Drug holiday

[juliebover]

I've been feeling so poorly lately that I'm beginning to wonder how much of it is side effects from the medication for Behcet's and my heart. I'm thinking of taking a drug holiday to see if I improve. What do others think?

[rooser1]

Always tell your doctor of changes. They will probably not recommend, but they can not force you to take any medicine. I told my Rheum that I was stopping my colcrys and they really kept pushing it. You know your body best.

What medicines are you on now? What do you plan to do instead? Have you considered lifestyle changes or Homeopathic treatments in case things get worse?

Def have a plan ready, it helps.

Also- document all changes!

[Papapickle]

Hi,

I understand exactly what you mean. I have felt that often over the years and I have started to taper back some meds that aren’t essential and keep the ones that are.

I had a terrible experience this year with a steroid infusion (my third in as many years), it made me paranoid, depressed gave me terrible mood swings, sweats, insomnia and really bruised my marriage.

I will never have another, my relationship is too precious to me and I would sooner suffer a bit more. I still haven’t gotten back to myself some 9 months later, but getting there slowly.

I believe that as long as you are in tune with your body and do it under medical guidance you are ok. BUT make sure you get that guidance, as it has to be monitored and recorded correctly.

Please be careful, all the very best.

C

[juliebover]

Trouble is I don't know which ones are essential until I try without them. On colchicine, azathiaprine, occasionally prednisolone, humira injections ramipril, bisoprolol and spironolactone. Might just keep the humira injections. My heart seems ok now.

[Papapickle]

Understood Julia.

Have you ever looked at webmd.com/interaction-check... to see if there are any side effects of the interacti9ns that could be Avoided or useful to know?

I feel much better dropping a couple of mine, but it’s sucj a change in chemicals to the brain that it’s a minefield.

All the best - will be interested in hearing how you get on.

Take car

C

[Lovingdragonflies]

Oh what a nice thought. Some of my others are sadly here to stay permanently blood thinners and channel blockers......I went without all but colchicine and it ended badly. Now I’m only on Otezla and I’m having a severe neuro flare. But it’s weird, before 2016, I had all of the symptoms but I managed fine with no meds. I had a severe flare that started then and has never ended. I’ve had this disease for most of my life but it waited until my forties to get dangerous.

[Papapickle in reply to Lovingdragonflies]

Hi,

Can I pm you? Inwould love to hear how it changed. I have just hit my 40th and starting to notice it hitting harder too but thought it was just me.

All the best

C

[Lovingdragonflies in reply to Papapickle]

Yes definitely

[juliebover in reply to Lovingdragonflies]

I became really unwell when I hit 40 too. That's when I ended up in ICU and still not right 2 yrs later

[Lovingdragonflies in reply to juliebover]

Yup. I have been in the hospital several times a year since 40. Now I’m disabled.