Some questions and a few comments

[Guest guest]

Mindy, the doctors should certainly look into rheumatic-type (inflammatory)

illnesses in your case. There are several kinds of rheumatic illnesses

besides just rheumatoid arthritis. Your symptoms sound a lot like it could

be a rheumatic illness.

Question: Has anyone had stomach trouble from their NSAIDS, and what do you

take that is less harmful to the stomach? I know Vioxx and Celebrex are

supposed to be good, but I can't take Vioxx due to high blood pressure and

Celebrex works great but gives me uncontrollable diarrhea. I've also used

Relafen, which is easy on my stomach, good for migraine headaches, but

otherwise not very effective. Right now I'm taking Ibuprofen and I think

it's about to eat a hole in my stomach.

To ? I''m in the midst of increasing metho and reducing sulfasalazine,

and it seems to take the metho a while to become effective, like a number of

weeks, as many as six or eight. This is true even when I'm just increasing

the dose; it seems to take a while for the higher dose to kick in--maybe it's

just me. I've never taken prednisone because I've been a type 1 diabetic for

31 years now and I just cannot deal with it's effects on blood sugar. But, I

was taking large cortisone shots for extreme seasonal allergies right before

I developed the diabetes--that was clear back in 1970. At that time the

doctors told me that cortisone can " trigger " diabetes. Don't know what the

thinking on that is now.

Whine time: Some days, not many, I feel at least okay and say to myself in

the morning: this is really okay; I can do this. Other days I feel like I'm

circling the drain, and this is one of those days. I've been trying to

figure out if food allergies are affecting my RA to some extent, so I tried

it out. When I was feeling pretty good, I ate a goodly amount of

pastry--wheat and sugar--and sure enough, next day I'm in a flare again.

Food allergies are the most absolute pits!!! It's hard to figure out what

food is doing it, I'm already restricted in what I can eat due to diabetes,

and I have some degree of allergy to wheat, so now I have to figure out what

to cut back on some more--DOUBLE DRAT!!! Believe, if I can motivate myself,

I'm going to try the Paleo Diet, which will work good with the diabetes--low

carb, no grains or dairy. My rheumie says changing diet won't cure RA, but I

want to see if it at least helps--what do you all think?

Thanks for listening.

lie

[Guest guest]

Hi lie,

Sorry you're having such a blue day. Feeling lousy can do that, can't it?

> Question: Has anyone had stomach trouble from their NSAIDS, and what

> do you take that is less harmful to the stomach? I know Vioxx and

Celebrex

> are supposed to be good, but I can't take Vioxx due to high blood

pressure

> and Celebrex works great but gives me uncontrollable diarrhea. I've also

> used Relafen, which is easy on my stomach, good for migraine headaches,

> otherwise not very effective. Right now I'm taking Ibuprofen and I think

> it's about to eat a hole in my stomach.

The only pain reliever my doctor would let me take is Tylenol. She said it

was less harmful to the stomach. I know I took a ton of it before I started

the prednisone and methotrexate. I haven't needed to take any since. She was

very negative on taking ibuprofen, which I had been eating like candy before

I was first prescribed Vioxx.

> just me. I've never taken prednisone because I've been a type 1 diabetic

for

> 31 years now and I just cannot deal with it's effects on blood sugar.

But, I

> was taking large cortisone shots for extreme seasonal allergies right

before

> I developed the diabetes--that was clear back in 1970. At that time the

> doctors told me that cortisone can " trigger " diabetes. Don't know what

the

> thinking on that is now.

I don't think the thinking has changed. I know I'm being watched carefully

for any sign of diabetes. Not a pleasant thought, one ailment stacking on

another.

> Whine time: Some days, not many, I feel at least okay and say to myself

in

> the morning: this is really okay; I can do this. Other days I feel like

I'm

> circling the drain, and this is one of those days.

Whine away, your feelings sound so familiar!! I've had many days when I've

gotten up and gotten through my day, I've had many other days when it just

seemed like too much, and if I was going to feel so bad, why should I keep

going. It is exhausting to fight bad health. Once you are exhausted

enough, easy for depression to creep in.

I've been trying to

> figure out if food allergies are affecting my RA to some extent, so I

tried

> it out. When I was feeling pretty good, I ate a goodly amount of

> pastry--wheat and sugar--and sure enough, next day I'm in a flare again.

> Food allergies are the most absolute pits!!! It's hard to figure out what

> food is doing it, I'm already restricted in what I can eat due to

diabetes,

> and I have some degree of allergy to wheat, so now I have to figure out

what

> to cut back on some more--DOUBLE DRAT!!!

Have you considered baking your own bread? Bread baking is one of my

favorite hobbies, (thanks to bread machines that can knead the dough for

me), and I know that periodically I come across people talking about having

wheat allergies. There are wheat substitutions that you can bake bread

with. If you are interested, I'll do some research. If you are eating

store bought bread, you may also be having a reaction to some of the

" ingredients " added to bread.

After 57 years on this planet, my sister developed an allergy to soy several

years ago. It is amazing how many things contain soy, including newspaper

print!

> Believe, if I can motivate myself,

> I'm going to try the Paleo Diet, which will work good with the

diabetes--low

> carb, no grains or dairy. My rheumie says changing diet won't cure RA,

but I > want to see if it at least helps--what do you all think?

I'm not familiar with the Paleo Diet. What is it?

Good luck,

Suzanne