Whining

I totally feel you! I was on it for months, finally after going up and down and all over I was able to get off of it. I went into the Doctor and after a week free of it she suggests I go back on it again! I was a bit discouraged. I didn't follow her instructions but I am really not feeling good now. Im not in a flare but Im stiff and really achy at different times during the day. Im really tired alot of the time no matter how much sleep I get.

I can't take ibuprofen, meloxicam works but not well and it sure seems like vicodin and pain killers are just A-OK to keep giving me. I end up taking about 6 vicodin a day and it gets me through the day but Im flat out exhausted and Im worried about using so many painkillers so regularly. I have to take two vicodin at a time or they basically do nothing. Apparently I have a high tolerance for them.

On the other hand; I'm putting one foot in front of the other most days. Going to work, helping the kids with homework doing things around the house and having a lot of fun watching my kids basketball games. An old employer of mine got a hold of me about a job they have available which is flattering and makes me feel good that after being gone almost two years they still even remember my name. I don't know how I manage to KEEP a job some days Im so out of it. :)

I hope you feel better and this is a great place to whine :) Be careful with the prednizone though, I know from my experience I could very easily come to rely on it. Its not a good drug for that unfortunately :(

I have a love/hate relationship with prednisone. I have been on a low dose (5mg) for several years and each time I try to wean off of it, I feel really bad and have to go back on it. I am hopeful that once I have my RA under control, I will be able to stop it completely.

Thanks for the commiseration, Sharon and Chartreux.

My rheumy put me on 5 mg/day of prednisone for 2 weeks and I'm feeling better pain-wise. She also upped my dose of sulfasalazine; we'll see how that goes. I'll ask about the shot next time; it would be interesting to see how that works for me.

My most-hated side effect of prednisone is the vivid dreams/nightmares. I spent all night dodging cars on snowy roads in Bulgaria and I feel like I didn't get any sleep! (I've traveled to BG for work 4 times in the last couple of years, so it wasn't quite as random as it seems.)

I hope everyone is doing ok today.

eta: I see I'm a "Regular Member" instead of "New"!

Hi Carole, I was on at least 5mg if not 10 or 15mg of pred for about 5 years and decided the side effects were too great, I lost a tooth. Had high blood pressure, my cholesterol was through the roof and all due to prednisone. It masks pain so I didn't know my tooth was in trouble plus it was thinning my bones I now have osteopenia or lower bone density because of it. As I was 52 at the time I decided to come off it, My rheumy didn't think I could but I painstakingly dropped 1/2 a mg every 3 weeks and finally managed to do it. But every now and again if I flared or whatever I would up the dose again until I settled and then keep progressing downwards.
So it is possible to come of it but just very slowly. Now if I flare I take 10mg for 3 days and then just stop, it seems to do the trick. But my rheumy said to count the overall amount of it I take so if she feels I take it too often I need to go back on 5mg, so far so good.
Congrats on becoming a regular member before long you'll be a veteran!
Best wishes, golitho

Thanks for the replies, Chartreux, golitho, and Don_D. The information about side effects is scary, but I need to see it.

I'm on 5mg/day of prednisone until 15 Nov and then I'll see what happens without it. The rheumy doubled my dose of sulfasalazine last week and I'm tolerating it well, so hopefully I'll be ok.

Don_D - I'm sorry you're in a flare I hope you get some relief soon.