Get Informed: Rheumatoid Arthritis

iGuard Answer/Reply:

Your medications have minor interactions. Mainly the interactions are between some of the vitamins, your aspirin and warfarin that work together to thin your blood. Make sure your physician is monitoring your blood levels for your warfarin.

Three classes of medications are generally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. They are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS such as Motrin, Advil, or Aleve), steroids (such as prednisone) and disease-modifying agents (such as crystalline penicillin and others). Your physician can best determine the strategy to treat and control your rheumatoid arthritis based on your medical history and current symptoms.

Posted: 2009-09-28 09:43:25

Answer/Reply:

I'm sorry you are having such a terrible time. RA runs through nearly all the women in my family, including me. I remember my mother, after all her joints were destroyed and they had to remove all the bones in her toes so she could walk even a little, the disease turned on her organs and her heart was affected. Unfortunately, she made the decision to take Prednisone in high doses daily for 5 years straight and got bone cancer. The cancer killed her before the heart disease could but I remember how much she suffered. They didn't have any of these treatments we use then. They drained off fluid with needles and shot joints with gold and filled her with asprin until she was nearly deaf from the ringing. This is a vicious disease. You have my sympathy.

59 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-05-23 21:23:52

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I will put you on my pray list and I will pray for you. I know if anything can help you it is the Lord. I have never been sick for any length of time. I have always been healty, never been hospitalized except when I had my children, who are now 46 and 41. I do know that sometimes you feel so alone and helpless, but God can help you.

God Bless you, dear one, and may you obtain faith to help your hurting body.

Prayfully yours,

Jeanette

70 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-05-24 18:02:45

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Your story certainly touched my heart. You are not alone, but I'm sure you feel that way. There is nothing worse than being in constant pain. You have had much more than any normal person should have to deal with. I have two discs practically gone, bulging discs, stenosis, osteoperosis and arthritis. I've had the steroid shots, epidurals, radio freqency and nothing helps. It's difficult to get out of bed in the morning without severe pain. I've been told I'm not a good candidate for surgery because there are too many problems. The medications they gave me only made me sick and also gave me diahhrea. I can't take anything with codene in it. I only take over the counter medication now, and spend lots of time with the heating pad and hot showers. I've had all the things I thought you could have - appendicitis, hysterectomy, gall bladder surgery, melanoma, eye surgery, but nothing is as paralyzing as back pain.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

75 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-05-25 14:04:49

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Your story certainly touched my heart. You are not alone, but I'm sure you feel that way. There is nothing worse than being in constant pain. You have had much more than any normal person should have to deal with. I have two discs practically gone, bulging discs, stenosis, osteoperosis and arthritis. I've had the steroid shots, epidurals, radio freqency and nothing helps. It's difficult to get out of bed in the morning without severe pain. I've been told I'm not a good candidate for surgery because there are too many problems. The medications they gave me only made me sick and also gave me diahhrea. I can't take anything with codene in it. I only take over the counter medication now, and spend lots of time with the heating pad and hot showers. I've had all the things I thought you could have - appendicitis, hysterectomy, gall bladder surgery, melanoma, eye surgery, but nothing is as paralyzing as back pain.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

75 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-05-25 15:12:48

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I don't want to seem like I'm jumping on you. I'm not. I am a 44 year old female who has had severe arthritis for 12 years. I was on the fast track to get where you are but by the grace of God and the perserverance of my husband I found a doctor who believes in aggressively treating this moster. When I was first diagnosed my first RA doctor prescribed predisone and let me self medicate. I now call him the quack doctor. RA should be treated by a physician who knows what it is and what can be done about it. It is an auto immune disease that eats you apart from the inside out.
You aren't alone. Everyone who has RA has lain in bed and said I'm tired at one point or another. I am so sorry your rheumatologist does not take your insurance. My rheumatologist saved my life. See if your general practitioner will prescrible you cymbalta and lyrica for fibromyalgia (I can almost guarantee after thirty years of RA you have secondary nerve damage i.e. fibromyalgia). It's not as good as methotrexate and remicade but it helps with the pain and makes it easier to get out of bed. Next get him/her to refer you to a pain specialist. See if there is a support group for chronic illness (not talking to someone is making this worse...trust me. I am not a very social person and if I didn't have my husband and doctors I would be one gordian knot of pain, stress, and frustration). Take your fiance to the doctor with you. Have the doctor explain what rheumatiod arthritis is and all the side effects. I think your bloody stoole is probably over the counter meds. The lining on your intestines becomes very sensitive once you develope RA and the NSAIDS just eats it away like acid. Predisone is a great inflammation reducer but it is over prescribed for RA suffers. Ask about methotrexate and other alternative meds. Predisone is highly addictive and greatly affects your mood. Just remember it is just treating the sympton not the underlying disease.
You are NOT a useless nothing. You a captive of a vicious thug called rheumatiod arthritis. It's a horrid bully that batters your self esteem into the ground and your body into the hospital. YOU are not your disease. You are it's victem. Like any one who has ever been battered you make excuses and hide the truth from your family and friends. Stop. Tell them the truth. They deserve to know. Most major pharmacutical firms produce RA medicines and will send you broshures for free that explain the disease and the damage it does.

44 year old female

44 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-05-28 16:50:47

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Listening to all of you I can really relate. I have recently been diagnosed with RA. This year has been rough. I am 45 and have 8 kids. I have 3 blown discs as well and severe allergies for which I now take weekly shots. I have also developed allergies to practically every food out there (corn, dairy, wheat, eggs, soybeans, peanuts). My Rheumatologist says that my allergies are related because they too are autoimmune diseases as is my asthma. I have had to slow down some, but then I try to pick myself back up and force myself to go on. I am currently on my laptop in bed waiting for the pain meds to kick in after a night of work. I work a min wage job part-time on weekends as a desk clerk and that works for me. It isn't what I normally could do. I am a highly motivated person and this disease has really taken a bite out of my life. I took hydrochloroquine for half a year which didn't help the disease. Steroids help for really bad flair ups, but too many steroids aren't good for your system. I am avoiding taking the metholtrexate because I don't like the side effects, but that is the next line of defense if it gets any worse. I am currently taking a combo of 600mg ibuprofen, cyclobenzaprine, and hydrocodone. The 3 together help get me through the night. I developed bursitis as a side effect and I have already had it attack my muscles on the left side. I failed my ober test on my left hip so am taking water therapy, but my insurance will only pay for 6 visits. Water really helps. It is great if you can just get out and walk in the water back and forth across the pool. That is what I did to strengthen my body for my back problem as well and it really works. You can do in water what you can't do on land so if you can use a pool somewhere look up water exercises for RA online and try it. My doctor says strengthening your muscles is very important in fighting this and staying mobile. Take care - I wish I had a support group too!

46 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-06-07 02:36:47

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There are distinctive differences between Osteo Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis as I have discovered after having a total hip replacement at age 56. While recovering, I noticed strange pain in one of my finger joints and insisted that my doctor find a diagnosis. When the blood test showed RA, I was referred to a wonderful Rheumotoligist in Green Bay,WI, Dr. Davis with Green Bay Orthopedics, LTD (800) 310-3877, 720 S. Van Buren St.,Suite 103. Perhaps you primary care physician could ask for a consultation. (they accept Medicare).

60 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-11-08 13:37:58

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I KNOW WERE YOUR COMING FROM I WAS IN A 10YEAR RELASIONSHIP I AM NOW 41. I AM ON MY OWN YOU ASK YOURSELF IF YOU WILL MEET ANY ONE AND WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM THAT YOU HAVE RH. YOU FEEL ALONE AND USELESS, TIRED ALL THE TIME AND SORE. SOME PEOPLE DONT UNDERSTAND THEY LOOK AT YOU BECAUSE YOUR IN YOUR FORTYS THERE NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU. I FEEL LIKE IM SIXTY. I HAVE RH,OSTOEATHIRITIS,UNDERACTIVE THYROID,AND GOING THREW THE CHANGE FROM FORTY. NOBODY WOULD WANT THAT IN THEY'RE LIFE.

41 year old Female – Source: iGuard United Kingdom

Posted: 2010-01-28 10:17:16

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You may have to find a different medicine. It took me twenty years to finally get something that worked.The infusions such as remicade and shots like enbrel are some of the best.
Pills never did a thing for me and I was in a wheel chair. Not I am up and hardly ever have a flare up.
debi

54 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-04-15 23:04:24

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Wish I could help - wish someone could help my husband too - he was diagnosed with RA in 2008 - he has been on so many meds. - he also has gout which makes it really hard to determine if the pain is the gout or the RA - he is currently taking Humira, methylprednisolone, probenicid and I think that's it for the pain - still has pretty regular flare ups - he took methotrexate, but it caused terrible sores in his mouth - the Humira seems to be helping some, but wish we could find something that really worked the whole time.

46 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-04-20 09:02:58

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I'm a rh patient and i have been told by other patients that humira caused calcium loss and their teeth started falling out. Sulfasalizine has worked for me for 8 years minimal side effects. I took myself off prednisone because of the side effects. You learn to live with it! Heat works best for me! I was prescribed gabapentin, lyrica,methadone,anti-depresssants that left me lathargic. When the pain gets bad i take a naproxen and a soma and get into my heated bed.

47 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-03-23 15:13:58

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Hi! I have RA also. Are you one MTX? Have they tried any biologics on you? Sometimes it takes a while before patients get on the right combinations of medications. I still have fatigue, but I have FM as well. I am on my 3rd biologic now, Enbrel, and this one seems to be working the best for me. I tried Remicade and Orencia before trying Enbrel. I am also on MTX, Plaquenil, and Vicodin. So talk with your dr. See if maybe you might need some extra meds. or try different meds.
I know it can be very frustrating. I have lost all interest in being with friends, one reason being that I simply don't have the energy. Plus all of this can cause depression. I am 51 yrs. old. I was diagnosed approx. 4 1/2 yrs ago.
Hang in there, you will find the right combination for you. Everyone is different. You can always email me: sheteetoby@aol.com
I always find it comforting to talk with someone who knows what you are going through..

52 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-04-20 14:47:14

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The one of the few things that diagnosed me with RA was I had a high SED/ESR rate. Everything else was normal. But I also had an ultrasound done on my hand and the doctor could see my synovial lining was inflamed and erosion had already begun.

You might want ask about your SED rate. And also find out if he knows someone who does ultrasound for erosion and inflammation.

53 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-04-21 14:42:52

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I just wanted say that on top of RA, I also have osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, narcolepsy,sleep apnea, bursitis, tendinitis, tethered spinal cord, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, bulging discs, and all the fun that comes with them.

For RA I'm taking MTX, sulfasalzine, and Humira. I was just put on Humira and found it is really making a difference. He said the longer I'm on it, the better I'll feel. Right now I'm having a bit of a fibro flare. But I can tell when the pain is fibro or arthritis. I think I finally got that across to him.

53 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-04-21 14:51:25

iGuard Answer/Reply:

chealate using no meds but pain pills for a couple of weeks then start plaqunil
and methrotixate and celebrex together see if you can stay calmed down
your doctor may not admit knowing what chelation therapy is. Available at
your local health food store.

Posted: 2009-03-07 14:34:46

Answer/Reply:

Hello, I can say I understand your problems as in 2004 I was bit by a tic, 3 yrs later after many illnesses where all the did as run test, put me on pain medication I went to a cheolation doctor and he found out had lyme disease. For 3 yrs this lyme disease brought out all the illnesses I now have. As far a drugs, I become amune to most of them about every three months. What my doc and I have done is we take the medication that I haven't had the longest, put me back on that and we rotate the medications. I have found no mater what I do I am going to have to stay on the methotrexate for life. I have Uveitus, RA,Osyperosis and all this was triggered from one tic bite! I will , and am slowly loosing my sight from the Uveitus, I had test done last week, they found fluid in my joints that are of as they say unknowns origin. But anyway, you might ty the rotation of the medications it seems to work for me. If you ever need to talk feel free to write me at kissbutt@rocketmail.com. I know this disease is miserable and we all can use an ear once in a while. I also used a ceolation doctor for a while and truthfully it realy did make me feel better, and it's all natural. My problem was I had so many diseases that it was hard to do because remember if you try this route it cleanses the body of all the unwanted things in our body. Trust me never knew how much crap we have in our body just from the breathing,eating ect. You take care and GOD BLESS . Sheena

50 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-16 12:16:26

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i am a 52 year old and have had lyme disease since 1985 but did not find out that i had it untill 1991. i have been through the treatment of mega doses of antibotis, anti-depresents, pain killer and so on, they also tell me that i have what they call lyme r/a and i hav to explain to the dr. that once you are bitten by a tick and are not given a proper diagnoses befor you go into stage three, you can not be cured.if they find it befor you get to stage three you can be. bt i have been having a lot of health problems in the past year and my health has went down hill. and the depression has goten worse also. and i think it is because i have always tryed to stay active while my kids where growing up but now that they are gone i am not able to do what i want because i hurt all the time. just walking through the store to get food tires me out to the point that when i get home i just want to lay down and take a nap. and it is hard for people that dont live with it to under stand how feel. even if they know me before the disease or not. i sometime think that i cant go on like this just existing but then i think i dont want this lyme disease to beat me now that i have worked so hard to get to where i am at now. so i know your pain and greef God Bless you all and take care. Lenna

54 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-31 16:41:17

iGuard Answer/Reply:

I have been in your boat. I am 42, and was diagnosed a few years before you. One thing to understand, and I know it is hard, but you will have ups and downs - 8 good years, and a bad year - it happens, it is hell, but you get through it. I have found that Relefen works well for me. It takes about 3 months to build up in your system before you really notice it. I was on such large amounts of Prednisone that I vowed I would never take it again, and I have not. The bad thing about RA is that it can be hit and miss until you find another combination that works for you. Arava is also a good med for some people. Sorry for being choppy, just throwing out ideas. Whatever you do, do not give up and keep fighting.

Posted: 2009-03-18 06:23:51

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YOUR COMMENTS COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY ME! I DON'T KNOW IF YOUR DOCTORS HAVE EVER BEEN TOTALLY HONEST WITH YOU REGARDING R/A DRUGS OF ANY KIND. ONCE YOU GO OFF THE MEDICATIONS THE R/A COMES BACK WITH A VENGENCE I KNOW I'VE BEEN THERE. THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY MEDICATION ANYONE CAN REALLY STAY ON FOR A LIFETIME. THEY ALL DO DAMAGE. HAVE YOU BEEN TESTED FOR PRENICIOUS ANEMIA ALOT OF TIMES THEY GO HAND IN HAND. I HAVE BEEN IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM SO MANY TIMES AFTER TAKING "NEW" MEDS FOR R/A - AND HAVING SEVERE REACTIONS THAT I JUST QUIT. PLUS I ALSO HAVE FIBROMYALGIA. I TAKE OTC ADVIL THE ROUND ONE MORE COATED AND DO THE BEST I CAN. YOU MIGHT ALSO START PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER CHANNEL. IF IN YOUR AREA THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE GOES UP AND DOWN AND THE HUMIDITY AND DEW POINT ARE CLOSE IN NUMBERS I PROMISE YOU YOU DO GET CRIPPLED. I HAVE JUST STARTED RECENTLY ON FISH OIL & OVER 50 LIQUID GET MULTIVITAMIN. BUT I THINK MADE BY NATURE MADE. REAL CHERRY JUICE IS GOOD TOO & GREEN TEA. NO ONE IN THE WORLD HAS AN ANSWER FOR R/A WE ARE LAST ON THEIR LIST! I AM A 62 YEAR OLD FEMALE AND TODAY BOTH MY ANKLES FELT BROKEN. IT'S BONE CRUSHING PAIN. BUT SINCE YOUR FACE LOOKS WELL NO ONE TAKES THE DREADFUL DISEASE SERIOUSLY. I'VE HAD IT 15 YEARS. CHECK YOUR THYROID AND HAVE YOUR DOCTOR CHECK FOR PRENICIOUS ANEMIA. & IF YOU ARE NOT CRAZY ABOUT THIS DOC - TRY SOMEONE ELSE I DO FEEL YOUR PAIN - KAREN

64 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-20 05:09:44

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I was diagnosed with RA around 1986 and sent to rheumatologist in 1991 or 92. He had me read a book called "The Road Back" by Thomas Brown, MD. After reading the book, he put me on antibiotics. I did take NSAIDs along with the minocycline, but other than that, I didn't take any of the usual RA drugs. I became pain-free after a few years on the low dose antibiotic therapy. I went off it after about 8 years and was off for about 5 years. I started having some pain again, so I have just started taking the minocycline again. You might want to look into The Road Back Foundation. They have a web site. Just do a search on it. Good luck.

62 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-23 19:41:44

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I was diagnosed in fall of 2007 after nearly a year of thinking I was crazy. Right after my son was born in August of 06 I started having pain in my left knee, followed closesly by the right, then both ankles, elbows, shoulders and my neck! Finally the 3rd rheumatologist I saw diagnosed me with RA and osteoarthritis. I am only 29 years old! I have a 5 and 2 year old depending on me...being criuppled isn't an option! In a desperate attempt to find a way to be a mommy to my kids I started getting Chiropractic adjustments 3 times a week (turns out my spine is all kinds of screwed up...probably from years of water skiing and two pregnancies) and massages every other week. I am still on Humira, a small does of Prednisone, Celebrex, Zoloft, and have a prescription for Lortab for the days that I just hurt too much for the Tylenol Arthritis to be effective. After about 3 months of the adjustments and massages, I noticed that the morning stiffness only lasts about 20 minutes and although I am still sore, I am able to function. My 5 year old daughter and I will be testing together for our blue belt in Shotokan Karate next month. Keep your spirits up, I've found that when I am feeling depressed, the pain seems to quickly follow. God bless and good luck!

30 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-25 15:23:08

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Have you had an allergy test done recently? I have discovered that I was allergic to almost all legumes. Having cut them out of my diet has drastically reduced the arthritis pain that I have been suffering from. Perhaps you may consider having a comprehensive allergy test done to try and eliminate all of the allergens that may trigger an immune response. It may not eliminate the problem, but it could help drastically reduce it. I suffer from both arthritis and fibro myalgia, and both conditions were helped by this as well as my severe migraines.

46 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-26 16:12:49

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Sorry to hear about all your pain but your symptoms sound like what my wife had , do you by chance drink diet sodas or use sweetn low products. My wife was severely allergic to aspertame. when we finally found this out she stopped immediately and within 2 weeks was feeling better ,it took about 8 months before she was back to normal .Good luck and God Bless you

49 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-28 01:34:52

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I am a 47 year old female & was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis approximately 6 years ago. I went through a progression of meds starting with Plaquenil & Prednisone, then Methotrexate, then Methotrexate combined with Enbrel. When the last combination not only stopped working, but the Methotrexate had made me lose a ton of weight because I was always nauseated, my rheumatologist finally talked me into IV infusion RA meds. I was a Cardiac Surgery RN, a supervisor in my dept. and worked a lot of hours doing "twelve hour" night shifts, so I had always said that I didn't have time to do the IV infusions. He started me on Orencia, and let me tell you it was a miracle drug!! I had been gritting my teeth through a lot of pain at work & taking a lot of pain meds at home and watching my ability to do many normal everyday things rapidly failing! The Orencia worked like a charm for me for two years!! After I missed a dose due to having pneumonia and after that the Orencia just wouldn't work for me anymore. I am now on Remicade which is doing ok, not great though. My doctor is waiting for the new IV medication to be released, which should be any time now, and he plans to put me on that as soon as it is available. I have gotten rapidly worse in the last couple of years since I was forced to quit working, not by my RA but due to back injuries and nerve damage in my lower spine. I totally understand your fear when it comes to watching your own abilities fail!!

48 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-03-30 18:27:50