RA, Biologic Medication and the numbers
The biologics are wonder drugs for some, but not for all.
All posts filed under: Treatment
All the medical services that help treat rheumatoid arthritis
Four years of RA
I was diagnosed with RA four years ago, this month. The first few years were whirlwinds as I was also diagnosed with two cancers that each involved surgery and radiation treatments. My RA moved to the back seat then to the front and again back and forth. Now it is center stage. In 2015, I was started on infusions of Orencia. Once I realized that the biologics only help your RA by about 50%, I settled in and appreciated that they helped that much. In July the next year, I developed a horrific flu. I haven’t had a flu for years. It was exhausting. Plus, the Orencia was not working any more. I started having bad flares. My rheumatologist stopped the Orencia. After a few weeks, I was started on infusions of Remicade, a TNF inhibitor. By the third loading dose, I was having a severe flare plus I was having a bad reaction to the Remicade. I was ill. It took two months for the Remicade to clear my system and for …
Remicade
My treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, RA, is moving in the opposite direction of normal. Because I was diagnosed with two cancers and rheumatoid arthritis in the same year, the wonder drug biologics were off limits for me. They presented a higher cancer risk. Eventually as my RA worsened, quality of life became a factor. Methotrexate(MTX) injections help, but not enough. I had tried the triple treatment of MTX, Plaquenil and sulfasalazine without success. Leflunomide was next, but it didn’t work either. The small molecule DMARDs were exhausted as treatments. The biologics were next. Rituxan was considered the safest both by my rheumatologist and by my oncologist. I was infused with Rituxan. It didn’t work. Next safest was Orencia. I was infused with Orencia. It helped. It helped about 50% which was the norm for it. I received monthly infusions. But my flares became much worse at 10-11 months. Orencia was stopped. Next is Remicade. Remicade, infliximab, was approved for RA in 1999. It is a TNF inhibitor. My rheumatologist had a serious discussion with me …
Time for a visit to Ruth: Orencia is done
Visiting my friend Ruth when I am low.
Methylprednisolone and RA
Methylprednisolone (WOW, an impressive word!) is served up in a package of 21 four milligram (mg) pills (Medrol Dose Pak) with specific instructions as to when to take each pill. One time a nurse told me to start the pack the next day as the instructions start before breakfast and that would be the only way I could follow the instructions. I would have to wait through the night before I could start resolving my problem. This time around I saw written on the package that all six tablets in the first row for the first day should be taken on the day you receive your prescription even though you may not receive it until late in the day. All 6 pills may be taken at once on the first day or divided into doses for the remainder of the day. I have had this prescription twice for inflamed salivary glands after thyroid cancer treatment and twice for RA flares. I call it a miracle drug as it is so effective. My joints still hurt …
Rituxan- the final frontier
Rituxan, the final frontier February marked the second anniversary of my Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis. After two years of treatment, my average pain level was reduced from 10+ to an average range of 4 to 7 every single day. The constant presence of pain and a body riddled with inflammation continue to suck every drop of energy from my aging, aching body. My treatment was complicated by the addition of thyroid cancer and soon after that with the addition of breast cancer. Both required surgery. Both required radiation treatment. Both required medication. Both interfered with my RA treatment. The TNF antagonists, like Embril, are contraindicated for those who have recently had cancer. I am not allowed to have them. The ongoing treatment for thyroid cancer is to keep my body slightly hypothyroid. It helps prevent the cancer from recurring but it also increases the effects of RA fatigue. The ongoing treatment for breast cancer is anastrosole. It eliminates all estrogen in the body. It also puts me at high risk for osteoporosis as does Rheumatoid Arthritis. My treatment originally started with …
RA Labs
RA labs are important to diagnose RA and to manage drug use.
RA Progress, Thanks to medical research
It was 1965 and time to do his urine test to determine his insulin dose. He was diabetic. He followed procedure carefully. He went into the bathroom and closed the door. He picked up his urinal and proceeded to fill it. He left the bathroom and handed the urinal to the nurse. She took it into the bathroom. She dipped her measuring tape into her patient’s urine. She waited as it changed color. She held it up to the chart. A 2+. She went back to the nurses’ station and drew up the units of regular insulin designated for a 2+ test result. She administered the insulin to her patient. Diabetic management in the 60s. Blood glucose meters had not been invented yet. During that same time, there was not a lot of relief for rheumatoid arthritis. Prednisone was new. Methotrexate for RA and all the biologics were a long way into the future. RA progressed relentlessly until a person was totally crippled and in constant pain. Death would be the only relief. Rheumatoid arthritis is still not an …
Methotrexate Injection
Why injection? To avoid side effects or to have more of the medication absorbed by the body. There is 25 mg/ml of medication The syringe is either tuberculin or insulin Both have a one ml capacity Both have very thin needles Have all your supplies ready Vial of methotrexate, syringe, alcohol swab. Also access to your upper belly or outer thigh. It’s easy as this Wipe off top of vial with alcohol Remove covers on syringe Draw back on the syringe to add about .5 ml of air Insert needle of syringe into vial Push in the air(avoids med leaks) withdraw the correct dose of your medication( …
RA Drugs-Methotrexate
I take my 10 little pills of methotrexate on Sunday afternoon. I put the ten 2.5 mg tablets in a little white bowl. I take them over a 4-5 hour period. My little ritual makes a major difference. I have no nausea from the medication. My first dose was 2/17/2013. It was 10 mg. My dose was increased gradually to 25 mg on 4/28/2013. Nausea is the most common side effect. I did have some initially but as long as I followed my ritual, I was fine. Additionally, for the first year I was tired on the day following the dose. Low dose methotrexate has been the drug of choice for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis for 30 years. It is safe and generally well tolerated. It is a DMARD, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug. It helps with pain and swelling. It slows the progression of RA over time. Methotrexate was one of the first products of ” intelligent drug design”. It was introduced as a treatment for cancer in the 40’s. It was introduced to treat …
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