Another Day with RA

I started my walk to work and was like, "man I feel better" and then I took a few more steps and was like "ouch, that hurts." So the walk wasn't that great. But I'm ready to work at my office!

Lots and Lots of Medication

Daily Overview: Woke up feeling pretty good. Took tons of pills. Feeling good lasted until I walked from the parking garage to work. My left foot's fifth metatarsal joint acted up again with sharp pains plus stings going over my foot. Something that has never happen before until recently. Lunch felt like this...The pain was dulled by codeine but the disease was thriving. Just after 3pm while sitting in my chair, my foot starting acting up with pain and stings over my foot. Crazy how I'm keeping track of a simple walk to the parking garage. I barely walk during the day and it's still a struggle. What the @#$*&^$. I'm 33 and like to be active.

Today is the return to taking more medication. The result of my phone call with my doctor was three additional prescriptions to the three I'm currently on. So here's the list.

1. IBUPROFEN 600mg (3 pills a day)
2. OMEPRAZOLE 20mg (1 pill a day to coat my stomach for #1)
3. HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE 200mg (2 pills a day)
4. METHOTREXATE 2.5mg (6 pills on one day of the week)
5. FOLIC ACID 1mg (1 pill a day due to taking #4)
6. APAP/CODEINE 300-30mg (when needed. currently take 2 pills twice a day)

My doctor put me back on Methotrexate along with Folic Acid. I had been on that with my previous RA doctor until I got a bad liver test in late March of this year. I really hope it helps again. Also I got to choose to not go back on prednisone and got apap/codeine instead. I have never taken it before. Definitely seems very different. More about the pain rather than the inflammation. Not going to judge it yet. Too soon to tell.

Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Methotrexate?

So I spoke with Doctor today and I'm on yet another path of meds in hopes to put my RA once again in remission. Today was a very tough day on the left foot. I need to get the name of the joint. It's the one on the outside below the pinky toe joint. The pain has continued onto the top of foot which is weird. It hurt most of the day which has rarely happened before.

Anyway, my doctor is putting me on Methotrexate which I have been on the past 2 years until I stopped taking it in late March due to a bad liver test. However my new doctor wants me to go back on it. I'm going to start with 5mg one day a week. I was up to 8mg one day a week before stopping.

So here's the question. Does anyone know how much alcohol I can drink while on Methotrexate. I've had three RA doctors tell me 3 different things:

Doctor #1: No alcohol the day before, during, and day after taking Methotrexate.
Doctor #2: Limit yourself to seven drinks a week, doesn't matter when.
Doctor #3: You really shouldn't drink at all. Maybe 1 drink a year.

So let me hear from you.
Are you drinking while taking Methotrexate? What did your doctor tell you?

Start to a New Week and more Battles with RA

One of the things I'm always asked at the doctors is, "Are you stiff in the mornings?" My answer has always been a NO. But recently I've been waking up to what I guess is feeling like being stiff in the areas that hurt. From my left knee down is now stiff in the mornings. Some mornings, they even still hurt with shooting pains or irritations from the inflammation. During lunch today I could of swore I felt shooting pains on the top of my left foot. Not good. I've also been noticing my left foot hurting after putting my shoes on for the first time. I'm already wearing size 13 so I can't go too much higher.

Well tomorrow is my call with my doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Orthopedic and Arthritis Center. Hopefully she'll tell me some good news!

Been Another Long Weekend with Rheumatoid Arthritis

First posting! I've decided to keep track of my battle with Rheumatoid Arthritis via this blog rather than in a notebook. I thought it might be helpful to me keep track of my RA issues and maybe even get some thoughts and feedback from others with like problems. I won't get into my history now, but I will for sure. For now I'll do a quick update on the weekend.

I can't recall how many times I've iced my knee and foot since Friday. I woke up between 4-5am this morning with crazy pain in my foot. So much, that by 5:30 my sweetheart went downstairs and grabbed an ice bag. Took my medicine around 8:00 and mowed the lawn at 11 am. I went real slow and easy. I felt embarrassed as I must have looked 90 years old out there!

Can't wait for my phone call on Tuesday with my doctor at The Brigham and Women’s Hospital Orthopedic and Arthritis Center! Going to get some more ice and continue with my new addiction to the show 24.