No relief yet
I've tried Prednisone, methotrexate/folic acid/sulfasalazine, Actemra, humira, naproxen, Meloxicam, ibuprofen, aspircream, and now my latest medication routine is Arava 20mg every other day plus sulfasalazine 500mg 2x a day. It's been 2 months since I've started this combination of drugs. I'm having a minimum of 3 flare-ups a week. So frustrating and depression. While in a flare up I'm nearly completely immobilized. Heeelllppp!!
Wow! That is a lot of meds. The prednisone didn't help? That tells me something else may be going on. What strength were you on?
Were you on these meds in combos? Folic acid is to offset side effects of methotrexate (MTX). Naproxen should be used for break through pain as is the aspircream. What strength of MTX are you on? Are you on the others in combination with MTX?
I take 25 mg of MTX injectable so that it absorbs properly. Then I tried several biologics in addition to the MTX. It took several tries to find the right one for me, but Xeljanz works for me. I still take the folic acid and I take Plaquenil. For break through pain I take naproxen.
Hang in there. It sounds like your Rheumatologist is trying. There are no quick answers. I think it was 4 years before we found my combo.
Take care.
KT
Hi Alecia L! I am sorry you are experiencing flares. If you haven't already, please let your rheumatologist know what is going on. While it can take some time for medications to reach full efficacy (six to twelve weeks for Arava), it does sound like you are needing some other interventions to hopefully get ahead of all those flares.
I am glad ktinflorida shared some of her personal experiences on treatment, as it might give you some ideas of what to ask your rheumatologist about going forward.
I hope you get some relief very soon! Please keep us posted on how you are doing, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.
Hello, I have tried Methotrexate, Leflunomide, Sulfasalazine, no relief from any of those medication getting frustrated just want something that's going to work without a lot of side effects.. doctor called me last night at 8:30 to talk about an IV infusion of Actemra little concerned about this treatment.. I do trust my RA doctor she informed me of other options however with my numbers as high as they are her opinion was to try the IV infusion. Has anyone tried Actemra
Thank you for understanding
Hi BuckeyeB. Hopefully some community members with experience with Actemra will offer up some thoughts. Even then, remember that each individual may have a different experience. This article from our editorial team gives an overview, including how it works and information on the evidence: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/actemra-reviews-how-well-does-it-work/. Please keep us posted on what you decide and how it goes. Know that you are always welcome here and that we will provide what information we can. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
