Cortisone drip

[Gitaga]

Hi

My doc wants to do cortisone drips over a period of 3 days for inflammation. Have this horrid condition. Has the characteristics of tendonitis at the base of my thumb joints. Excruciating pain experienced. I'm not sure if cortisone in such large doses is good for me.. Had cortisone drips 6 months ago.

Also, I am on Rheumalef and now she has prescribed plasmoquin in addition to the rheumalef.

I have read some articles on the nasty effects of plasmoquin. I really need some advice. I'm so tired of all these toxic meds.

Any suggestions will help.

[Hidden]

Hi Gitaga,

Can’t make a comment about the cortisone drip. As you’ve experienced this before, you know how that works for you.

Plasmoquin is an anti malarial DMARD - looks like Plaquenil - it’s the least toxic of the options - it makes me itch, but otherwise not too bad.

You’re Rheumaleaf looks like a version of leflunomide - which (I think) is Similar to methotrexate, and if I remember correctly, is a bit gentler.

Hope this helps, cheers Deb

[Gitaga in reply to Hidden]

Thank you.

Do u take antihistamines for the itching.

I suffer from chronic eczema so I take 1 allergex every night.

[Hidden in reply to Gitaga]

No, I don’t continuously itch, I get really severe bouts after I wash my hair, and if I take my doses too close together. One day, after 4 hours of itch, I was beside myself and went to the chemist, who said he didn’t have anything he could give me over the counter. I said I’ve got some prednisone at home, will that help, he said yes! So, that’s what I take

[Gitaga in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the reply. It has been very helpful

[helixhelix]

If you have chronic eczema as well as RA, is doctor sure you don't have psoriatic arthritis?

I guess you might be somewhere like South Africa as drug names are different to ones I'm used to? Like YanniBaci I think plasmoquin is probably our equivalent of plaquenil. It is the mildest of the drugs and I've been on it about 8 years now with no problems. But make sure you get your eyes checked once a year as in very rare cases it can cause deposits on your retinas.

As for cortisone drips I guess it depends the dose that goes into you. It may well be that it's pretty much the same as one 120mg injection of infusion, just much slower?

[Gitaga in reply to helixhelix]

Hi.

Thank you for the reply. I am very sceptical about large doses of cortisone. Decided to wait a bit. Will take prednisone orally and see.

[Gitaga in reply to Gitaga]

And maybe with both plasmoquin and rheumalef,, I just might see an improvement... Fingers crossed 🤞

[helixhelix in reply to Gitaga]

Good luck! I won't take the oral prednisone as it makes me go completely loopy.....

[Amy65]

I had to have 3 steroid drips over 2weeks 500ml at a time as my ESR was 115 and bed rest in hospital for 2weeks it did help dampen down my RA amy

[Gitaga in reply to Amy65]

Thank you for your reply I also had drips over 3 days 6 months ago. Not sure of the quantity. 6 months later I'm back to square one.