I began a new dose of Prednisone yesterday. I was diagnosed w/ R...

My Dad had RA, it was very advanced, he was taking Methotrexate, and it was not helping so they put him on Arava and prednisone, he had taken it for a year with no problems, then suddenly he had a massive heart attack, that they ssid was congestive heart failure, It killed him,he pass a way at 49 years old, I have been researching this for a while, although i am not finding much, but when i read your story, it scared me, please pay attention to your symptoms, and get to a doctor fast , if you feel that way again, please e-mail me back with any info you might thinck would helpme, or with any questions, my personal e-mail is cgilpin@student.westcentraltech.edu

I just went through something similar. I am taking Humira and Methotrexate as well. I'm in about my 3rd year of having been diagnosed with RA. When my RA flared, I also became hypertensive. I was taking a beta blocker (small doses) and a diurectic. When I began Enbrel and methatrexate, I had and allergic reaction wtih Enbrel. Now I take the Humira (which I also reacted to) along with a dose of Benadry 4 hours before the Humira. I was doing well until a new doctor thought my blood pressure wasn't under control. They changed my beta blocker to a calcium blocker type of BP drug which sent me into orbit with chest pain, racing heart and 12 pounds of water weight gain. The water weight gain sent the RA into orbit. Then we switched to Lisinopril w/o the diuretic. It sent my heart racing, made me breathless, and I continued to hurt along with a foggy brain and an inability to multi-task which I need to be able to do as a mom and middle school teacher. Fortunately, for me my old doctor returned to a practice near home and I went to see him. He put me back on a different beta blocker (metopronolol) with a little bit of a diurectic. The first day I took the new drug, my pain went away (making the methatrexate and humira work again), my heart slowed down, I could run around the school without becoming breathless; I could focus and multi-task like I used to AND my blood pressure immediately dropped to 112/68. I had to attribute all my problems to the blood pressure meds. I don't know if my experience will help, but hopefully so.