So to get on with the title of this post and picking up from my last post (hopeful in 2010) here it goes:
I meet my current rheumatologist July 7th 2012. She was very pleasant and I was happy my medical group finally had hired a new doctor. So the only rheumatologist visit that had between Jan 2011-July 2012 ( a whole year and half) was that horrible appointment at Loma Linda University. During this year and a half my pain was intense and I wanted anything that could help. One of my very dear closest friends told me that her dad's hairdresser has had great success with an "all-natural," vitamin/supplement that could help with my RA but that it was sold in Mexico but she would get me a bottle.
She stopped over one day and brought it to me. I began taking it and I think it only took about 2 days and I was feeling wonderful! I had an enormous appetite all of a sudden and was able to eat things I normally couldn't without it leaving me bed ridden. I was so happy. I found something that was SAFE and took my pain away. I was ecstatic. I got online and ordered 2 more bottles for around $70. I wanted to share this amazing product with more people! Since everything on the bottle was written in a foreign language I decided to get online and find out the information on it. Here'e what I found:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/FDA-All-natural-dietary-supplement-Reumofan-Plus-contains-prescription-drugs
Talk about bursting my bubble. The combination of everything in this was more harmful (not to mention also more expensive) then my prescription drugs. However, the prescription drug (plaquenil) was not being as effective as it had before I'm not sure if my body built up an immunity toward it or what.
At my appointment in July 2012 my doctor proscribed me methotrexate.
Methotrexate:
Medical uses
Chemotherapy
Methotrexate was originally developed and continues to be used for chemotherapy either alone or in combination with other agents. It is effective for the treatment of a number of cancers including: breast, head and neck, leukemia, lymphoma, lung, osteosarcoma, bladder, and trophoblastic neoplasms.[1]
Autoimmune disorders
It is used as a treatment for some autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Juvenile dermatomyositis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, sarcoidosis, Crohn's disease, eczema, and many forms of vasculitis. Although methotrexate was originally designed as a chemotherapy drug (in high doses), in low doses methotrexate is a generally safe and well tolerated drug in the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases. Because of its effectiveness, low-dose methotrexate is now first-line therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Though methotrexate for autoimmune diseases is taken in lower doses than it is for cancer, side effects such as hair loss, nausea, headaches, and skin pigmentation are still common.[10][11] Though not everybody is responsive to treatment with methotrexate, multiple studies and reviews showed that the majority of patients receiving methotrexate for up to one year had less pain, functioned better, had fewer swollen and tender joints, and had less disease activity overall as reported by themselves and their doctors. X-rays also showed that the progress of the disease slowed or stopped in many patients receiving methotrexate.[12]It has also been used for multiple sclerosis but is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.[1]
Abortion
Methotrexate is commonly used (generally in combination with misoprostol) to terminate pregnancies during the early stages (i.e., as an abortifacient). It is also used to treat ectopic pregnancies.She explained that I would have to take folic acid while on this that I CANNOT get pregnant because it would be harmful to the baby and I will likely have hair loss and oral ulcers. I was also proscribed prednisone that day. Here are some of the side effects of it:
Major
- Increased blood sugar for diabetics
- Difficulty controlling emotion
- Difficulty in maintaining train of thought
- Weight gain
- Immunosuppression
- Facial swelling. Severe.
- Depression, mania, psychosis, or other psychiatric symptoms
- Unusual fatigue or weakness
- Mental confusion / indecisiveness
- Memory and attention dysfunction (Steroid dementia syndrome)
- Blurred vision
- Abdominal pain
- Peptic ulcer
- Painful hips or shoulders
- Steroid-induced osteoporosis
- Stretch marks
- Osteonecrosis
- Insomnia
- Severe joint pain ( what?!?)
- Cataracts or glaucoma
- Anxiety
- Black stool
- Stomach pain or bloating
- Severe swelling
- Mouth sores or dry mouth
- Avascular necrosis
- Hepatic steatosis
Minor
- Nervousness
- Acne
- Skin rash
- Appetite gain
- Hyperactivity
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Diarrhea
- Reduced intestinal flora
- Leg pain/cramps
- Sensitive teeth
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