Inflammation insight please.

[Guest guest]

Folks, your opinion means so much. I am fairly new to this. I was

diagnosed in June and started Methotrexate on first visit. I also take

a small dose of Prednisone. My blood work shows that my inflammation

is down, but I still have a lot of pain. My rhummy seems to think the

pain should be down also. It is so difficult for me to keep going some

days and as I leave my room for the day all I want to do is crawl back

into my bed, because I am already exhausted. Am I just not handling

this as well as other people or is this the best that it gets? I have

been fighting depression for days. Last Thursday took me almost an

hour to dress, I kept thinking, if this keeps up, I will need to go to

an assisted living environment.

I am new to this group and I have been reading a lot of your post. I

know that I have not suffered like most of you, so please forgive my

ignorance. It is just a very difficult time and I am reaching out for

wisdom.

Thank you for any advice that you can give.

Nana

[Guest guest]

I don't think RA doctors get that just because the numbers and

inflammation is down the pain remains. My RA also seems surprised at

the amount of pain I have despite the good blood numbers and all the

meds.

Good luck,

susan

On Jan 6, 2008 12:09 PM, nana2livi <s.p5315@...> wrote:

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Folks, your opinion means so much. I am fairly new to this. I was

> diagnosed in June and started Methotrexate on first visit. I also take

> a small dose of Prednisone. My blood work shows that my inflammation

> is down, but I still have a lot of pain. My rhummy seems to think the

> pain should be down also. It is so difficult for me to keep going some

> days and as I leave my room for the day all I want to do is crawl back

> into my bed, because I am already exhausted. Am I just not handling

> this as well as other people or is this the best that it gets? I have

> been fighting depression for days. Last Thursday took me almost an

> hour to dress, I kept thinking, if this keeps up, I will need to go to

> an assisted living environment.

> I am new to this group and I have been reading a lot of your post. I

> know that I have not suffered like most of you, so please forgive my

> ignorance. It is just a very difficult time and I am reaching out for

> wisdom.

> Thank you for any advice that you can give.

> Nana

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sounds to me like MTX alone is not enough for you. Your doctor

should prescribe additional medicine to work with MTX. Being on

prednisone for a long time is not good for most of us. I am on MTX,

Enbrel, plaquenil & prednisone (coming off of it) and I can get up in

the morning and do most normal things an hour at a time before

needing to rest & sit. Your blood work shows a number, not the whole

answer. My " number " is down close to normal but my hands are still

very inflamed (what knuckles? what vallies? are they supposed to be

there to?) On your next visit, discuss the amount of pain yur still

in and ask about adding something like Enbrel to your MTX.

>

> Folks, your opinion means so much. I am fairly new to this. I was

> diagnosed in June and started Methotrexate on first visit. I also

take

> a small dose of Prednisone. My blood work shows that my

inflammation

> is down, but I still have a lot of pain. My rhummy seems to think

the

> pain should be down also. It is so difficult for me to keep going

some

> days and as I leave my room for the day all I want to do is crawl

back

> into my bed, because I am already exhausted. Am I just not handling

> this as well as other people or is this the best that it gets? I

have

> been fighting depression for days. Last Thursday took me almost an

> hour to dress, I kept thinking, if this keeps up, I will need to go

to

> an assisted living environment.

> I am new to this group and I have been reading a lot of your post.

I

> know that I have not suffered like most of you, so please forgive

my

> ignorance. It is just a very difficult time and I am reaching out

for

> wisdom.

> Thank you for any advice that you can give.

> Nana

>

[Guest guest]

I have found Enbrel to be a great help. I have more energy and less pain. I have

never had

much of an outward manifestation of RA but the exhaustion, pain and inflammation

levels

have caused me to change my entire life. I have learned that the more I

communicate with

my ra doc, the better my treatment. Keep going to see your doc and keep

explaining how

you feel. Please don't just accept how you feel right now as the way you will

always feel.

Keep advocating for YOU!

Good luck! We are here for you!

> >

> > Folks, your opinion means so much. I am fairly new to this. I was

> > diagnosed in June and started Methotrexate on first visit. I also

> take

> > a small dose of Prednisone. My blood work shows that my

> inflammation

> > is down, but I still have a lot of pain. My rhummy seems to think

> the

> > pain should be down also. It is so difficult for me to keep going

> some

> > days and as I leave my room for the day all I want to do is crawl

> back

> > into my bed, because I am already exhausted. Am I just not handling

> > this as well as other people or is this the best that it gets? I

> have

> > been fighting depression for days. Last Thursday took me almost an

> > hour to dress, I kept thinking, if this keeps up, I will need to go

> to

> > an assisted living environment.

> > I am new to this group and I have been reading a lot of your post.

> I

> > know that I have not suffered like most of you, so please forgive

> my

> > ignorance. It is just a very difficult time and I am reaching out

> for

> > wisdom.

> > Thank you for any advice that you can give.

> > Nana

> >

>

[Guest guest]

NANA,

Don't feel like you are alone on this, RA does that to you, and take time to

find out about drug side effects, some of them cause depression, prednisone long

term can cause alot of problems. And remember you may seem normal in the eyes

of others, but you have RA, it will slow you down, so you have to give yourself

more time to get going, take rest in between when needed. And don't be afraid to

to say hey I have RA, I can not do that, or walk as fast. We all slow down as we

age, RA will do the same to you. Stay active as much as possible, it really does

help, get exercise in, you will feel so much better, watch what you eat, be

positive, and rest well. This is a great group. Inflammation , keep a journal of

your problems, and take it with you for your Doctor appointments, review your

flare ups or on going inflammation with the Doctor, I was on Enbrel, it really

did help, I also took, Mobic, Folic Acid, prednisone ( which I am now off )

vicodin, and MTX. The prednisone

caused me to have adrenaline problems and now I am on a beta blocker to keep my

heart from racing all the time. Having cardiac problems the Doc took me off the

Enbrel, since I have been taken off the prednisone and Enbrel my joints in my

fingers are starting to disfigure. I knew it would happen adventually. Its just

part of the disease. The chronic pain is the toughest to deal with out of it

all. Jean

bitsysguest <pmandell@...> wrote:

I have found Enbrel to be a great help. I have more energy and less

pain. I have never had

much of an outward manifestation of RA but the exhaustion, pain and inflammation

levels

have caused me to change my entire life. I have learned that the more I

communicate with

my ra doc, the better my treatment. Keep going to see your doc and keep

explaining how

you feel. Please don't just accept how you feel right now as the way you will

always feel.

Keep advocating for YOU!

Good luck! We are here for you!

> >

> > Folks, your opinion means so much. I am fairly new to this. I was

> > diagnosed in June and started Methotrexate on first visit. I also

> take

> > a small dose of Prednisone. My blood work shows that my

> inflammation

> > is down, but I still have a lot of pain. My rhummy seems to think

> the

> > pain should be down also. It is so difficult for me to keep going

> some

> > days and as I leave my room for the day all I want to do is crawl

> back

> > into my bed, because I am already exhausted. Am I just not handling

> > this as well as other people or is this the best that it gets? I

> have

> > been fighting depression for days. Last Thursday took me almost an

> > hour to dress, I kept thinking, if this keeps up, I will need to go

> to

> > an assisted living environment.

> > I am new to this group and I have been reading a lot of your post.

> I

> > know that I have not suffered like most of you, so please forgive

> my

> > ignorance. It is just a very difficult time and I am reaching out

> for

> > wisdom.

> > Thank you for any advice that you can give.

> > Nana

> >

>