Bad reflux

[PattyMPA]

Bad Reflux. I have been 4 weeks on Methotrexate now at 17 mg 1x a week and 6 wks on Prednisone now at 16 mg. The acid reflux began 3 weeks ago and is so bad I think I need to change from MTX back to Arava. My chemo day is today and doc did not yet call back to say how much Arava equals 17 mg MTX. What to do?

[Hidden]

Hi,

Methotrexate comes in injections so might be worth trying that.

Why were you taken off the Arava? It’s not a first line treatment for MPA.

[Greenkit]

I take 20mg of Methotrexate weekly and 5mg Prednisolone daily, to counteract acid reflux i have been on 30mg of Lansoprazole daily and i have to say it works.

Hope yours gets sorted it isnt nice

[DevonLottie]

Have you been given omeprazole to protect your stomach? Also gaviscon advance helps (check with your consultant before trying it).

[ZiggyDiego]

I've had problems with reflux since last October when I had to have big doses of prednisolone to manage a flare (I have GPA). I was on lansoprazole and got changed to omeprazole. I also take Peptac (prescribed version of gaviscon) four times a day. I was told my reflux is due to prednisolone damaging my stomach valves and increasing the acid in my stomach. I don't get much heartburn but I still have reflux: have found some useful information by searching for "silent acid reflux". I've now got breathlessness as well, which is related, sigh...

[PattyMPA]

Thank

[PattyMPA]

Thank you all for your answers. I had been on Arava for 9 years for RA, then every other day and then none when I seemed to not need it in the Fall, and then MPA struck for the first time in December. Probably because I was off the Arava (10 mg. a day). But when I was finally diagnosed and treated it was first with high dose Prednisone, then 2 weeks later adding Methotrexate at 12.5 and recently 3 weeks now of 17 mg. Prednisone is now 15 mg daily. I am thinking now it is the Prednisone. I began taking 2 Omeprazole 2 x a day (over the counter) and Mylanta 2 - 3 x day and that is helping, but as Lenny said, it is not good to live on this stuff either. Oh dear, we have so much trouble from medication side effects but we have to have it, don't we.

[ZiggyDiego]

Yes, it's frustrating to be told in clinic that problems are more likely due to drug side effects than the disease itself! But without the drugs we would not be here...

[PattyMPA]

I am so grateful to my doctor for even knowing of this disease to do the testing right away, although I will say getting to that point required ME asking WHY all of these attacks on my major organs? That prompted the appointment with the Rheumatologist, without which where would I be now? 10 ER and 2 days hospital in a 4 week period did not yield anything except lots of testing, antibiotics for pneumonia, pain reliever for the pleurisy, a diagnosis of A Fibrillation, Congestive Heart Failure and pleurisy and the ER doc shrugging his shoulders like 'we don't know what is wrong' and disagreement among docs re the CHR diagnosis (which now is not that at all). I even was on a friendly (professional) basis with one doc I saw a lot through all that. They were as good as they could be, but as I say, I had to do the initial detective work.

That worries me for others who are passive and leave it all up to the ER docs. My Rheumatologist was so wise, I even nominated her for the Vasculitis Foundation's early detection award. I am so very very grateful to her and to God.