Re: newbe to RA

[Guest guest]

Hi Lana and welcome to the group. Has your Rheumy done any bloodwork? Have you

been officially diagnosed with RA? I'm surprised your rheumy doesn't have you on

a DMARD like Plaquenil, Sulfasalazine or Methotrexate. Prednisone is good for

the inflammation in the joints, but it does nothing in preventing joint damage

and can actually cause more damage with prolonged use - especially at the higher

levels. There are some that can get by with 5mg/day. For me personally, the

swelling and weight gain from the prednisone makes me want to use it as a last

resort only. Vicodan is only for pain - it does nothing to relieve the

inflammation associated with RA or stop the progression of the disease either..

Depression with RA is normal. I take Celexa for that. As for whether you will

have pain for the rest of your life or not - that is not something that anyone

can predict. BUT - I can tell you that if you are not on the proper meds to

aggressively treat this RA in the beginning, your pain will only get worse as

the disease progresses.

As for how I deal - I take Methotrexate injections weekly, Folic Acid daily

(except day of MTX), Enbrel weekly, Sulfasalazine twice daily and prednisone as

needed. I also have Fibromyalgia, so I take Neurontin twice daily and Robaxin

twice daily for that. I take Percocet 10's for the pain as needed. I also have

high blood pressure, hypothyroid and anxiety issues that I take meds for. I also

take Lasix as needed for the edema that seems to happen on a semi-fairly regular

basis.

I'm a mess, I know. But, I take it one day at a time, one hour at a time or one

minute at a time - whatever it takes to get through the day. I rest as often as

needed and have made it a challenge to change the way I used to do things so

that I can still do it without pain.

If you're not getting the help you need from the Rheumy you're seeing, I would

recommend a second opinion. Being a nurse, you should know that all doctors are

not the same - some are more compassionate than others - some are more

pro-active than others. Sometimes you have to search for a doctor that is going

to really listen to what you have to say.

Best of luck to you. Keep us posted.....Doreen

Hi everyone,

My name is Lana and I am new to RA. I started having joint pain in Feb just

after feeling better from my hysterectomy in Dec. First one

joint would swell then a different joint. I was started on

prednisone around that time. I was able to get into my rheumy in

May. I started methotrexate at that time and she tried to wean my

prednisone to 15mg, but after a week I couldn't stand it any longer

and she put me back on 20mg. Once again I tried to wean after 2

weeks and then went back up. I'm still taking 20mg and still having

pain. She also started me on Vicodan, because any OTC I took did

nothing. This doesn't do too much either. I feel like I'm whining

every time I call and tell the rheumy nurse that I'm having pain.

I'm a registered nurse but my specialty is cadiopulmomary, far cry

from this. So..I guess my major question is...Will I have pain for

the rest of my life? How do you deal? I also have depression and

have been pretty well controlled with meds, but this is getting to me.

So glad I found this site, thanks any support