Carol

[Guest guest]

Carol, this has been a very bad time for you! I'm so sorry about what

you've been going through and that you didn't come back here sooner. I'm

happy that you went to your doctor and told him that you've been

depressed.

I've been slow to answer since you've asked several difficult questions

in your E-mails, many of which I don't know the answer to. And I'll try

to answer those as I can.

What I do know is that depression is serious. It needs serious

treatment, just like RA. You don't have to defend your medication

choices to us or to anyone else, Stan included. I know you and your

doctor both research and think carefully before you act.

Polypharmacy is not inherently a bad thing. It can be very tricky, but,

sometimes, especially in a disease as complicated as RA, it is

necessary. That is why we are here - to help try to shed some light on

the complicated situations by sharing what we know or what we've

experienced with each other.

Maybe you should consider seeing a pain management specialist - someone

very familiar with the chronic pain of RA. That person or a pain

management team can help with depression, too. There are so many

strategies available, both drug and non-drug.

Hang in there. Things will get better. We're here to listen and try to

help anytime.

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Went to the doctor...

Words can't express how much the wonderful emails and phone calls I've

received from friends today mean to me. I've missed the group so much!

I

don't think there's a nicer group of people ANYWHERE.

For those who don't know me, my name is Carol and I live in Orlando, FL.

Married, 38 yrs old. I've been a member of the group since I was

diagnosed

2 years ago. I've been fortunate enough to meet Debs and Iris in

person,

and as great as they are here --- that's just how great they are in

person.

I'm so grateful to the work that and a put into the group, and

besides friendship and support I've become so much better educated about

RA

and how to live with it.

I started my own ebay business last year, selling new, high end women's

clothing and shoes. Most all is overstock from Macy's and I was doing

very

well. I'm still doing well, but the depression has slowed me down. The

ebay venture has been an incredible blessing because I can sit in bed

and

use my laptop when my joints are bad (which I've been doing more and

more

often because it's so darn comfortable!), and on a bad week I can decide

to

just sell less. (If anyone ever wants to sell on ebay and has questions,

I'm

more than happy to help. Just email me privately.) I was shipping 60

plus

packages a week in the third quarter of 2003, though, and between

photos,

listings, and shipping it was getting crazy.

Anyway, my diagnosis is RA and I'm on Mtx and Humira. Well, I did see

the

doctor this afternoon after my hysterical email this morning. . I've

never

had depression like this, and I never realized just how crippling it

could

be! He changed my meds back to what I was on in December, except I'm

remaining on the Humira. He also prescribed Remeron for the depression,

but

just for two weeks. He said we'll talk then and decide where to go from

there. I told him I was fearful about side effects including weight

gain,

and he said he would investigate which AD would be best longer term if I

need it. His hope is that a couple of weeks of this and I'll feel

better

and not need it long term, but if I do he told me that I just need to

take

it and not be ridiculous. He feels it's a very safe med. We can talk

that

way because we're good friends. He spent almost an hour with me, and I

cried for 30 minutes. Has anyone taken Remeron? Is there anything I

should

know? I was told to take it at night because it will make me drowsy,

but

that was the only notable thing mentioned.

I'm catching up on emails and trying to figure out who's who. I have

missed

the group so much, and I don't know why I've been avoiding everyone who

I

care about most. What a strange thing!

Thanks again for all of your support..

Love to all,

Carol