Re: re diagnosed with RA and have vitamin D deficiency

[Guest guest]

Hi Blue,

 

I had blood tests run on August 12 that showed I am Vitamin D deficient too.  I

was prescribed the same dosage you were.  My rheumy told me I have to do this

for 3 months and then should be able to use OTC vitamin D supplements.

 

~Connie

From: blueroses11 <altheafoster@...>

Subject: [ ] re diagnosed with RA and have vitamin D deficiency

Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 10:29 PM

 

it has been a long time since I posted here - been a long 2 1/2 years for me...

2 1/2 years ago my RA doc left for CA - we are here in OK... well o other RA

doctors here took my insurance...

I had been doing really well... was on Enbrel and all my blood tests had been

coming back normal - was feeling pretty good for having severe RA...

Well they finally sent me to another doctor and because of the normal blood

tests he said I didn't have RA so they took me off all of my RA meds... cold

turkey...

well I started feeling worse and worse - went back to my doc and they sent me

for tests well they were still normal so they decided that I really didn't have

RA...

so why oh why did it take me 3 and 4 hours to get moving every day... and when I

sat down during the day couldn't get back up... I was miserable and all they had

me on was an anti imflammatory and pain meds...

So then - after 2 1/2 years a new RA doctor comes into town - he takes my

insurance again... they send me to him... he diagnoses me again with RA... I am

RA positive on the one test which he said should have given the other doctors

there first clue that I had RA...

He was amazed that I was positive - he figured since they had given me such a

hard time that i had to be negative and they had problems diagnosing with

X-rays...

so then he looked at my X-rays and said - it is here and here and made me get up

so he could show me where it was ... said this way if he ever wasn't my doctor

again and I once again had this problem that I could show them...

so he started me on MTX and folic acid... it is kicking my butt - exhausted...

upset stomach and headache... but since the TB test had to be done before he

could again start the Enbrel I had to wait... but I go back to see him in Sept

and he will start the Enbrel -

I feel so vindicated... and I know that with the Enbrel I should start feeling

better this fall and that I don't have to shudder about fall/winter and spring

coming... since the only season I do half way good in right now is summer...

But there is that light at the end of the tunnel again...

I do have one other thing that they found - I have a severe Vitamin D

deficiency... has anyone else been diagnosed with this... they have me taking

50,000IUs once a week...

So for the moment the pain pills keep me a little bit afloat but my sprits are

so lifted that I have been diagnosed again and I am not a crazy person... wish I

didn't have it but it is nice to know that it isn't all in my head!!!