Thursday, May 31, 2012

Love/Hate relationship with medications

By arthritismom Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I used to be one of those people who never took medications.  If I had a headache, I would lie down and rest, drink water and wait for it to go away.  If I had a cold, I stayed hydrated and ate well and let it pass.  In hindsight, I'd say I was proud of my immune system and trusted it to work properly.

 

Not any more.

 

Today I wake up and take two Motrin, four 1mg of prednisone, a calcium tablet and a prescription strength folic acid tablet.  I take three calcuim a day and later I take more Motrin.  On Saturdays I take six 2.5mg of methotrexate.  Once every other week I inject Humira with a thing I fondly call a Torture Injection Pen.

 

I know I'm lucky.  The drugs work for me.  The let me be myself and face the world and care for my kids and be a good wife.  I know what it means to not have that, I watched my mom struggle for years taking asprin and a serious of horribly ineffective and sometimes damaging treatments.  But I still hate that I have to take all these medications.  I love them for what they do, and I hate that I need them.

4/24/08 1:29am

OK. so add Celebrex to that routine and I could swear your in my shoes.. I was just like you too.. never took medication for anything!..

 How did you finally get in to a groove of remembering your meds?.. I find myself in this rut.. I hurt, I remember it. but the minute I feel like my old self and I am forgetting a dose or two of the Celebrex and Boom I am knocked on my butt again... I think this is the hardest for me. and my Rheumatoligist just says "well, remember to take it and you are fine" that's not so easy!

I have even tried setting alarms on my cell phone with no luck.

Christine Miller, Health Guide
4/24/08 10:52pm

Hi Gizelle,

 

I've always had a hard time remembering to take my meds too.  The only thing that works for me is to take all of my meds immediately after I brush my teeth in the morning, even the ones that say to eat before taking the medication.  If I stick them in my pocket I forget about them.  If I have to take something later in the day, I always, always forget, and usually forget to take my Enbrel shots. Friday is a bad day to have to remember to do it. You'd think after 32 years of this I'd be able to train myself.  :o)

5/ 3/08 8:08am

I have gotten one of those stupid little pill boxes, you know the ones with the days of the week on the covers?  This helps me tremendously.  Friday is my Mtx day so that one is a bit heavier.  Wink  Besides remembering to take my medicine, I also would have the issue of not remembering if I HAD taken my medicine and then I was afraid of accidently over dosing!  Now I put my paranoia to bed and just check if today's pill box is empty. Then I know I have been a good girl.

 

I used to think thoses things were so silly or just for really old people with memory issues.  Huh!  Ain't karma just a kick in the head!  So far I've only needed the kind with one compartment for each day, but you can also get the big honkers that have "mon a.m, mon afternoon, mon p.m." etc.  I know it seems like something we maybe ought to be able to remember... but I tell ya', I've got a limited amount of space in there what with all the other stuff I'm supposed to remember to do, you know like feeding the children?  So get a pill box and put it somewhere you will trip over it if you ignore it.  It helps!

Anonymous
Madeline
4/24/08 10:03pm

I have been in pain for about two years, the first I really had swellen and could not move my right leg and my knee was red and hot, it felt like two 300pd elephants were sitting on my knee, I was on crushes for two weeks. My doctor said that maybe I had sprained my knee without realizing it so I went along with it I was fine for a couple of weeks and then it continued to happen if it wasn't my right knee it would be my left or my shoulders then my hands and elbows. Finally, he sent me to see a RA doctor and I was just diagnose with this awful disease last Wed. She put me on MethyIprednisolone for inflammation, this coming Tuesday, I have another appt. with her and she wants to put on Methotrexate or Leflunomide now what I really would like to know are these medication effective would I still have flare up's or any pain and swellen and redness?

If you or anyone could answer this for me I would really appreciate it!!!!! It is really frighting with these side effects that I have been reading.

Anonymous
Madeline
4/24/08 10:03pm

I have been in pain for about two years, the first I really had swellen and could not move my right leg and my knee was red and hot, it felt like two 300pd elephants were sitting on my knee, I was on crushes for two weeks. My doctor said that maybe I had sprained my knee without realizing it so I went along with it I was fine for a couple of weeks and then it continued to happen if it wasn't my right knee it would be my left or my shoulders then my hands and elbows. Finally, he sent me to see a RA doctor and I was just diagnose with this awful disease last Wed. She put me on MethyIprednisolone for inflammation, this coming Tuesday, I have another appt. with her and she wants to put on Methotrexate or Leflunomide now what I really would like to know are these medication effective would I still have flare up's or any pain and swellen and redness?

If you or anyone could answer this for me I would really appreciate it!!!!! It is really frighting with these side effects that I have been reading.

Christine Miller, Health Guide
4/24/08 11:01pm

Hi,

I just wanted to say that I identify with your loathing of taking medications.  When I was young, I used to go through periods of remission where I could stop taking my arthritis meds for months or a year or two at a time. I've always been worried about the long term effects that we don't know about. And I hate having 4 prescription bottles plus flax oil and vitamins hogging the medicine cabinet.  But for the last 4 years or so I've had to take medications all the time. I was hoping that starting humira three years ago would kick me into remission, but it hasn't. I also attribute some of it to moving to Maryland 4 years ago.  My joints can't take the humidity here, my hands are really swollen and sore all summer.  It will be 80 degrees tomorrow and while most people will be loving it, all I can think about is the humidity to come for the next 4-5 months...and I will spend the summer wishing that I lived somewhere much farther North.

 

Anyway, stay positive.  I enjoy reading your posts.

 

Christine

Hollybgroovin, Health Guide
4/25/08 9:34am

The good ole' love/hate relationship with medications, I know it well.  I too used to be one of the people who never took medications.  If I had a head ache I would just deal with it.  If I had a few aches and pains, I would use a heating pad or an ice pack.  I never want to take my medications.  In fact, sometimes I have to call my mom or husband for a pep talk.  I know how much the medication helps.  I also remember what it was like before I started taking medication.  But I find myself every morning and every night dreading it.  We do what we have to do don't we?  I take my medications for my kids.  My medications make it to where I am able to spend more time with them.  Never in my life would I ever think that I would be taking 25mg of Methotrexate, 10 mg of prednisone, plaquenil, votaren, avinza, and lortabs.  On top of that I take calcium, iron, b12, folic acid, and a joint supplement.  Some of those I take just to combat the side effects of my prescribed medication.  And I am waiting on taking Orencia until we can afford it.  Its a pain, it's a chore, it's also a necessity.  I think we can all relate on this one.  Keep up the great attitude!  Good luck and best wishes!

5/ 6/08 11:27am

I am new to this site.  I am taking the same drugs as you but am on week 10 of humira.  I take 16 mg of medrol, 2 folic acid, and 15 mg of MTX. So far, I have not gotten much improvement. How long did it take for you to feel some relief? My RA just keeps marching into new joints. I am wondering how long we will keep trying the humira before moving on to something else.  I have only been diagnosed with RA for maybe 8 months so I am moving through the meds pretty quickly. I would appreciate any information that you can give me.  And, I agree about the injections.  You just grin and bear it. 

Thank you.

Jane

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By arthritismom— Last Modified: 09/30/10, First Published: 04/23/08