drugs and side effects RA ..ask a patient

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

The patient (very) often knows best!

Thought perhaps this web site might be of interest.

Notice there have been some recent posts re Suphathalazine and

methotrexate and possible side effects.

or someone else may very well have mentioned this site before,

but I am posting it any way in the hope it may be of some help to you

feeling your way with a new diagnosis or change of medication ...I

came across it looking up info for a close friend with very active RA

which is resisting control, as I have noticed many of you are on

Plaquenil in addition to other meds and some mention speedy easing of

some symptoms .Her rheumy has not suggested it for her as yet.(I know

you have to have eye checks first but still worth considering I would

have thought!)

The site is ask a patient.com. It certainly gives a good feel of the

very variable risk /benifit effects of drugs experienced by different

individuals with different patterns of illness, especially for drugs

that have been used for a long time, as there are more entries for

those naturally.

Just a suggestion but on the basis that the patient has very

important info to share and can educate others hugely (including

docs) posting on this site might help others and broaden data build

up, especially posting by those using newer drugs including biologics.

There is nothing on Rituxan (rituximab) yet eg.

From other postings in this group recently pregnancy outcomes,eg

might be reassuring in relation to drug usage etc but it would need

the input of numbers of arthritis sufferers to be meaningful.As

although as a doc I am well aware that many of the drugs would not

for safety reasons be prescribed knowingly in pregnancy,and would not

have been trialled in such cases surprises do happen and this data

needs collecting!

Best wishes,

retired doc UK