The Young and the RA

So. I’m in the middle of a little scare here, which kind of relates to a topic that one of my loyal readers wanted me to talk about: Drinking and RA.

My liver is dying at the moment. Well, maybe not, but I’m a little worried about it. Anyone on methotrexate should know that the drug is really hard on your liver. (If your doctor has not told you this, talk to her/him. If she/he doesn’t know anything about its effects, find a new doctor because yours isn’t good enough to treat someone as special as you.)

So, when I was first put on methotrexate, they had me on 15 mg. Then I started having problems with fatigue (meaning I was in need of even more than the usual 10 hours I currently have to get to function properly) and hair loss (I was shedding like a cat) and had to lower my dose. I am now on 7.5 mg — a fairly low dose — and there has been talk of reducing it soon. (Cross your fingers!).

Now the bad part. Because methotrexate is so hard on your liver you have to waaaayyyyy lower your alcohol consumption, which is nearly impossible as a college student (well, not impossible, but no fun whatsoever). But I sucked it up and have tried to be as good as possible since then. Supposedly you should only have one alcoholic drink a month, but I fudge that number a little. (I hope my doctor isn’t reading this!!!) But I am not getting trashed every night or anything close by any means. I am good about it. I promise. (And I recommend you try to stick to the one drink limit as well as you can, too!) I have been especially good the past several weeks because of this liver scare.

I was having stomach-cramping-style pains and went in to see a doc while visiting sunny California this week. (Just as beautiful as I remember it. This time I may not leave. What does half of a Masters get you?) So while the doc was examining me he discovered that my liver is tender (AHHHHH!!!!). So now I am freaking out about that. I’m getting the blood work done today, and I am just hoping it comes out clean.

People taking methotrexate are suppose to have blood work done on a regular basis (every few months) to test their liver functions (there are several). If you aren’t currently getting blood work done, get it. They need to make sure your liver is functioning properly and the methotrexate isn’t killing it like it may have killed mine! Drinking alcohol can speed up the destruction.

If you are taking methotrexate and drink, there are a few things you’ll want to do. One is drink TONS of water. Helps to protect the liver. Also, never take methotrexate on the day you are drinking, take it as far away from a drink as possible. I take mine on Wednesday night so that I don’t have to worry about weekend drinks.

I also take lots of water the day before and after taking the drug. Water is the key!!! So protect your liver. Don’t end up in the doc office freaking out about your tender liver like I am! Anyways, I’ll let you know what the test says. Wish me luck! 

Until next time,

S.P. 

Sorry if I am a little flakey with the posts in the next two weeks. I am on vacation and will try my best to post regularly, but it can be hard. But I’m excited. I get to go to Disneyland tomorrow!

Anyways, for today’s post, I wanted to take a more international look at RA. According to the Dubai City Guide, ENOC has recently extended its support to the Women’s Initiative for Rheumatoid Arthritis (WIRA), which is exciting since I think all RA organizations need as much support as possible! According to the article, WIRA is a campaign to raise awareness of RA:

“The campaign seeks to educate the public on the high incidence, symptoms and consequences of the disease if left untreated, as well as on the importance of early detection. Informational material and posters on rheumatoid arthritis have been made available in 30 of the busiest ENOC service stations across the UAE” (Dubai City Guide).

As many of you are probably already aware, RA affects three times as many women as men, which is probably why the campaign has a female angle. Men shouldn’t get upset, though, because anyone knowing more about RA is a good thing, and they will benefit just as much as us ladies. I just think it is great that other countries are getting the word out about RA and helping people get diagnosed earlier on so that major tissue and joint damage can be avoided. I’ve seen the effects of what untreated RA can do, and trust me, it ain’t pretty.

Until next time,

S.P. 

I found a really cool test about RA. So take it and see how much you know! It is important to understand RA and what is involved in having it. Knowing about RA can help you have more beneficial and in depth conversations with your doctor about treatments as well as help you better manage your RA. I got a 8 out of 10 on the quiz. Let me know how you did!

 Test your RA knowledge

 Until next time,

 S.P.