Guest guest Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 Hi : Yes, I think we are all in denial at times - we don't want RA, we don't want the pain and the fatigue, and the just not feeling good. But we have it, so we have to deal with it, and the best way to do that is to take the proper medications to keep the disease under control and keep it from progressing and destroying our joints. I have been on Mtx and Enbrel together for a little over six months now and this combo is doing well for me. The pain is not gone, it's always there, but is much better with these medications. For the RA, I also take Ultram for pain, and Mobic for anti-inflammatory. The tops of my feet up into my ankles is always painful, my wrists, elbows and hands are painful and stiff. I have OA in my knees. The thing is to deal with all of it, and get help. I have, and if things get worse, I will talk with my doctor, and see what we can do with it. I have recently had my Mtx upped, and hope that will help. I also have FM which I developed a few years after my RA dx. My doctor, a rheumatologist, is also treating me for that with medications. Please go and see your doctor if you think that you are developing FM - it is nothing to play around with. The pain from the FM is, if you can believe it, even more debilitating that the RA pain. It is a total body/muscle pain, not just the joints. I guess for me, everything hurts to a degree, and there are many here in the group who also have RA and FM, or lupus and FM, it seems to come along with these autoimmune diseases somehow. To treat the FM, I also use the Ultram, as well as muscle relaxants, nerve medication, and sleep medication. Actually, more medication than I take for the RA. There is fatigue in both RA and FM, so I have the double whammy from that, and am always tired it seems, no matter how good of sleep I get. I am also on an anti-depressant, blood pressure meds, and asthma meds. Whew! Anyway, I digress. The Prednisone and the Lodine are simply masking the pain of RA, and are doing absolutely nothing to control or slow down the disease process which, even if you cannot see it, is causing damage to your joints, and that cannot be taken back, cannot be erased, it will always be there. I don't think that this is the way you want to deal with your RA. Okay, so Enbrel scares you because a friend had bad side effects - you might not, and Enbrel has been a definate plus in my RA treatment. There are other meds out there, some I have tried, and have not had good result with, but I do try them. There are other biologics too. You need to treat the disease process, not just the pain, okay? Please go to see your doctor, and discuss getting DMARDs for your RA, and also discuss the FM symptoms you are having. I hope this has helped you - you always have our support and our ears here - best of luck and let us know how it goes - Kathe in CA > > > > > Kathe " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. " __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 Welcome , all the information in Kathe's post is exactly what I would have you. This is a great group and there is a wealth of knowledge shared to us by a and . Hugs June ----- Original Message ----- From: Kathe Sabetzadeh Hi : Yes, I think we are all in denial at times - we don't want RA, we don't want the pain and the fatigue, and the just not feeling good. But we have it, so we have to deal with it, and the best way to do that is to take the proper medications to keep the disease under control and keep it from progressing and destroying our joints. I have been on Mtx and Enbrel together for a little over six months now and this combo is doing well for me. The pain is not gone, it's always there, but is much better with these medications. For the RA, I also take Ultram for pain, and Mobic for anti-inflammatory. The tops of my feet up into my ankles is always painful, my wrists, elbows and hands are painful and stiff. I have OA in my knees. The thing is to deal with all of it, and get help. I have, and if things get worse, I will talk with my doctor, and see what we can do with it. I have recently had my Mtx upped, and hope that will help. I also have FM which I developed a few years after my RA dx. My doctor, a rheumatologist, is also treating me for that with medications. Please go and see your doctor if you think that you are developing FM - it is nothing to play around with. The pain from the FM is, if you can believe it, even more debilitating that the RA pain. It is a total body/muscle pain, not just the joints. I guess for me, everything hurts to a degree, and there are many here in the group who also have RA and FM, or lupus and FM, it seems to come along with these autoimmune diseases somehow. To treat the FM, I also use the Ultram, as well as muscle relaxants, nerve medication, and sleep medication. Actually, more medication than I take for the RA. There is fatigue in both RA and FM, so I have the double whammy from that, and am always tired it seems, no matter how good of sleep I get. I am also on an anti-depressant, blood pressure meds, and asthma meds. Whew! Anyway, I digress. The Prednisone and the Lodine are simply masking the pain of RA, and are doing absolutely nothing to control or slow down the disease process which, even if you cannot see it, is causing damage to your joints, and that cannot be taken back, cannot be erased, it will always be there. I don't think that this is the way you want to deal with your RA. Okay, so Enbrel scares you because a friend had bad side effects - you might not, and Enbrel has been a definate plus in my RA treatment. There are other meds out there, some I have tried, and have not had good result with, but I do try them. There are other biologics too. You need to treat the disease process, not just the pain, okay? Please go to see your doctor, and discuss getting DMARDs for your RA, and also discuss the FM symptoms you are having. I hope this has helped you - you always have our support and our ears here - best of luck and let us know how it goes - Kathe in CA > > > > > Kathe " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. " __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 I just wanted to say thank you for this post. I also benefited from reading it. :-) - In , Kathe Sabetzadeh <lv2ryd@...> wrote: > > > Hi : > > Yes, I think we are all in denial at times - we don't > want RA, we don't want the pain and the fatigue, and > the just not feeling good. But we have it, so we have > to deal with it, and the best way to do that is to > take the proper medications to keep the disease under > control and keep it from progressing and destroying > our joints. I have been on Mtx and Enbrel together > for a little over six months now and this combo is > doing well for me. The pain is not gone, it's always > there, but is much better with these medications. For > the RA, I also take Ultram for pain, and Mobic for > anti-inflammatory. The tops of my feet up into my > ankles is always painful, my wrists, elbows and hands > are painful and stiff. I have OA in my knees. The > thing is to deal with all of it, and get help. I > have, and if things get worse, I will talk with my > doctor, and see what we can do with it. I have > recently had my Mtx upped, and hope that will help. > > I also have FM which I developed a few years after my > RA dx. My doctor, a rheumatologist, is also treating > me for that with medications. Please go and see your > doctor if you think that you are developing FM - it is > nothing to play around with. The pain from the FM is, > if you can believe it, even more debilitating that the > RA pain. It is a total body/muscle pain, not just the > joints. I guess for me, everything hurts to a degree, > and there are many here in the group who also have RA > and FM, or lupus and FM, it seems to come along with > these autoimmune diseases somehow. To treat the FM, I > also use the Ultram, as well as muscle relaxants, > nerve medication, and sleep medication. Actually, > more medication than I take for the RA. There is > fatigue in both RA and FM, so I have the double whammy > from that, and am always tired it seems, no matter how > good of sleep I get. I am also on an anti-depressant, > blood pressure meds, and asthma meds. Whew! > > Anyway, I digress. The Prednisone and the Lodine are > simply masking the pain of RA, and are doing > absolutely nothing to control or slow down the disease > process which, even if you cannot see it, is causing > damage to your joints, and that cannot be taken back, > cannot be erased, it will always be there. I don't > think that this is the way you want to deal with your > RA. Okay, so Enbrel scares you because a friend had > bad side effects - you might not, and Enbrel has been > a definate plus in my RA treatment. There are other > meds out there, some I have tried, and have not had > good result with, but I do try them. There are other > biologics too. You need to treat the disease process, > not just the pain, okay? Please go to see your > doctor, and discuss getting DMARDs for your RA, and > also discuss the FM symptoms you are having. > > I hope this has helped you - you always have our > support and our ears here - best of luck and let us > know how it goes - Kathe in CA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Kathe > > " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. " > > > > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Thank you Kate, I have an appointment with my rheumy this afternoon. Just have to be frank w/ him and tell him the truth, I am getting worse, probably stress from personal family problems. Still think i can beat this thing....... but i have to be realistic, as a nurse, i always fix everyone..... thanks for the time to write, it really helped Kathe Sabetzadeh <lv2ryd@...> wrote: Hi : Yes, I think we are all in denial at times - we don't want RA, we don't want the pain and the fatigue, and the just not feeling good. But we have it, so we have to deal with it, and the best way to do that is to take the proper medications to keep the disease under control and keep it from progressing and destroying our joints. I have been on Mtx and Enbrel together for a little over six months now and this combo is doing well for me. The pain is not gone, it's always there, but is much better with these medications. For the RA, I also take Ultram for pain, and Mobic for anti-inflammatory. The tops of my feet up into my ankles is always painful, my wrists, elbows and hands are painful and stiff. I have OA in my knees. The thing is to deal with all of it, and get help. I have, and if things get worse, I will talk with my doctor, and see what we can do with it. I have recently had my Mtx upped, and hope that will help. I also have FM which I developed a few years after my RA dx. My doctor, a rheumatologist, is also treating me for that with medications. Please go and see your doctor if you think that you are developing FM - it is nothing to play around with. The pain from the FM is, if you can believe it, even more debilitating that the RA pain. It is a total body/muscle pain, not just the joints. I guess for me, everything hurts to a degree, and there are many here in the group who also have RA and FM, or lupus and FM, it seems to come along with these autoimmune diseases somehow. To treat the FM, I also use the Ultram, as well as muscle relaxants, nerve medication, and sleep medication. Actually, more medication than I take for the RA. There is fatigue in both RA and FM, so I have the double whammy from that, and am always tired it seems, no matter how good of sleep I get. I am also on an anti-depressant, blood pressure meds, and asthma meds. Whew! Anyway, I digress. The Prednisone and the Lodine are simply masking the pain of RA, and are doing absolutely nothing to control or slow down the disease process which, even if you cannot see it, is causing damage to your joints, and that cannot be taken back, cannot be erased, it will always be there. I don't think that this is the way you want to deal with your RA. Okay, so Enbrel scares you because a friend had bad side effects - you might not, and Enbrel has been a definate plus in my RA treatment. There are other meds out there, some I have tried, and have not had good result with, but I do try them. There are other biologics too. You need to treat the disease process, not just the pain, okay? Please go to see your doctor, and discuss getting DMARDs for your RA, and also discuss the FM symptoms you are having. I hope this has helped you - you always have our support and our ears here - best of luck and let us know how it goes - Kathe in CA > > > > > Kathe " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. " __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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