RE: hi help regarding ra flare ups

[Guest guest]

I am 43 and I have been on methetrexate, plaquanil (sp) and just started

humira. I have never heard about an age thing. I have been on the methetrexate

for almost 5 yrs now with no problems at all. We just started the humira since

we moved down south and the warm humid air is real bad for me and my RA has

gotten worse in the past 2 yrs of being down here, I am hoping it works. I

also take vicodin for the pain, but try not to take it to often since it makes

me wired and I cannot sleep or anything when I take it.

hi all i was diagnosed with ra approx 9 months ago but think i have had

it a while my gp gave me athrotec i saw the rheumatologist who told me

to keep taking this until i have a joint scan she said because of the

side effects of other drugs and my age i am 42 the longer i can stay of

these drugs the better i have good and bad days about 3weeks ago my

knees were very painful i went to the doctor who said it was an ra

flare and gave me painkillers last week my knuckles and fingers became

very swollen and painful simple tasks became very difficult i also felt

very fatigued and generally unwell all i want to do is sleep i went to

see my gp who stopped athrotec and gave me etodolac 300mg twice a day

i see the rheumatoligist again in feb how often do these flare ups come

and would i feel better if i was on stronger medication please help

Tammie

In a message dated 1/8/2008 8:30:29 P.M. Central Standard Time,

suziesuesusan@... writes:

hi all i was diagnosed with ra approx 9 months ago but think i have had

it a while my gp gave me athrotec i saw the rheumatologist who told me

to keep taking this until i have a joint scan she said because of the

side effects of other drugs and my age i am 42 the longer i can stay of

these drugs the better i have good and bad days about 3weeks ago my

knees were very painful i went to the doctor who said it was an ra

flare and gave me painkillers last week my knuckles and fingers became

very swollen and painful simple tasks became very difficult i also felt

very fatigued and generally unwell all i want to do is sleep i went to

see my gp who stopped athrotec and gave me etodolac 300mg twice a day

i see the rheumatoligist again in feb how often do these flare ups come

and would i feel better if i was on stronger medication please help

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[Guest guest]

Boy do I feel your pain.? Before I was diagnosed with RA, I was on arthotec.?

When my GP retired, I went to a new GP who ran a series of tests.? When it was

Rheumatoid Factor?positive, she sent me to a Rheumatologist.? He told me it was

just ostoarthritis.? He put me on etodolac.? This went on till I got a new GP

(other one left for a new position at a teaching hospital).? I whined that I was

still in pain.? He did xrays and ran more blood work.? When this came back, he

said he needed to send me to a different Rheumatologist.? When I went in to my

new rhummy, he diagnosed RA and said that I'd had it for some time and was

already showing signs of disfigurment in my hands.? He put me on Methotrexate

immediately.? This seems to help most of the time.? It's not great, but its

better.? My advice is to go to another Rhematologist.? These doctors do not

always listen, and since in my opinion they are our employees, you should always

insist on being heard.? If you are not getting the service you deserve, find

another Doc.? If you don't take care of yourself, no one else will either.?

Meg in MO

[ ] hi help regarding ra flare ups

hi all i was diagnosed with ra approx 9 months ago but think i have had

it a while my gp gave me athrotec i saw the rheumatologist who told me

to keep taking this until i have a joint scan she said because of the

side effects of other drugs and my age i am 42 the longer i can stay of

these drugs the better i have good and bad days about 3weeks ago my

knees were very painful i went to the doctor who said it was an ra

flare and gave me painkillers last week my knuckles and fingers became

very swollen and painful simple tasks became very difficult i also felt

very fatigued and generally unwell all i want to do is sleep i went to

see my gp who stopped athrotec and gave me etodolac 300mg twice a day

i see the rheumatoligist again in feb how often do these flare ups come

and would i feel better if i was on stronger medication please help

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[Guest guest]

The sooner you get on stronger medications, the sooner you can start

preventing joint damage. The current thinking is to treat RA

aggressively from the beginning. You need to be on a DMARD, that is a

Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drug, such as methotrexate, Plaquanil,

etc. Your rheumatologist seems not up to date on current research.

Maybe it's time to find a new one.

Sue

On Tuesday, January 8, 2008, at 08:49 PM, suziesuesusan wrote:

> hi all i was diagnosed with ra approx 9 months ago but think i have had

> it a while my gp gave me athrotec i saw the rheumatologist who told me

> to keep taking this until i have a joint scan she said because of the

> side effects of other drugs and my age i am 42 the longer i can stay of

> these drugs the better i have good and bad days about 3weeks ago my

> knees were very painful i went to the doctor who said it was an ra

> flare and gave me painkillers last week my knuckles and fingers became

> very swollen and painful simple tasks became very difficult i also felt

> very fatigued and generally unwell all i want to do is sleep i went to

> see my gp who stopped athrotec and gave me etodolac 300mg twice a day

> i see the rheumatoligist again in feb how often do these flare ups come

> and would i feel better if i was on stronger medication please help

[Guest guest]

i agree with this answer, while some of these drugs do have side effects i have

been treated for RA for almost 18 years i have been on prednisone all 18 years

and on enbrel and methotrexate for 5 years , if you follow recommended dosages

and your doctor is alert you can avoid serious effects. i have blood work done

everymonth to make sure the enbrel and especially the methotrexate arent frying

my liver , i also take relafen as an NSAID . my dr would love for me to get off

of the prednisone but so far 10mg daily is as low as i have ever been able to

get. your doctor should be fighting this somewhat more agrssively, i have some

deformity of my fingers in both hands and have had three joint replacements ,

both hips and one kneee and the other knee is barely holding on. why dont you at

least consider getting a second opinion from another RA doctor . couldnt hurt

and you may find that you get more releif from the symptoms . i know just how

agonizing those flareups can be . good

luck

Sue <marysue@...> wrote: The sooner you get on stronger

medications, the sooner you can start

preventing joint damage. The current thinking is to treat RA

aggressively from the beginning. You need to be on a DMARD, that is a

Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drug, such as methotrexate, Plaquanil,

etc. Your rheumatologist seems not up to date on current research.

Maybe it's time to find a new one.

Sue

On Tuesday, January 8, 2008, at 08:49 PM, suziesuesusan wrote:

> hi all i was diagnosed with ra approx 9 months ago but think i have had

> it a while my gp gave me athrotec i saw the rheumatologist who told me

> to keep taking this until i have a joint scan she said because of the

> side effects of other drugs and my age i am 42 the longer i can stay of

> these drugs the better i have good and bad days about 3weeks ago my

> knees were very painful i went to the doctor who said it was an ra

> flare and gave me painkillers last week my knuckles and fingers became

> very swollen and painful simple tasks became very difficult i also felt

> very fatigued and generally unwell all i want to do is sleep i went to

> see my gp who stopped athrotec and gave me etodolac 300mg twice a day

> i see the rheumatoligist again in feb how often do these flare ups come

> and would i feel better if i was on stronger medication please help

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Suzie,

I urge you to find a different rheumatologist. Early and aggressive

treatment of RA is the current standard of care.

Not an MD

> [ ] hi help regarding ra flare ups

>

> hi all i was diagnosed with ra approx 9 months ago but think i have had

> it a while my gp gave me athrotec i saw the rheumatologist who told me

> to keep taking this until i have a joint scan she said because of the

> side effects of other drugs and my age i am 42 the longer i can stay of

> these drugs the better i have good and bad days about 3weeks ago my

> knees were very painful i went to the doctor who said it was an ra

> flare and gave me painkillers last week my knuckles and fingers became

> very swollen and painful simple tasks became very difficult i also felt

> very fatigued and generally unwell all i want to do is sleep i went to

> see my gp who stopped athrotec and gave me etodolac 300mg twice a day

> i see the rheumatoligist again in feb how often do these flare ups come

> and would i feel better if i was on stronger medication please help