Medication worries

[Yorkshire-Rose]

Hi all,

Not been using this forum too much for posting stuff but have read.

So my worry is like the title says about my medication, I'm on methotrexate, at 10mg a week and I've been told they want to start hydroxychloroquine once I'm ok with the methex, this will be a much higher dose and it concerns me.

Reading post from others and how much worse they are with RA, I feel the added hydroxy is overdoing things, and I would much rather just have the methotrexate, and see how things go. My inflammation dropped fairly quickly,so i dont see the reason for all the meds.

Cheers

[Jesnaskah]

That's great that MTX is working for you.

If it ain't broke, why try to fix it. At this juncture, and I am sensing you want this...why not just keep things the way they are. Speak up. It's your life and your body. You are really the one in charge. They can offer you their professional advice, but it's ultimately up to you to choose what you want. Can you tell that my docs hate me 😂😂??

Wishing you continued success!!

[helixhelix]

Brilliant that you've responded to a low dose of MTX. Like Jasmaskah I believe you should get to make decisions...and I've found my docs don't hate me for questioning and speaking up but have responded really well.

So ask why they believe it's necessary, and what added benefits there might be as well as what extra risks. I find it has helped me a lot to keep track of my own results, so I can challenge statements too. So if your blood results are now back to normal levels then really do ask why they think this is not an adequate drug response.

[AgedCrone]

I have never taken more than one Dmard at a time. I asked my Rheumatologist way back in 1999 if it was really necessary to start taking so many drugs at one time. He said it was my choice & " we'll try that for now"

We went on from there...& it turned out to be a good decision. I remained on Mtx only for 7 years....but that was me & of course you may really need more than one drug, for now.

So why don't you voice your concerns to your rheumy nurse - unfortunately with AI diseases what works for one doesn't work for the other.if you do start hydroxy - keep a close watch on how you feel & if it's not good get back to your medical team quickly.

But do keep your Rheumy onside - Longterm we have to manage as well as we can & often what looks like overkill to us has a good clinical reason we really don't understand unless we ask.

Good Luck.

[Matilda_1922]

My Rheumatologist wanted to increase before adding another DMARD. I’m taking 20mg weekly. Had hydroxychloroquin added ok for a while but not 100% so sulphasalazin added then started having migraines and eye sight problems. Si after a year hydroxychloraquine was stopped and migraines stopped and eye sight problems continued which I have eye drops since reviewed by an eye specialist.

[Yorkshire-Rose in reply to Matilda_1922]

Thanks, everyone for your helpful comments, I think sometimes you just have to sound out your concerns with things and this board is great for that

Going through the replies, its the speed at which I responded, things had died down a little even before meds, and the steroid injection I received just put an end to the inflammation.

I have synovitis in wrists and ankles and this seems to have been the main damage and concern, and I still do have that, also osteopenia in hands.

The hydroxy worries me alot...i have ocular migraines anyway, poor eyesight, its like they get strained/tired quickly, I have astigmatism and scarring in both eyes. On my last test, recently the optometrist said its all the things that are causing the eye strain and that I have weak eyes...whatever that means...

I took my last med last Monday and ordered a new script from Dr's I, went yesterday and told its not up to them to prescribe the med, it's up to Rheumatologist department to do it..so now I have to wait for a call back to get med. It would have been helpful to know this, until waiting until I had run out and then find out, I'm ready to throw in the towel and just see how things go, without meds. I've only had 1 full month on metho, so it's not like I've been on them for months or years, seems like a lot of trouble for one flare up.