Re: for all...new meds such as Kineret

[Guest guest]

Hi

Having had RA now for almost 20 yrs I believe I have tried it all including

Enbrel and Kineret, Methotrexate, shark cartilage, as well as the antibiotic

therapy including iv antibiotics, etc., etc. And because of this I feel that

I speak from a great deal of experience, at least my own, for what it is

worth.

I care very much about this group and as a result of my own attempts with

these new meds, I can't stress enough how careful we all must be before

trying them. They are new and remember the physicians as well as the

pharmaceutical companies that make these meds, are learning the serious side

effects from us! not their double blind control studies but patients such as

ourselves. So please ask about these meds, read everything you can find about

them from reliable sources of course, and do not, and I cannot state this

enough, do not rely solely on your doctor to make this decision for you. It

is not the doctor taking the med and therefore taking the risk that goes with

it. Please study the side effects and ask yourself is it worth it to you to

take this new drug? If you cannot find information go to the pharmacy and ask

the pharmacist for the patient information sheet for the medication you are

considering, i.e., Kineret. It will give you much more information than your

doctor will supply and you can then make a better informed decision. Of

interest, when the doctor first wanted me to go on " Rheumatrex " Methotrexate,

many years ago, I read that it was a chemotherapy. The rheumatologist told me

that Methotrexate was indeed a chemo used for breast cancer however they took

the same drug and recalled it Rheumatrex solely for use in rheumatoid

arthritis patients so they would not know is was chemotherapy. So please be

informed

Hope this helps.

Joanne