Guest guest Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi Everyone, I asked my Rheumy today if joint damage/crippling was inevitable and she said no...that with the right combination of meds, the disease could be controlled and joint damage prevented. I would appreciate any opinions/comments on this. Is she right? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Yes, she is right. The disease-modifying medications actually prevent crippling damage from occuring. Even though you may continue to have some flares and some swelling and some pain or stiffness, you will be protecting your joints from permanent damage. best regards, sherry z --- In , " " <cat1657@...> > I asked my Rheumy today if joint damage/crippling was inevitable > and she said no...that with the right combination of meds, the > disease could be controlled and joint damage prevented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hi , I don't have as long an experience as some, but I can tell you that in my case. I caught the disease prior to experiencing any joint damage, as so far, 5 years later, I still have no joint damage. So I would say at least short term it is possible. Long term, I'll have to wait and see, but others might be able to give more info. Stay Well, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Sherry, I guess what I am not understanding is, if these meds prevent the permanent joint damage, then why do so many end up disabled? --- In , " S. Zorzi " > Yes, she is right. The disease-modifying medications actually > prevent crippling damage from occurring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 It can be controlled and joint damage rate reduced but I seriously doubt if damage can be avoided.But I am not a Dr. and I only speak from my own experience Walt [ ] joint damage I asked my Rheumy today if joint damage/crippling was inevitable and she said no...that with the right combination of meds, the disease could be controlled and joint damage prevented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 One reason is that they are very expensive and so the insurance companies make the doctors exhaust all the other possibilities before approving them. In some countries they are not prescribed at all, or very rarely. Many of our members from Great Britain have indicated that it is next to impossible to get these more expensive meds. Another reason is that it often takes SO LONG to get a proper diagnosis. Many of us realize in retrospect that we had symptoms of PA for many years before we actually got diagnosed. Depending on how severe the inflammation was and how long it lasted and how often, people can have damage before they even KNOW they have PA. Sometimes it's the PA specific damage showing up on x-ray that finally makes the GP or internist or orthopedist realize the person has PA and not osteoarthritis. This is especially a problem for those who don't have obvious P - maybe just " dandruff " or nail P, which goes undiagnosed. Also, many people are reluctant to take them because they do carry risks. In some cases, people wait too long before telling their rheumies that the current meds are not providing acceptable relief, which slows down the whole process of getting to the " better " meds. Finally, there is a type of PA called " mutilans " which causes very destructive damage very quickly. Fortunately, this kind is VERY RARE. But it is very, very damaging. Oh, and there is also the problem that the meds often stop working after some period of time. Our over-active immune systems find a way around them. I've been on Humira for one year now, and I'm getting worried that it may stop working any day now. If that happens, we will have to hope that one of the other biologicals will work and work quickly for me. Some people have some pretty bad periods between times, which can increase the risk of damage. That's the situation as I understand it. However, I'm not a doctor - just a PA sufferer who's trying to learn as much as I can about PA so I can better manage and monitor my own health care. I hope you will ask the same question of the rheumatologist and let us know what he/she says! best regards, sherry z --- In , " " <cat1657@...> > Sherry, I guess what I am not understanding is, if these meds > prevent the permanent joint damage, then why do so many end up > disabled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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