Guest guest Posted August 4, 2006 Report Share Posted August 4, 2006 Hi : That first doctor sounds like a real jerk - come back when you are in pain????? I would have seen another rheumy back then! Anyway, I am so sorry that you already have some damage to your joints from not being on the right medications. Celebrex was only covering up the RA, by decreasing the inflammation and thus the pain, and not working on stopping the disease process itself, which was obviously attacking your joints throughout that time. Your friend is wrong about Plaquenil. It is also a DMARD, disease modifying drug, and I was first placed on it when I was dx 7 years ago. Plaquenil, like Methotrexate and Arava, will work on stopping or slowing down the disease process itself, and hopefully stopping any joint destruction. Since you already have some joint destruction, what the Plaquenil is for it to try and keep it at that point, and not let further damage occur. I had great luck with Plaquenil for 2-1/2 years before my RA became aggressive, and I was switched to Methotrexate, and other meds. I have had no x-ray evidence so far of any joint destruction from the RA, only OA, but will be having new x-rays taken next month, so we shall see if the drugs have been doing their job! Let your doctor know that you do not think the valtoren is not working, and ask for another drug. Those sorts of medications treat the inflammation, and not the disease itself. I was also on Celebrex and it worked really well, but I stopped it when the Vioxx scare came out. I am now on Mobic with good result. It's rotten when the insurance companies get involved and say what you can or cannot take, or making you take a generic rather than the name brand, because it's cheaper for them. They should let doctors do their job~! Anyway, give the Plaquenil at least 8 weeks to start to show some effect, if there is none by that time, talk to the doctor again, and maybe you will need to go on Mtx or something else at that time, or even add another med to the Plaquenil. I had no side effects at all from the Plaquenil, and all you have to do is get eye exams every 6 months. It's one of the DMARDs with the least amount of side effects such as liver damage, and that is why I started on it first. If you have any more questions, just ask - take care - Kathe in CA --- <runyonc2001@...> wrote: > I've been a member of this group for about a year, > since I suspected > I had RA. The rheumy told me he thought it was> Palindromic > rhuematism, and didn't give me any other info or> meds. He told me to > come back when I was in pain. I was on celebrex for > a year and didn't > have any flare ups, just the day to day aching hips,> hands, and now > my wrists are affected. While on vacation in> Cherokee NC, I had > pnuemonia and a flare up from h*ll. When I got home, I decided to give this doc another visit> (and if his > bedside manner was as bad as last year, I was going> looking for > another). Well this time I saw the PA and she was> great. She thinks > it is RA, sent me for xrays and MRI, and started me> on valtoren > (because the celebrex wasn't covered by my> insurance), and plaquenil. > I talked to a friend of mine who has RA and she said> plaquenil > doesn't stop the damage to the joints. (The xrays> showed mild to > moderate damage to the hips, hands, & wrists- I > didn't need the xray > to tell me that!). > My question is: should I be on something else , like > MTX? I'm having > another flare; I don't think the valtoren is working> as good as the > celebrex. > Any suggestions? I'm just learning about all of > this.> Thanks, > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 Thank you Kathi. I have to consider damage that might occur to the liver as I had hepatitis C and went through the treatment 6 years ago. My liver biopsy was only a stage one (minimal damage- thank God!) but I don't want to ruin it with other drugs now. It's always one thing or another, isn't it! Thanks for your help, > > > I've been a member of this group for about a year, > > since I suspected > I had RA. The rheumy told me he > thought it was> Palindromic > rhuematism, and didn't > give me any other info or> meds. He told me to > > come back when I was in pain. I was on celebrex for > > a year and didn't > have any flare ups, just the day > to day aching hips,> hands, and now > my wrists are > affected. While on vacation in> Cherokee NC, I had > > pnuemonia and a flare up from h*ll. When I got > home, I decided to give this doc another visit> (and > if his > bedside manner was as bad as last year, I was > going> looking for > another). Well this time I saw > the PA and she was> great. She thinks > it is RA, sent > me for xrays and MRI, and started me> on valtoren > > (because the celebrex wasn't covered by my> > insurance), and plaquenil. > I talked to a friend of > mine who has RA and she said> plaquenil > doesn't stop > the damage to the joints. (The xrays> showed mild to > > moderate damage to the hips, hands, & wrists- I > > didn't need the xray > to tell me that!). > My > question is: should I be on something else , like > > MTX? I'm having > another flare; I don't think the > valtoren is working> as good as the > celebrex. > > Any suggestions? I'm just learning about all of > > this.> Thanks, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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