-- Welcome.

[Guest guest]

(pretty name), I can believe it. It is very hard for some of us, myself

included, to let go of who we were before RA, especially if we were " just

getting started in life. " I felt I was just getting started when I developed it

10 years ago. And... with raising a daughter, the last thing I wanted to do

was take toxic drugs -- who would care for her my special needs (total care

child) if the drugs killed me or gave me a crippling stroke. So I was in denial

big time and fighting the disease all at the same time. So can totally relate.

It didn't help the medications had such horrific side effects for me personally

and no doctor mentioned anything about folic acid to me back then, now they do

after I tell them I heard about it first.

You had success with Enbrel. Enbrel worked for me also, best relief was 9

months then it started to taper its effects after that and then came the side

effects. I took it from '99 to 2003, I believe, then humira, then remicade,

kineret, etc.. Arava worked for me with horrific side effects. Nothing else

worked. MTX at 25 mg only took the edge off with a feeling of being high and

lethargic, thinning hair, blah, blah, etc., and now liver enzymes too high to

take it. Waiting on insurance to go back on the humria. Been there done that

too. Not much relief but at this point I say something is better than nothing.

Trying to be more independent and really want to get out there to enjoy whatever

life is available. So in the same boat with you with the medications, however.

Not sure why you are taking both lodene and prednisone, aren't they supposed

to do the same things only one is steroidal and the other nonsteroidal? What

happened with the Enbrel? Did you devleop any side effects? have you tried the

humira, same thing as enbrel but less side effects and less relief but still

helps. This is all individual results, all of it works different in everyone.

I think whatever brought your disease on is how you respond to the meds and if

whatever it was is still present in the body, (metal toxicity, hormonal

imbalance, virus, allergic reactions, highly strressful life, etc.) I think it

is important to eat right and drink plenty of water to make sure it isn't what

you are eating bringing flares on or making it worse like in diabetic patients

having to watch sugar intake or adjust insulin doses. exercise and enough rest

at night is important too. All my opinion of course, but can't hurt to eat the

right things. nutritional and conventional

combination is my idea of a good treatment regimen. Have you read Toxic Relief

by Don Colbert, MD? or visit askdrweil.com for natural remedies questions and

answers? Good info there too and also loads here.

Hope fibro symptoms just a scare. Hopefully don't really have it. I think

there are certain tender points docs test to see if you have it.

Well, now that I have talked your ears off, I better give them a break:).

haha! Just wanted to let you know you aren't alone and offer a few suggestions

to bring relief. Don't forget to live as much life in between flares, even if

just for 5 minutes a day do something that brings you joy, otherwise this really

can be overwhelming.

blessings and healing to you,

Ebony

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