Re: Finally have a dignosis, would like to join you all.

December 12, 2006

>

> I have been fighting to get some sort of diagnosis that would

explain my

> symptoms for over a year. My previous rheumy would not ever give

me

> anything " official " so I was forced to suffer and only would be

given

> NSAIDs for relief. NSAIDS do not even touch my symptoms. I have

some

> weird thing that they do not work. I had surgery and they gave me

> Toredol and I woke up screaming in pain...NSAIDs just don't work

and my

> doc wouldn't believe me. [(:|]

>

> I went back to my primary and got a referral to a different, more

> respected rheumatologist. He looked at all my test results and

joints

> and diagnosed me as sero-negative RA. I am RF negative, but do

have

> some of the other test markers (Sed rate, white blood count low,

low

> grade anemia, 18 joints effected, etc...). He put me on 15 mg of

> Prednisone for 15 days. It worked for about the first 7 days, but

since

> then my symptoms have started to return. I go back after the

holidays

> to work out with him my treatment plan of action. The good news

he gave

> me is that I have minimal joint damage at this point, so he thinks

my

> prognosis is very good.

>

> I am 37 years old and have 3 kids aged 7, 3, and 1. I also work

full

> time as an engineer. I really am looking forward to moving on and

> getting some answers and relief.

>

> One thing I wanted to ask you about is recommendations for

> antidepressants. During my journey through various docs

(hemotolgist,

> ENT, endo, etc) to figure out what was wrong I was placed on Paxil

(one

> of the docs though it was all related to post-partum!). I never

really

> exhibited signs of depression, but more of over stress (um...yeah,

3

> kids, ill all the time, stressful job). I like the fact that the

Paxil

> takes the edge off and allows me to be more patient with my DH and

> kiddos, but think I have read that there may be a better choice

for RA.

> Is this true? I am on a very low dose (10 mg/ every other day) of

the

> Paxil, so I wonder if it is just a placebo effect anyway for me?

>

> I look forward to getting to know all of you as we all try and

figure

> out these diseases!

>

> Oh, I also have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and had a lumpectomy over

the

> summer that developed sepsis and ended up off of work for 3 months

with

> a wound VAC and in and out of the hospital....all related in some

way?

> I think they are!

>

One of the things I found out is that my symptoms are relieved when

I don't eat foods that I'm allergic to. My dr. sent my blood to a

lab called Immuno Laboratories in Ft. Lauderdale (you can google

them)that found out I'm allergic to wheat, rye, millet, sunflower,

yeast, dairy, eggs, pinto and kidney beans and shrimp. If I eat that

stuff, I gain weight, joint and muscle pain, etc., and if I don't

I'm pretty good. Since I don't eat dairy, I also found out after 2

years when my pain came back that I had a Vitamin D deficiency. Now

I take that, and I'm doing pretty well on mtx and folic acid.

Good luck,

>

December 12, 2006

, I'm not an MD/DO, but I've worked with a lot of pain patients who like

Cymbalta. It seems to really help with mood and pain. You might discuss this

with your doc and see what he/she thinks. Kate

<cook.nicole@...> wrote:

I have been fighting to get some sort of diagnosis that would explain my

symptoms for over a year. My previous rheumy would not ever give me

anything " official " so I was forced to suffer and only would be given

NSAIDs for relief. NSAIDS do not even touch my symptoms. I have some

weird thing that they do not work. I had surgery and they gave me

Toredol and I woke up screaming in pain...NSAIDs just don't work and my

doc wouldn't believe me. [(:|]

I went back to my primary and got a referral to a different, more

respected rheumatologist. He looked at all my test results and joints

and diagnosed me as sero-negative RA. I am RF negative, but do have

some of the other test markers (Sed rate, white blood count low, low

grade anemia, 18 joints effected, etc...). He put me on 15 mg of

Prednisone for 15 days. It worked for about the first 7 days, but since

then my symptoms have started to return. I go back after the holidays

to work out with him my treatment plan of action. The good news he gave

me is that I have minimal joint damage at this point, so he thinks my

prognosis is very good.

I am 37 years old and have 3 kids aged 7, 3, and 1. I also work full

time as an engineer. I really am looking forward to moving on and

getting some answers and relief.

One thing I wanted to ask you about is recommendations for

antidepressants. During my journey through various docs (hemotolgist,

ENT, endo, etc) to figure out what was wrong I was placed on Paxil (one

of the docs though it was all related to post-partum!). I never really

exhibited signs of depression, but more of over stress (um...yeah, 3

kids, ill all the time, stressful job). I like the fact that the Paxil

takes the edge off and allows me to be more patient with my DH and

kiddos, but think I have read that there may be a better choice for RA.

Is this true? I am on a very low dose (10 mg/ every other day) of the

Paxil, so I wonder if it is just a placebo effect anyway for me?

I look forward to getting to know all of you as we all try and figure

out these diseases!

Oh, I also have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and had a lumpectomy over the

summer that developed sepsis and ended up off of work for 3 months with

a wound VAC and in and out of the hospital....all related in some way?

I think they are!

December 12, 2006

Hello ,

I also have RA and Hashimoto's disease I finally found a doctor that

prescribes me Armour the only thing that helps with that. Have an autoimmune

disease is a pain in more ways than one. I am so sorry you had a bad doctor I

have had several when I was trying to find out about my thyroid problem I found

it myself and made them test for it which of course was positive. Then it took

a year to find a doctor that would prescribe Armour which is natural pig thyroid

but it works so well with me which the synthetic made it worse. So I got that

taken care of and then I was told I had RA my RA doctor is very nice told me up

front that I will have good days and bad at the start I will even feel like I do

not have it I feel so good but I will always have it. He tells it like it is

which I prefer of course but it hit hard when he told me.

Glad to have you here everyone is so supportives here.

Marsha