Guest guest Posted June 3, 2001 Report Share Posted June 3, 2001 Welcome, ! You certainly have a difficult combination of illnesses. I am so sorry to hear that. I can imagine that you have a great deal of pain and that it is probably difficult to tell at any given time just which disease or diseases are producing it. From what I've read, relapsing polychondritis can be extremely painful and can cause serious inflammation in a great number of areas of the body - even in your eyes, ears, and nose. Is it possible that the Remicade is working for your rheumatoid arthritis but not for your relapsing polychondritis? Have you ever been on higher doses of prednisone to see if that helped? Sometimes RP is treated with as much as 60 mg of prednisone per day until relief is achieved, and then it is rapidly tapered back down. Have you tried other immunosuppressives like azathioprine or cyclophosphamide? I know that methotrexate has been shown to be effective for some RP sufferers, so I'm glad you're on that for your RP as well as the RA. Toradol (ketorolac) is an NSAID used to relieve both inflammation and pain. Here is some information on it in injection form from Medscape's drug database: " Ketorolac tromethamine is used for the short-term (i.e., up to 5 days) management of moderately severe, acute pain. The manufacturer states that the drug is not indicated for use in minor or chronic painful conditions. Therapy should be initiated with parenteral (i.e., IV or IM) ketorolac, with the oral formulation used as continuation therapy, as required. The manufacturer recommends that the total combined duration of parenteral and oral ketorolac therapy should not exceed 5 days... Current principles of pain management indicate that analgesics, including ketorolac tromethamine, preferably should be administered at regularly scheduled intervals, although the drug also has been administered on an as-needed basis (i.e., withholding subsequent doses until pain returns). The manufacturer states that clinicians should manage breakthrough pain in patients receiving ketorolac tromethamine therapy with supplemental low doses of opiate analgesics (unless contraindicated) as needed rather than considering higher or more frequent dosages of ketorolac tromethamine. " You can find more information at www.medscape.com in their drug database. There are many drugs that can be tried in an attempt to alleviate your pain. Please don't lose hope. What do you mean by: " My doctor wants to order Pain Management for me in the fall when my Medicare kicks in. " ? Does that mean you will go to a pain clinic? I hope so. I'm happy that you found our group. I hope that you can feel better very soon. ----- Original Message ----- From: <osmonddoll@...> < > Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 11:46 PM Subject: Re: [ ] Digest Number 1831 > Hi > > My name is and i am 37 years old and new to the group. I have been > diagnosed with Sero-Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis since January 2000. I also > have a disease called Relapsed Polychondritis and Fibromyalgia. > > I am currently on the following medications: > > Prednisone 20mgs > Methotrexate 9pills a week 2.5mgs > Remicade 620mgs every four weeks > Celebrex 200mgs 2 pills a day > Ultram as needed > Toradol injections > > I have been on the Remicade treatment for a year now and so far have had VERY > minimal relief. I didnt have relief until my dosage was moved up to 500mgs at > the time which was two months ago. Its now at 620mgs. My relief only lasts > for about 2-4 days and then i am right back to normal. I have constant > swelling and pain..... > > My doctor wants to order Pain Management for me in the fall when my Medicare > kicks in. > > I am very worried that medicine has not really helped and scared that i am > putting all these toxics in my body that may be of no help. Are any of you on > Remicade? And if so, did you find any relief? Do any of you get it every four > weeks as i? I would love to hear from those of you who get the Remicade > treatments. > > Also, what pain meds are all of you on? I am on Ultram and was on > Darvocet......Darvocet didnt work at all and Ultram certainly isnt helping > either. Are there any other meds out there for pain that a doctor would be > willing to prescribe for me that would work for pain? > > And lastly, i will be starting the Toradol injections next Tuesday when i see > my doctor. He has already prescribed them for me and i will bring them in for > his nurse to teach me how to inject myself Tuesday. I am not even really sure > what this Toradol is used for-pain or anti-inflammatory? Do any of you use > this medication in this form? Any input would be appreciated. > > Thanks for the opportunity to post here. Hope to hear from some of you soon. > Wishing all of you the best of health and life... > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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