Re: new and scare to take medicine

[Guest guest]

Thank you Harold and others

I just filled a new prescription for celebrex because of stomach problems, i.e. acid reflux. I asked the pharmasist about the scares out there in the media and he told me the same thing your saying, pretty much. He told me that the media over-sensationalises the bad things, and that acually, much less than 1% of people taking celebrex will have problems/reations and usually when they take 4 or more pills per day. He pretty much told me the same thing with Humira. I am still not looking forward to giving myself those shots though....

God Bless

TimHarold Van Tuyl <hvantuyl@...> wrote:

Hi, Tim and welcome to the group. The medications can have some troublesome side effects like nausea and diarrhea but usually the body adapts so these stop after a little while. They can also have rare but serious side effects, and even these often stop and reverse when the medication is stopped. On the other hand, untreated or undertreated RA usually leads to permanent joint damage from which there is no recovery. We get blood work regularly to catch any potentially serious side effects early so the effects can be managed. Most of the warnings are written by lawyers for lawyers instead of by doctors for patients. Some are warning labels on the medicine to try to avoid law suits, and others are fishing trips by trial lawyers trying to make themselves richer. Any of these do not present an accurate picture of the potential dangers of the medications. Most of us feel the medicines are by far the lesser of two

evils. However, you have to decide for yourself.

Cost of medications is often an issue. Biologics such as Humira usually cost over $1,000 a month and often insurance companies will not pay for these until you have tried less expensive medications and found that they failed you. Methotrexate is often the first RA drug given because of expense. For many it is quite effective. However, the biologics like Humira are usually even more effective and sometimes act faster. However, any RA medicine may take several weeks to several months to become fully effective. Good luck in your choice of a treatment for your RA and God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: timsmith9870

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 5:57 AM

Subject: new and scare to take medicine

Hi all,I am new to this group and was recently diagnosed with RA. Was given some choices of some medicine by my rhumatologist that is supposed to slow down RA affected area's. I am thinking of taking Humira, but when I look on-line, all I see is bad side affects of it. I am scared now to even take these drugs. Methotrexate is one also. What should I do, all this really scares me, but I want to stop this burning feeling and pain, and motrin isn't working as it did in the past.Tim

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[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group, Tim!

You never know what you can do until you have to, I never thought I could

give myself a shot either, but you just do it to feel better. I have taken

Enbrel

and am currently on Humira. I will warn you, if anyone hasn't already, that it

does burn like Heck. I take the med out of the fridge for about a half and hour

before injecting and inject slowly, like 30 seconds to a minute. Some people

ice the area before hand. It still does sting, though, but hopefully for you

the

results are worth it, as it has been for me. My RA is not 100% controlled but I

am way better than I was before.

Good luck,

> Hi, Tim and welcome to the group. The medications can have some

troublesome side effects like nausea and diarrhea but usually the body

adapts so these stop after a little while. They can also have rare but serious

side effects, and even these often stop and reverse when the medication is

stopped. On the other hand, untreated or undertreated RA usually leads to

permanent joint damage from which there is no recovery. We get blood work

regularly to catch any potentially serious side effects early so the effects can

be managed. Most of the warnings are written by lawyers for lawyers instead

of by doctors for patients. Some are warning labels on the medicine to try to

avoid law suits, and others are fishing trips by trial lawyers trying to make

themselves richer. Any of these do not present an accurate picture of the

potential dangers of the medications. Most of us feel the medicines are by far

the lesser of two evils. However, you have to decide for yourself.

>

> Cost of medications is often an issue. Biologics such as Humira usually

cost over $1,000 a month and often insurance companies will not pay for

these until you have tried less expensive medications and found that they

failed you. Methotrexate is often the first RA drug given because of expense.

For many it is quite effective. However, the biologics like Humira are usually

even more effective and sometimes act faster. However, any RA medicine

may take several weeks to several months to become fully effective. Good

luck in your choice of a treatment for your RA and God bless.

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: timsmith9870

> Rheumatoid Arthritis

> Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 5:57 AM

> Subject: new and scare to take medicine

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> I am new to this group and was recently diagnosed with RA. Was given

> some choices of some medicine by my rhumatologist that is supposed to

> slow down RA affected area's. I am thinking of taking Humira, but when

> I look on-line, all I see is bad side affects of it. I am scared now

> to even take these drugs. Methotrexate is one also. What should I do,

> all this really scares me, but I want to stop this burning feeling and

> pain, and motrin isn't working as it did in the past.

>

> Tim

>

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