RE: just feel bad. what can I do to feel better

[Guest guest]

My brother has RA and so does my mother and father. But, the reason I am writing is because of my brother, he just returned last week from the Mayo clinic, he has been battling RA for a few years now, but has had other problems that they could not pin point, they have now said that he has Scleroderma, there are many web site that talk about the disease. One thing that could of caused this disease is methotrexate. Scleroderma is misdiagnosed quite often, a lot of doctors diagnose it as RA, now he does have RA but he also has Scleroderma.

One sight that tells a lot about the disease:

http://www.sclero.org

-----Original Message-----From: pamela garland [mailto:mapgarland@...]Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 4:29 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Cc: bjjt_us@...Subject: Re: just feel bad.what can I do to feel better

--- Barbara Kinney <bjjt_us@...> wrote:> > Hi Pam,> I'm Barbara. I'm 40 and have had RA for over 28> years. The only med that has ever done anything for> me has been methotrexate. I was on it for over a> year when I came down with a bacterial infection> that only appears on my thighs! This has been going> on since January. They have since taken me off the> methotrexate, saying that it has suppressed my> immune system to much so now I'm sussecpible(sp?) to> infections. I have since been to the rheumatologist> 2x a month, the dermatologist & a hematologist and> none of them can figure out whats going on. The last> time I was at the rheumies they suggested that I go> on plaquenil when I go back - tonight as a matter of> fact - because its a much milder med. I have severe> RA, I was supposed to start Kineret! I have already> failed so many meds Enbrel included. When I see the> rheumy tonight I hope to get some answers. Have you> tried plaquenil? Maybe you can ask your dr about it.> Let me know how it turs out.> Good Luck & God Bless, Barbara > mapgarland <mapgarland@...> wrote: Hi. I'm> Pam and have RA now for 3yrs, so far the only meds> that work > for me are pred and vioxx. I have tried methotrexate> but after 4weeks > I end up with some infection some where so that is> out. My doctor > can't get beyond that drug she said if I can't take> it I won't be > able to take the others. Anybody have any ideas. I'm> 42 and live in > south Texas and don't have anyone to talk to that> can understand what > I'm living with. > > Barbara,Thanks for your reply, so for you are theonly person to respond, I guess I was hoping for moreof surport group than this is turning out to be.Butjust knowing you are out there with me helps. I copiedthe info on Kineret to take with me on my next DOCvist HA! HA!. I don't mean to sound like a dummy,buthow do you use this chat room.Thanks Pam. > >

[Guest guest]

I went to that site and I did not see that it said methotrexate causes Scleroderma. What it does say is

"Certain medications, especially the anti-cancer medicine bleomycin, can lead to scleroderma. Bleomycin breaks chromosomes, which may be a factor in triggering scleroderma." DNA Sciences, Inc.

and Lee Gardner <johnandcarrielee@...> wrote:

My brother has RA and so does my mother and father. But, the reason I am writing is because of my brother, he just returned last week from the Mayo clinic, he has been battling RA for a few years now, but has had other problems that they could not pin point, they have now said that he has Scleroderma, there are many web site that talk about the disease. One thing that could of caused this disease is methotrexate. Scleroderma is misdiagnosed quite often, a lot of doctors diagnose it as RA, now he does have RA but he also has Scleroderma.

One sight that tells a lot about the disease:

http://www.sclero.org

-----Original Message-----From: pamela garland [mailto:mapgarland@...]Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 4:29 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Cc: bjjt_us@...Subject: Re: just feel bad.what can I do to feel better

--- Barbara Kinney <bjjt_us@...> wrote:> > Hi Pam,> I'm Barbara. I'm 40 and have had RA for over 28> years. The only med that has ever done anything for> me has been methotrexate. I was on it for over a> year when I came down with a bacterial infection> that only appears on my thighs! This has been going> on since January. They have since taken me off the> methotrexate, saying that it has suppressed my> immune system to much so now I'm sussecpible(sp?) to> infections. I have since been to the rheumatologist> 2x a month, the dermatologist & a hematologist and> none of them can figure out whats going on. The last> time I was at the rheumies they suggested that I go> on plaquenil when I go back - tonight as a matter of> fact - because its a much milder med. I have severe> RA, I was supposed to start Kineret! I have already> failed so many meds Enbrel included. When I see the> rheumy tonight I hope to get some answers. Have you> tried plaquenil? Maybe you can ask your dr about it.> Let me know how it turs out.> Good Luck & God Bless, Barbara > mapgarland <mapgarland@...> wrote: Hi. I'm> Pam and have RA now for 3yrs, so far the only meds> that work > for me are pred and vioxx. I have tried methotrexate> but after 4weeks > I end up with some infection some where so that is> out. My doctor > can't get beyond that drug she said if I can't take> it I won't be > able to take the others. Anybody have any ideas. I'm> 42 and live in > south Texas and don't have anyone to talk to that> can understand what > I'm living with. > > Barbara,Thanks for your reply, so for you are theonly person to respond, I guess I was hoping for moreof surport group than this is turning out to be.Butjust knowing you are out there with me helps. I copiedthe info on Kineret to take with me on my next DOCvist HA! HA!. I don't mean to sound like a dummy,buthow do you use this chat room.Thanks Pam. > >

[Guest guest]

The doctors at the Mayo clinic suggested that methotrexate, which I understand to be a cancer fighting drug can cause Sclerderma. And my brother was on that drug.

-----Original Message-----From: Barbara Kinney [mailto:bjjt_us@...]Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 10:14 AMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: RE: just feel bad. what can I do to feel better

I went to that site and I did not see that it said methotrexate causes Scleroderma. What it does say is "Certain medications, especially the anti-cancer medicine bleomycin, can lead to scleroderma. Bleomycin breaks chromosomes, which may be a factor in triggering scleroderma." DNA Sciences, Inc.

and Lee Gardner <johnandcarrielee@...> wrote:

My brother has RA and so does my mother and father. But, the reason I am writing is because of my brother, he just returned last week from the Mayo clinic, he has been battling RA for a few years now, but has had other problems that they could not pin point, they have now said that he has Scleroderma, there are many web site that talk about the disease. One thing that could of caused this disease is methotrexate. Scleroderma is misdiagnosed quite often, a lot of doctors diagnose it as RA, now he does have RA but he also has Scleroderma.

One sight that tells a lot about the disease:

http://www.sclero.org

-----Original Message-----From: pamela garland [mailto:mapgarland@...]Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 4:29 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Cc: bjjt_us@...Subject: Re: just feel bad.what can I do to feel better

--- Barbara Kinney <bjjt_us@...> wrote:> > Hi Pam,> I'm Barbara. I'm 40 and have had RA for over 28> years. The only med that has ever done anything for> me has been methotrexate. I was on it for over a> year when I came down with a bacterial infection> that only appears on my thighs! This has been going> on since January. They have since taken me off the> methotrexate, saying that it has suppressed my> immune system to much so now I'm sussecpible(sp?) to> infections. I have since been to the rheumatologist> 2x a month, the dermatologist & a hematologist and> none of them can figure out whats going on. The last> time I was at the rheumies they suggested that I go> on plaquenil when I go back - tonight as a matter of> fact - because its a much milder med. I have severe> RA, I was supposed to start Kineret! I have already> failed so many meds E Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more