Enbrel and Alchohol

Ok....you got me there!  I've had one.... or TWO!!!  Gosh I feel so NAUGHTY!!!  *snort*!!  I just didn't know if I was being "bad" or really being BAD, you know?  So really?  It's ok now?  It's just been the forbidden fruit for SOOOOO LOOOOOONG!!  Yeah and from one baseball fan to another, condolences.  Ugh!

It's hard to wait for "the magic".  When I was on the mtx and Areva it was mostly the fatigue and other side effects that I found bothersome. The pain was really under control.  Now that the heating pad is back out it's kind of a reminder like "hmmm, yeah I guess I really DO have RA."

Thanks for the info on the alcohol.  It hadn't occured to me to ask the rhuemy at my appointment and none of the literature I looked at about Enbrel said anything about having a drink.  I didn't want to "assume" since assuming makes an ....well.  You know what I mean.

I hate that stage, triple checking your joints on an hourly basis to see if it's kicked in yet. It's terrifying.

In terms of your doctor... don't forget, dude probably has a phone. It's completely acceptable to call in between appointments if your question.

Let me know when the magic does happen?

Oh yeah, did the folic acid.  Twice the typical dosage as a matter of fact.  I just turned out to be one of the unfortunate minority who experiences that side effect.  My husband has already been through the balding angst, but I think it's a more surprising look for us womens.  There is some vanity there to be sure, but mostly I just hate being reminded of being sick every time  I look in the mirror.  

Ahhh sports!  Why do we put ourselves through it?  More importantly, why couldn't my ancestors have picked a different team to pledge their loyalty too?  Oh well, if I picked a different team I would never be invited back home so Cubbies it is!  Good luck to you in the second half.  God knows WE are going to need it.  

I tell ya, if it weren't for sports what excuse would we have for screaming at the TV?  I can't wait for football (I have no illusions about the Dodgers maintaining the best in baseball thing, 'specially with Manny the #%$*&%$ back in the lineup).

Too bad about the mtx.  I had the worst stomach problems with the pills then started the injectable kind last month (I shoot up meth ha ha ha) but the folic acid (2 times normal dose) works for me.  Still lose some hair but nothing comparable to the male patern thing...have you noticed you don't lose leg hair?

Enjoy your beer, good luck with the Enbrel, and I hope the Cubbies don't break your heart forever! 

Haven't noticed on the leg hair, but the other place hair loss has been working my nerves.....EYEBROWS!!!  Hadn't ocurred to me that my brows would thin, although I'm not sure why. I've even started penciling them in a bit. But since I don't really know what I'm doing I'm scared I'll end up looking a bit "drag queen-ish" if I'm not careful.  Hopefully the switch to Enbrel will clear this up, but if it doesn't I'm considering getting them dyed.  I know....that sounds potentially dangerous, doesn't it?  I may end up looking all neanderthal!  Uff da!

Do not take extra folic acid while on mtx, it interfers with the mtx working to it's maximum , that's probably why your hair stopped falling out.  And as for the drinks, I've been on Embrel for over a year and the onle down side about drinking is it affecting your liver, which is what the mtx does also.  EVERBODY deserves a drink or two once in a while.  Cheers

Just to be clear, I'm no longer taking the mtx.  When I was taking it or the Arava, I almost never drank.  Maybe one beer a month or something.  For the same reasons you mention, I wanted to be kind to my liver.  *wink*

Heh heh.  I just did too!!!  I don't drink much, or even all that often but I have really missed it over the past year or so.  Maybe it's just having a sense of returning more to "normal" that makes it  feel so good.  Well, anyway....CHEERS!