(no subject)

[Guest guest]

Good Morning,

I am fairly new to the group and have been reading all of the emails that

have been coming my way. I find all of this very interesting and informative

but all of this information I am getting is raising quite a few questions. I

am seeing in others quite a few things that I have seen happening with myself

that my doctor just kind of brushes off and tells me to calm down that I am

being neurotic. I have been seeing this Rheumy for about 9 years. At first

he was caring and took his time with his patients, he is now at a point where

if I see him for 3 minutes at my appointment it is a lot. Occasionally If I

am in a bad flare up he will give me shots directly into the toe joint which

are extremely painful, he tells me I am being a baby that he gives these

shots to kids and it doesn't seem to hurt them. (what happened to compassion

in the medical field, this stuff hurts) My questions to him are pretty much

waylaid, it almost seems that he doesn't have the time to be bothered. I

have gone through the normal routine of medication over the past years. I do

have to say at one point the pain in my feet was so bad I could barely walk

and he has gotten me past that hurdle.

I am curious to know a things about the following issues that I am not

getting straight answers from my Rheumy on.

1. Is a baker cyst somehow related to PA? I had one removed about 8 years

ago and it has recently reappeared? On one visit my right knee was really

bothering me and just by the feel of it I could tell there was fluid that

needed to be removed. I asked my Rheumy about it, he looked at it and said

there is no fluid, I persuaded him to drain it and low and behold he removed

about 4 syringes full of fluid (that I was being neurotic about)

2. Is tonsillitis related to PA, I have my share of strept throat over the

past 6 months

3. About 3:00 every afternoon I could just go to sleep. Is this a side

effect from Enbrel or is it just from the PA? (Doc tells me get more sleep) I

work long and stressful. hours. My tiredness seems to have gotten worse since

I started Enbrel but then again work has also been more stressful.

4. The joints in a few of my toes are pretty much gone. One toe has a hole

straight through the bone. When I ask the Doctor about my future with PA he

manages to evade this question altogether.

5. Can Enbrel cause mood swings or is it a mid life crisis (I'm 45 years old)

6. Is mussel weakness in the legs and arms from the PA or medication.

7. I have read a lot of emails about sinus infections, I seem to get a lot

of them

One other thing, I have noticed since I started taking Enbrel I have had more

colds and sinus infections.

I know this is long but one last thing. Since taking Enbrel I need to take

antibiotics when I have any dental work done. Even with 2000 mg of

amoxicilian before my apt I got very sick two times, I now take antibiotics

for 3 days. Any input on this?

Thanks for listening, I know I was rambling

Jill