Follow Up

[Guest guest]

I had my Rheumy appointment today. I was the one whining about

excessive sleeping, pain and stiffness for hours in the morning and

an obviously change in my right thumb, it's turing outward and is

sore all the time.

Basically, he said my inflammation level was much higher 4 months ago

that it had been 3 months before that and he thought the bloodwork

done today would be even higher. He agreed the Humira was probably

not working and I said pretty much since he took me off the MTX. He

still refuses to put me on any MTX, he feels with the Asacol I take

for colitis it will hurt my liver. He calls it " bad medicine " , even

though I was on Humira and MTX for over 2 years and my Rheumy and

Gastro doctors in VA never said anything. He agreed with changing my

anti-depressant from Prosaic, but he refused to put me on another

one. He said there were to many and I needed to talk to my Internist

about that and any pain meds he feels I might need.

They took blood, including thyroid TSH, T-3 T-4 for my interist, and

gave me a DVD and handout on " Rituxan " . That would be an infusion

(IV) then repeated 2 weeks later in the doctors office. He said most

insurance do it for the copay, but the total cost is over $11,000 for

those 2 treatments. I've read the material, but every page refers

to " Rituxan " with Methotrexate reduces pain and symptoms for 6

months, that would be about the time for the next treatment. Well, as

with the Humira, he won't prescribe MTX so I'm not sure what to do.

Any comments or suggestions will be appricated. There are only 2

Rheumy's in Florence, SC and they are both in the same office.