Anyone just taking a low dosage of Prednisone to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis?
I am just taking 5 mg Prednisone for Rheumatoid Arthritis & I feel pretty good except sometimes very tired. Part of that may be due to not getting enough sleep. I did try methotrexate and it made half of my hair fall out & it is still falling out. I just tried Enbrel last week & had a strange reaction. I became very tense & shaky feeling. My hands started to shake for a few days & I felt kind of weak all over. One of the worst headaches I've ever had one morning. I am due to get my second shot tomorrow but called the office to explain the side effects. Three days later the doctor returns my call & isn't happy that I'm not wanting to try at least one more shot to see if it happens again. My uncle had parkinson's disease & I worry that I might get some nerve disease by using Enbrel. My brother got diagnosed and treated for lymphoma cancer a couple of years ago & that is another side effect. I feel that the low dosage of Prednisone treats me ok for now. I'm not as worried about the side effects of taking low dosage prednisone. I do worry about all the more serious side effects from the DMARDS and Enbrel, Humira, etc. The doctor isn't happy about my decision & I will be seeing him for an appointment in a couple of weeks. He doesn't sound like he wants to treat me anymore if I don't take another DMARD or something along with prednisone. Does anyhone just take a low dosage of Prednisone to treat their RA? I feel like since it is working for me now, why not stay on it until it isn't working. It is also supposed to slow down the progress of RA, I thought.
That's kind of interesting - when I started Enbrel, I did the first injection in the doctor's office, and had only a slight headache driving the 70 miles home. The next time I was on my own, and had an anxiety attack for about 2 hours afterward. I thought I'd never take it again, but 3 days later, I was actually looking forward to it. It brought down some kind of tension barrier inside myself. I later decided (after an occasional reaction, not pleasant, but I had had anxiety attacks about 20 years before and I could reason it out as unresolved issues and deal with it) that this was my chance to re-live and resolve those issues and maybe that was a good thing to do! I know, very weird, but it's worked out for me and after probably the first year (happened only a couple of times), it has been worth it to really treat the arthritis.
There is an increased risk of lymphoma just from having RA. My cousin who has RA (and doesn't take a lot of meds as far as I know) is getting chemo for lymphoma right now. The latest report (I read just last week, I think it's on this site) says there does not appear to be INCREASED risk due to the biologics, but everyone with RA is at higher risk anyway. So - at least you're probably aware of what to look out for.
That said, it may not be the right drug for you. However, I think at some point, you will want to be on something else other than prednisone. I have 2 sisters with polymyalgia rheumatica and prednisone is the only thing going for them (at slightly higher dose than you are taking). But that disease generally goes away. If you can handle it, I'd try the second dose, but maybe you will want to take it only once a week instead of twice a week. I've generally done it 4-5days apart rather than the 3-4. That seems to help in avoiding infection, because the immune system has a little extra time to re-coup. If you have the same reaction on the second shot - well, then it may not be the drug for you. I can understand your concern with the Parkinsons and the lymphoma. Everyone's situation is unique. Talk to people you know and see if you can come up with your recommendation back to the dr. to show him you are listening but you may have another opinion ... just let it be an informed opinion. Also, see if you can get something to help you sleep... Some people use Benadryl, some use cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) or amitriptyline (Elavil) at low dose.
- Thank you for your input
- Ranked Helpful (1)
- Report Abuse
Just put on Prednisone for RA and it is 5mg,fell ok,very tired and everything hurts. I also have Menieres Disease. I am 57 years old and fell 190! Still have a good attitude,somewhat, and just try to stay warm!
- Thank you for your input
- Ranked Helpful (1)
- Report Abuse
Hi Linda,
I am on the Prednisone, 5mg, for RA. New to all this and I really don't like this disease. Having Menieres Disease also keeps me in a whirl wind of pain. Any advice?
- Thank you for your input
- Ranked Helpful (1)
- Report Abuse
Linda
Saturday, December 05, 2009 at 02:42 AM
Yes, I am just taking prednisone. I was on methotrexate for four years, but had some high liver tests. I take 5 mg 1 day and 10 the next. I am still having some joint problems but not as bad or as often as before I started treatment. I even have less flares and less painful flares on prednisone than I did on metho.
-
- Ranked Helpful (2)
- Report Abuse
Linda
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Thanks for the reply. I find it very interesting that you have less flares & less painful flares on the prednisone than you did on methotrexate. How long have you been doing just the prednisone treatment? I really believe low dosage therapy is effective for me because I feel it controls my inflamation, which controls the pain & therefore prevents further joint damage. At least I hope it prevents further joint damage. I think the joint damage is mostly caused by the constant inflamation. I don't think I have any more joint damage in the year since I've been diagnosed with RA.
I went back to the doctors 4 days ago & decided to try Enbrel again. This will be my second shot. The first time I felt so shaky & I guess I wanted to see if the same thing would happen again. It didn't. Well, not exactly. I still feel kind of anxious especially at night but I notice it is when I'm by myself & can't fall asleep. I'm beginning to think it is partially if not totally psychological. I'm just not good at the idea of taking medicines that could cause diseases that are worse than what I have now. While I am on the 5 mg. of prednisone I feel actually pretty good. The one thing I did notice that my feet are both starting to hurt. That kind of made me decide to try the Enbrel because I'm hoping to stop or slow this problem down. I'm 57 & when I was 40 I got diagnosed with inflamatory arthritis. The doctor told me that it wasn't RA because the bloodwork came back not indicating that I had it. I took Voltaren for about 2 years & was fine. I ran out of medicine one day & was feeling fine without it so I was off everything for 14 years until this year. My husband lost his job in California last year & that is when I began having pain in my joints again. I think with all of the stress in our lives it started up again. Then he got a job in Memphis, TN and we moved, another stressful occasion. I've been living under stressful conditions here & it isn't helping me. The prednisone alone worked pretty good but it does seem to cause anxiety & trouble sleeping. The doctor said that after long periods of time it could cause my bones to become brittle. Sometimes I think that doesn't sound so bad in comparison to cancer or nerve conditions. I've only been diagnosed with RA since February of this year. Sometimes I wish I never knew because mentally it really bothers me. I've probably had it for many years but it was staying pretty calm. After reading how some people are on so many medicines to help control their RA I feel fortunate that mine doesn't seem as aggressive. I know my hands are weak & hurt if I try to do anything with weights. I can't even lift 2 lb weights without pain. I'm not in pain if I don't do anything too physical. I was walking but the weather is getting too cold now. I'm sorry I just probably said too much but it is 1:20 a.m. & I can't sleep & it just feels good to express how I feel.
When did you get diagnosed with RA? Is your doctor putting you on Prednisone temporarily until you take something else or is this his plan to treat the RA? I don't know anything about Menieres Disease. I'm sorry that you are in pain from that also.
My husband knows someone from work that has been on Methorexate for 10 years & it works great for him. I wish it did for me. My doctor said that Prednisone alone isn't the way doctors treat RA. It is suppose to be a temporary usage until one of the other lists of medicines they prescribe begin to work. I'm like you in not liking this disease at all. Sometimes I feel so tired I don't know if I'm depressed, tired from not getting enough sleep, or if it is the RA itself. All I do know is that I never know if I'm going to be tired the next day. I guess in my case that is what is driving me the most crazy. The inflamation & pain is being controlled by the prednisone. My nephew has been on steroids for 10 years now for an autoimune disease he has. Someone I know has lupus & is on 4 mg. of prednisone to treat that. When I asked my doctor about them being on prednisone for treatment, he said that is the standard treatment for their illness but for RA it isn't the standard treatment. I hope this helped in some way.