Re: My sister has been diagnosed with RA

[Guest guest]

Bless you for trying to get some help for your sister. We will be happy to do what we can but we are limited because few of us are medical professionals. She should be seeing a rheumatologist if at all possible. I don't know what anti-inflammatories she has tried but a common one is Prednisone, a corticosteroid. If used in high doses for long periods (years) it can have very bad effects and some people have fairly bad side effects earlier. However, for mos people the relief from RA is much greater than the adverse side effects. It usually acts rapidly (a few days) while other RA drugs usually take many weeks to months to become effective. Also if she does not get relief by using Prednisone it indicates (but does not prove) that she does not really have RA. A web site that has good summary information about medications is http://www.arthritisinsight.com/medical/meds/.

Blood tests do not prove a person has RA of prove that they do not have RA. The seven criteria for diagnosing RA are given in the following site. http://www.arthritisinsight.com/medical/disease/ra/ra.html . I'm surprised that the doctor has not put her on some DMARD (see first link I posted). These can actually slow or stop the joint destruction of the disease and should be started early. She might also consider a second opinion because she should really be on more medications.

Another web site I participate in has a person who posts as kitkat1 and she is from New South Wales. She may be more acquainted with medical opportunities in your vicinity and she is quite knowledgable and helpful. There are others from Austraila and may be some from New Zealand. I suggest you go to that board and post a message to kitkat1 asking for help. http://www.arthritisinsight.com/cgi-bin/wsmbb/wsmbb.cgi?SB+KYWRJLLXVS/AKFCLKZQUN+config

Both you and your sister are welcome to communicate with me by e-mail at hvantuyl@.... I'm a 75 year old man who has had RA for about a year and a half and haven't had much success with Arava or Methotrexate but now I am pretty well controlled with a combination of Methotrexate and Remicade. Prednisone worked well for me for the first year before the DMARDS started to work and now I'm off the Prednisone.

Good luck to your sister and God bless both of you.

----- Original Message -----

From: deuxplustrois

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 8:30 PM

Subject: My sister has been diagnosed with RA

Hearing the despair in my sister's voice made me want to find relief somewhere for her. This led me to your forum.My sister is 48 years old and since the birth of her third and last child 13 years ago, she has experienced joint pain over the years. Recently her condition was confirmed - full-blown RA. She is now finding it hard to do anything physical - she is now "hobbling" along, finding it difficult to get up in the morning for work, feeling as though she can't go on. Her doctor has prescribed anti-inflammatories, and was going to put her on AREVA, but has since changed his mind. Numerous blood tests have been carried out to ascertain if there are certain triggers - nothing to date.I would so love to hear from you wonderful people as to your own personal experiences, and where my sister can go from here. She is living in New Caledonia at present, while I am in New Zealand, and perhaps there are some successful treatments out there that we don't know about, but which could relieve her pain.So grateful for your help.

[Guest guest]

Harold,

You are indeed a blessing. I feel that your advice and reading what

other members have said about their own experience makes me feel more

positive about this debilitating disease. My sister emailed me

yesterday to say she was feeling better after taking 3 cortisone

tablets and 2 painkillers. I will ask her the exact names of the

medication she is taking and the dosage. The links you gave will be

very helpful I am sure, and I will definitely look into them.

As they say, knowledge is power, and I have vowed to my sister that

we will find relief from her pain. This forum, and all you

wonderfully caring people, will, I am sure, play a very important

role in helping me keep that promise.

Thank you all so much.

[Guest guest]

You are a wonderful sister! Reminds me of when my daughter was dxed

with autism. We were watching Little Mermaid and a part came on in

which she sang, " I don't know where, I don't know how, but I know

something starting right now. Watch me and see, someday I'll be part

of your world. " Who would have thought Little Mermaid would have

such prophetic words!

BTW, I went to an autism seminar a few weeks ago and it was stated

that those with autism often have a history of RA in their families.

Anyone else have the common conditions in their families?

Debi

>

> As they say, knowledge is power, and I have vowed to my sister

that

> we will find relief from her pain. This forum, and all you

> wonderfully caring people, will, I am sure, play a very important

> role in helping me keep that promise.

>

> Thank you all so much.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I also am living in new zealand.

It is good to hear from someone over this side of the world.

There seem to be alot of medication overseas that we don't get within the

public health system.

I have had R.A. now for 8 years and right now it is in Flare up. I am also

having to rethink about whether I keep on working as hobbling around has

certainly slowed me down.

I am on 1600 mgs per day of anti-inflammatories and 22.5mgs of Methotrexate

per week and 5mgs of folic acid plus all the usual tab to help relieve some

of the side effects of the methotrexate.

I haven't been on this list for long but have found it to be immensely

knowledgeable, helpful and supportive.

Good luck with getting all the information you need to pass on to your sister.

Cheers,

ette

At 15:30 26/06/03, you wrote:

>Hearing the despair in my sister's voice made me want to find relief

>somewhere for her. This led me to your forum.

>

>My sister is 48 years old and since the birth of her third and last

>child 13 years ago, she has experienced joint pain over the years.

>Recently her condition was confirmed - full-blown RA. She is now

>finding it hard to do anything physical - she is now " hobbling "

>along, finding it difficult to get up in the morning for work,

>feeling as though she can't go on. Her doctor has prescribed anti-

>inflammatories, and was going to put her on AREVA, but has since

>changed his mind. Numerous blood tests have been carried out to

>ascertain if there are certain triggers - nothing to date.

>

>I would so love to hear from you wonderful people as to your own

>personal experiences, and where my sister can go from here. She is

>living in New Caledonia at present, while I am in New Zealand, and

>perhaps there are some successful treatments out there that we don't

>know about, but which could relieve her pain.

>

>So grateful for your help.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>