J Sala

[Guest guest]

Hello J,

This is in VA. Where in PA are you? I graduated from Mansfield University in north-central PA in 1999.

I've had arthritis for 4 years. I was diagnosed with Reactive arthritis (RAA) during my last semester in college when I was 22. My current meds are: Azulfidine EN (4000 mg/day), Prednisone (4 mg/day), Ibuprofen (2400 mg/day), Folic Acid (3 mg/day), Methotrexate (20 mg/week) and Remicade (300 mg/6 weeks). I've also tried: naproxyn, vicodin, celebrex, vioxx, Enbrel, doxycycline, & tylenol.

Unfortunately, your response to the steroids is common -- they mask/control the pain but do not stop it from happening. I had a great rheumy in PA -- Dr. Oleginski. He is at Geisinger in Danville. I saw him at Packer teaching hospital in Sayre, PA. He's the one that diagnosed me (I still keep in contact with him). Chondroitin and Glucosamine have shown to do well in studies of patients with osteo arthritis not with RA. My boyfriend has RA and fish oil capsules have helped him. He follows the directions on the bottle (I think it is 2 or 3 per day).

I agree that you may want to switch to Ibuprofen from naproxyn. It worked better for me & didn't give me as much stomach upset.

I haven't used a chiropractor but I've found deep tissue massage in the months opposite from my Remicade treatments works well for me.

Arthritis caused an all over achy feeling which may explain the leg muscle pain -- however fibromyaglia is a type of arthritis that affects the soft tissues connecting the joints. You should talk to the rheumy about it.

Take care!

Steph in VA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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