Rheumatoid medications are different. They can take months, as in 3-6 months.
When I was diagnosed with RA last fall, I was immediately put on prednisone and plaquenile and we quickly learned I was allergic to both. I was then switched to oral Methotrexate (MTX). The dose was upped to the maximum in January. I started to feel a little better, I thought. But not better enough so I was switched to injection MTX in April.
I have felt some improvement but could not be completely sure. My back pain was making it difficult to 'feel better' because I was always in pain from something.
After I had my back treatment at the end of June, I thought my back was better but immediately got a double ear infection and was too sick to care about body aches and pains as I lay on the couch and watched Lifetime movies and bad reality TV.
Since I was put on antibiotics for two weeks, I had to go off my MTX. Its been three weeks since my last treatment.
Over the past week I have been feeling more and more tired with more and more aches and pains. Yesterday I was ready for a nap at 9am and my wrists were killing me.
Last night I started doing a little research to find out from Dr Google how soon after finishing antibiotics is it safe to restart MTX. After reading a lot of answers online I realized two things:
- I was feeling awful because my RA has been acting up because I haven't been taking my MTX.
- Methotrexate was working to help my RA.
My rheumatologist told me if you have been on MTX for ye ars and go off it fo a few weeks for antibiotics, its not that big a deal because your blood levels are high enough. But since I have only been on it since April, I would probably feel the lack of it. She was right.
I am learning, slowly. I will suck it up, wear my wrist splint, and take my pain meds.
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