medication and dosage

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ichabod6
ichabod6 Member Posts: 843
edited 17. Feb 2010, 13:59 in Living with Arthritis archive
My approach to drugs is to put as little as possible as infrequently as possible into my body and always discuss this with my rheumatologist. My next interview is due shortly and I'm looking
for examples of reduction to quote.
At present I stab myself with humira every other Sunday, swallow 25mg of methotrexate on a Tuesday morning and pop a 5mg folic acid pill on evry other day of the week.
I've been on this regime for several months now and apart from a couple of flare ups (dealt with by steroid injections) have felt a lot freer and more mobile and it is a very pleasant alternative to the previous weekly dosage of 100plus pills. But if I can reduce it I want to.
So I ask if anyone has been on a similar dosage and have successfully reduced it please would they tell me by how much and what effects.
If you are reluctant to discuss this on an open site please pm me.
Thanks.
Ichabod.

Comments

  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Ichy,

    I'm not on anything like the drugs you're on but as I'm a girl who's always done as she's told I wouldn't reduce any of my meds without my Rheumy's instruction ......and besides all thatI'm so afraid of the pain being what it was before :shock:

    Not much help to you, sorry.

    Luv Linda with the Legs :|
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • annie_mial
    annie_mial Member Posts: 5,614
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I too would now be hesitant to meddle with something that isn't broken...if it is working well for me then I am thankful and leave it alone rather than risk bringing on a flare by interfering.

    I'm sure some are more adventurous and will take the risk; I have had similar notions go through my head in the past, but acting on those ideas has always been disastrous for me.

    Annie
  • ichabod6
    ichabod6 Member Posts: 843
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hello Linda with the Legs,

    So you didn't dump me after all.

    Hello Annie

    I'm not for mending owt that's not broken.
    If there are any cases of successful reduction I just want to
    bring them to the nice lady's attention. It's a partnership twixt
    her and me and I do nowt we dont agree upon, and that's been
    pretty successful so far.

    Thanks for your replies ladies.
  • joyful164
    joyful164 Member Posts: 2,401
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I had this question going through my head once and asked my GP about reducing my Pregabelin because I felt that the shooting pains in my arms and legs and neck seem to have got better. His reply was that the pains in my head would get worse if I did reduce.

    At the present time I have problems with pains in my head similar to those of shingles. I also have a strange swelling on my forehead. I wondered if the drugs I were taking might be causing it.

    He felt that reducing the Pregabelin would make it worse.
    Also, the fact that you are feeling a lot better means that the level of Humira and MTX etc. is the right balance for you and shouldn't be messed about with without talking it through with your consultant or dr.

    I also wanted to stop taking steroids, but again, my gp put me on a 2.5mg caretaking dose to stop or safeguarding me getting another flareup of PMR.

    I think the answer to your question is 'NO'

    Joy
  • annie_mial
    annie_mial Member Posts: 5,614
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    ichabod6 wrote:
    Hello Linda with the Legs,

    So you didn't dump me after all.

    Hello Annie

    I'm not for mending owt that's not broken.
    If there are any cases of successful reduction I just want to
    bring them to the nice lady's attention. It's a partnership twixt
    her and me and I do nowt we dont agree upon, and that's been
    pretty successful so far.

    Thanks for your replies ladies.

    Sorry, Ichy, I slightly got the wrong end of the stick, there! I got the impression that you were considering a bit of D I Y reducing and alarm bells deafened me.
    Unfortunately can't help with your meds, but I'm a mine of info on reducing Prednisolone with minimal medical management.

    Annie
  • janie68
    janie68 Member Posts: 1,186
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi

    I am on enbrel, mtx, sulpha etc etc. For me, I would very much like to start reducing the mtx first and is the one I felt the most side effects from. As you are on 25mg, that could be the one to start reducing but I'm sure that you would only do it under rheumy supervision.

    Good luck

    Janie
  • ichabod6
    ichabod6 Member Posts: 843
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hello Everyone,

    Sorry if I gave the wrong impression. I would only reduce my
    dosage after full discussion with my consultant. What I am
    looking for are relevant cases from people on these sites
    that I could mention to the nice lady.
    I'm very happy with the present situation. I am feeling pretty
    good and one injection and 32 pills over a two week period
    compares very well with the 174 pills before humira.
    Thank you.
    Ichabod
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