My Meds

Here's the drugs I have taken/am taking...

1. Methotrexate.  Is the main drug of choice by doctors for people with bad arthritis.  It has been around for a long time (since the 1940s).  Initially used for cancer (100 times the strength used for arthritis), somehow they found it help arthritis patients.  No-one (as far as I can see) knows why it helps, or exactly how it helps - but it does.  I'll write more about this later.  For now I am on the lowest dose, which I take once a week - Tuesdays at 4pm.
2. Folic acid.  Goes with MTX to counteract MTX main goal which is depleting the immune system, by design.  Arthritis is an immune system disease.  Stop the immune system working and you stop arthritis.  The dosage of folic acid must match the dosage of MTX.
3. Codeine.  An NSAID, it is my main anti-inflammatory, and today the dosage was doubled.
4. Arcoxia. Is an emergency NSAID drug because codeine just has not been sufficient.  It is not a nice drug.  My doctor is happy that I take it because I am on regular blood tests.
5. Paracetemol.  Whilst a "normal" person is advised to take this drug for no more than a day or so without seeing a doctor, in my condition it is welcomed as one of the safest drugs for pain relief.  So, bring it on.
6. 10% maximum strength Ibruprofen gel: is used to reduce inflammation in specific areas, eg my wrists and ankles.  The active ingredient is diclofenac, which I am banned from using these days, except in this form.  On some occasions I have had generous dollops applied all around my feet.
7. Ferrous Fumarate: High-strength iron tablets to combat anemia.  Started taking it May 2016.
8. Diclofenac Sodium: An NSAID which I have possibly taken for 30 years or more, but usually not more than a blister pack per year.  Stopped taking it around June 2015.