Brad and all/fear resigning into DMARDs

[Guest guest]

Brad, Yes it does kill to think of resigning to DMARDs ! You're not alone there.

I never thought i'd be on a mainstream list like this in a million years (no

offense). Deep down i wish i was one of those ppl who just listens to doctors,

and then life would be so much simpler and less stressful. I could avoid all the

stress of constant research and seeking of magic supplements and alternate

treatments. Most ppl probably look at me and can't figure out where the hell

i'm coming from ... Doctor give drug - patient take drug - patient go away

and get better. End of story. By the way, If you do find something that helps

your RA go away, be sure and tell me

In my case i didn't really grasp that RA is degenerative and in most cases leads

to being crippled one way or another. I thought it couldn't happen to me. I

hope it doesn't happen to you, but be aware that it might. I thought doctors

were stupid trying to scare me. According to naturopaths, the body is supposed

to be able heal itself given the right nutrients and treatments. But RA is a

train gone out of control. There's no easy way to stop it. You can slow it

down, but it's still chugging away. Get your joints x-rayed regularly and keep

an eye on things. I didn't even know i had no cartilage left in my knees till

now. My other joints are the same. I'm just trying to say that it's best to

keep your eyes open and be balanced in your thinking. I was so focussed on

thinking 'natural " was going to cure me, that i didn't notice my body falling

apart in the process. I'm only human, and now doctors are going to be my best

friend <gag>. Strange but true ! I'll still be taking every supplement under

the sun to offset the side effects of DMARDs, but that's my way of feeling

better about it and convicing myself that i won't drop dead if i take the drugs.

I know you've got to find your own path, and what happened to me probably

doesn't matter one iota to you, but above else i just wanted you to understand

that I know how you feel (at least a bit anyway).

all the best,

Leonie

[ ] Re: I fear resigning into DMARDs

Brad,

We all go through the same thing, being afraid. When I was first dx

with severe RA, it broke my heart. I went home, and stayed in bed for

days, and just cried.

My doctor put me on mtx, and when I read the side effects I didn't want

to take it. Then when I went back, and he showed me the x-rays, and the

damage the disease was causing, I decided he knew best.

All meds have side effects, even OTC meds. So, I would rather take

prescribed meds, that I know that will help stop the progression, then

meds to just stop the pain for awhile.

I know its hard for you, and you have a family to support. We all have

different opinions on these meds. I feel if I can take these meds to

take care of myself, and to take care of my family, their working.

I'm so afraid to be in a wheelchair, and my family taking care of me,

you know? That is hard for me, because I've always taken care of them.

Some things I can't do, and they have to do it for me.

If by taking these meds help you, and keep you on your job, its so worth

it, your able to take care of your family. I would have loved given the

chance. I wasn't dx until I was 40, I'm now 46, and not in good shape.

I've had the disease, I'm sure 25 yrs, if not longer. I hurt when I was

a child. No one ever really cared why I hurt.

You need to talk to your family, and I know you've been reading posts,

and I'm so glad your here. I hope you stay awhile, this group will help

you feel better, and make living with RA a little easier. Were not here

to get everyone on medication, just to help what we've experienced.

Take care, Tawny

>

> Okay.

> Since I was diagnosed in Nov. of '07, I've dealt with my pain fairly

easily. Herbal/vitamin supplements and ibuprofen have kept me moving

and rather relaxed about this. I'd have bad days with the pain moving

around my body like someone who couldn't make up their mind as to where

to go, but I dealt with it. In the last few months, the pain has

settled pretty much everywhere except my spine, but still it has been

managable. Instead of taking ibuprofen only when needed, I began to

take it on a regular daily regimen, just to avoid the flares. I noticed

not terribly long ago that my index knuckle on my right hand is now

permanently swollen, or seems to be and is a daily problem. I wake

every night now around 3:30am or so because the ibuprofen I took before

bed has started to wear off.

> I fired off that little questionnaire to you all in hopes of finding a

pattern, some method to the madness that would prove to me that taking

DMARDs actually exacerbated the problems I've heard you all talk of.

But I didn't find one, other than the vast majority of you began taking

DMARDs almost as soon as the doctor diagnosed you. I am still limber,

provided that I take my ibuprofen, but yesterday I forgot to take the

lunchtime dose, and the evening dose didn't go in because I forgot to

pick more up from the store. I became rather frightened by the level of

pain when I woke up this very early morning. I tried to get out of bed,

but my neck, shoulder, hands and feet were like fire. I stood up and my

hips and legs all popped and cracked as I hobbled to the shower. I was

almost late for work because I walk to work across a wide meadow and,

being behind schedule, I sprinted with each foot blasting with pain with

the unevenness of the ground.

> I was almost in tears by the time I got to work. First order of

business then was to locate some ibuprofen. No one who was there had

any. I became quite scared and went to our maintenance guy's desk (he

has arthritis too, so I figured he had some) and thank goodness, I found

some. I popped three tablets and took it slow until I felt better about

an hour later. I am, for the most part, fine again, though my neck and

shoulder and feet are in pain, and wonder now if DMARDs are an

inevitability. I've been slowly thinking more about them, asking people

around town whom I know have RA about them, but I fear taking them

because I have a condition that is aggravated by a suppressed immune

system and don't need more problems. I just no longer really know how

to proceed. The natural route has been kind, and I give a good deal of

credit to it staving off alot of the hardship so far (as well as to the

ibuprofen), but I just don't know if it is

> strong enough now to take this on. I've been a rather proud proponent

for the natural path and it kills to think I may have to set it aside

medication-wise. I do have a couple more things to try, but I am sorely

afraid of those drugs you folks take so seemingly nonchalantly. I know

the decisions for all of you have probably been as difficult as it is

for me, but where is the courage found to take that step? Was it

through fear of the pain, or did you just simply decide to take the bull

by the horns?

>

> Unsettled in a false peace,

>

> Brad

>