Re: Hi I am new to the group, I posted a picture of myself and my da

March 24, 2009

Hi Christy,

Many rheumys are now very medication focused because the meds, particularly

the biologics, are the only option to stop/slow down the progression of the

disease. Some people do experience some relief in their symptoms through

diet/exercise but it does not prevent the progression of the disease. The

biologics and other meds have risks, but most are rare. Even still, weighing

risks vs. benefits is a decision all of us must make. When I decided to start

the biologics 10 years ago, very little was known about the long term risks or

benefits but I was in so much pain I had already decided that death would be a

relief if the biologics didn't work. Fortunately for me, Remicade has been a

miracle for me. Despite severe RA for 10 years, I do not have any bone erosion

or secondary illnesses. Early, aggressive treatment has been shown to be the

ideal option for patients who choose to take the risk.

Good luck in your decision.

Take care,

Steph in VA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I was diagnosed with RA

about 2 years ago now, but I had symptoms

starting right after my first child was born. I kept thinking that I

was just getting old (though at the time I was only 34) or that I'd

slept on my shoulder (or wrist, or leg...) " wrong. " My rheumatologist

also mentioned that it's not uncommon for women to be diagnosed after

pregnancy. I wish that they knew more about this disease... maybe then

they'd find a cure. I think hormones probably play a big role. When I

got pregnant with my second child a year ago, my symptoms disappeared

and my RA went into remission. Two months after she was born, the

symptoms came back with a vengance. I never knew that sleeping could be

painful -- I always thought that might be a refuge. My daughter is 6

months old now and I'm only taking a very low dose of prednisone and

ibuprofen and my symptoms aren't too intense. I am breastfeeding, so I

don't want to take anything more than that if I can avoid it. In

general, I'm not happy with the medication options out there. I wish

that I could find advice on diet and exercise options that might help

me out. My rheumatologist seems to be very medication focused and

doesn't have much to offer when I ask about diet and exercise. Does

anyone out there have any advice?

Thanks,

Christy

Recommended Posts