biologic was working, and it was a terrible, terrible time for me. But the meds were not working, so it was important to do.

As for the treadmill, if you can still walk, you are doing well. My feet were the first things to go. I do ride a bike, inside and outside, but I ride on the instep of my foot, because my forefeet are so damaged. I have a cold right now too, but it seems to be helping my RA. I am not having nearly as many flares. Nothing like distracting the immune system with a virus.

I hope you find some meds to control your disease, and welcome to the forum.

Welcome to our corner of the world, Bella. I'm glad you found this group, but sad you're hurting. I've been injecting MTX for about five years. I was so scared to start; it took my Rheumy years to convince me. I do well on it, no bad side effects. Currently, I had to stop using MTX because of an infection, and I can barely walk or use my hands, so I know it helps.

Prednisone does tamper down the RA pain, but it can wear your body out. I bet you will be surprised how much MTX helps you. RA is a journey, and I'm glad you found this forum to help you along the way. Lots of wise and encouraging people here. I'm a dog lover, too. I have two rescue Chihuahuas, one is named Bella!

This group is full of caring, supportive people. While I'm sorry for your circumstances, I'm glad you found the group. Is there anything else we may be able to do for you?

OMGOSH! You all have me in tears! Thank you so much for your warmth and support. This is just what I needed. I don't know anyone with RA and now I do. Thanks for all the advice on the Prednisone. I know now it has to go. My RA has not mentioned a treatment yet but I'm sure it will be methotrexate. Sounds like injections are the way to go? Another question - the big thing since this all started is that aside from being menopausal and having hot flashes, I am ridiculously cold much of the time. The night that everything came to a head for me in January, I shivered all day. Anybody else cold? I was always some where in between. xob Thank you all!!

I am also new to this and have just started MTX injections 3 weeks ago. I was on 20 mg prednisone for the past month and just today went to 15. I had to go on antibiotics for a upper resp infection so had to stop MTX this week. At this moment I am with my husband who is having shoulder surgery tomorrow and I kinda feel like crap. Don't know if it's the infection, so many different meds now, or just cause. I do feel positive that the MTX is helping and I want to continue to drop to lower doses of Pred. I have been obsessed with this site and learning from all who can help and advise us newbies.

Welcome to our area. I did not have any problems with methotrexate, except that my liver numbers went way up, the Dr lowered my dose, that worked. I take the pills. It does not bother my stomach - which I am very glad about. I have tried to avoid prednisone, for me Celebrex helps enough. Celebrex can have it's own problems, not perfect. I did go on prednisone for 2 weeks (5 mg) when I had waited to long to go in for an infusion. My Rheum told me that 50% of his patients were helped enough by methotrexate alone. I was not in that group. It took a while to find the right biologic, but finally did. I am on Rituxan. For the most part, I feel OK. Hopefully, you will start to feel relief soon.

some folks take methotrexate for 20 years for RA some for 20 days...we are all over the board, on this board, but it's a entry disease modifying anti rheumatic drug. the pred is just a diagnosis tool at the beginning or a bridge while you are waiting for the mtx to kick in

i am always cold, also, and it has never really abated all these years. i can't sleep joint wise unless I am under an electric blanket and i wear a lot of layers. i have ankle and wrist gloves where I can heat up a small pad (microwave couple seconds) and insert them into the ankle wraps and wrist wraps. I got em on amazon.

see if you can go to a Y or get the doctor to write a PT script for a heated medical pool - I like it - you might also. you might be more drawn if you were going there, than to the treadmill you know? :)

fatigue and inflammation go together but see if you can get up and don't waste your spoons on worrying about methotrexate. yeah the injections are better than the pills for me. i hate pred anyway so any excuse NOT to be on pred works for me.

welcome glad you are here

depot

Welcome, sorry you're here. Good advice from all as usual. Don't fear the MTX, temporary nausea is nothing compared to the intense pain of RA blowing your joints apart. I recently had to have the MTX upped because the biologic just wasn't doing the job alone.......I never though being nauseated would be so comforting......

I too am new to MTX and my first dose set me back but this group gave me some advice and it worked for me.

Nibble on fresh ginger root for the nausea. I drink a lot of water so now I have it in my water and it has curb the nausea. Also getting off coffee helped immensely. I only drank two cups in the morning so my caffeine withdrawal headache is diminishing. But more importantly the nausea is gone. I can take pain but nausea just brings me down.

Second bit of advice I received is to split the dose. I had to take 10.5mg at once and that was a mistake. Thank goodness I was on Spring Break this past week because it has taken me 5 days to recover from the blow. I have to return to school on Monday so I am going to take 1/2 tonight with dinner and since I don't teach on Friday I will take the remaining dose on Friday morning. This bit of advice seemed very logical to me.

Plan to report back on the results of splitting the dose and am very grateful of the survivors before me. I won't let it beat me I just have to learn to adjust.

Peace, love, and happiness with gentle hugs.

Thanks, everyone. I feel better about the Methotrexate. Good to hear it's safe - as safe as any drug is. So glad tomorrow is Friday. XOB

Regarding being cold, did anyone check your TSH? That is your thyroid. Being cold can be a sign of hypothyroidism. I got hypothyroidism at exactly the same time as RA. My doctor said that it is quite common to get both at the same time.

My daughter was 15 and she got incredibly cold and started sleeping 14 hours a day. She didn't have any signs of RA, but she refused to get tested for thyroid, because "she wasn't old!" Oh the wisdom of teenagers.

A year later, after living bundled in a quilt, she finally consented to a blood test for TSH. She was put on 25 mg of Synthroid, which didn't touch it. The doctor doubled it and she was fine. My mom has it and my sister, so I was expecting it, not for my teenage daughter, so much!

So please get that checked out. I have never found RA to make me cold. But when my TSH dropped below normal about 8 years ago, when I was in 100% remission, I started getting flares. Raising the Synthroid dose got the flares under control in 2 days. I guess they do work together, although you can certainly have one disease without the other.

Welcome!
MTX appears to be the first line of treatment so just think of how many have tried or remain on this drug. It did not agree with me but the treatments for RA are a wait & see thing. Patience is required & that is something something I lack.
Fear over the treatments is more common then not so your sure not alone there.
I was always hot until recently now I flip flop between hot & cold.
If you are sick or get sick you may need that rest.
I've been on the exhausted side so sitting & rest is taking over. Only I find I'm just as sore if not a wee bit more if I sit to much. Normally I'm on the hyper side so just over all does not agree with me. End up feeling restless. Although we have to listen to our bodies to the best of our ability. It's finding that in between.

My hands were much the same upon diagnosis. Swollen & claw like.
Wishing you the best of luck. keep us updated.
Sammy

Welcome, Bella! This group has helped me so much. I was put on MTX January a year ago, and thanks to being on it, I don't have to use a walker anymore! My ankles and feet were in horrendous pain. MTX has cut that way down. I switched from the pills to injection, and I like that much better. No more nausea.

About prednisone....it helped me so much, and I've been on it for about 15 months. I'm down to 5 mg. now, hoping to eventually taper off. It's only because of the addition of humira that I've been able to lower it.

I think if you go ahead and try the MTX, you'll be thrilled with how it helps. Good luck on your journey. We're all in this together!