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Topic: Well RA is being treated, its a start (Read 180 times) |
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Tiannia
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Well RA is being treated, its a start
« on: Oct 15th, 2007, 1:47pm » |
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Saw the doc today. Explained the history with me. That for 2 yrs they thought it was Carpel tunnel and my doc saw that my White blood cells where way to high and ran a test for RA and it showed. All the Carpel tunnel test came back neg.
Told him that after we moved to Vegas, it took about 2 yrs for my RA to only act up speratiacaly. I took myself off the Lodine because I did not want to take more meds then I needed to. (hehe that was before I screwed up my back and my CH started)
Well, we did blood work and he was smat enough to know that just because it does not show up on the blood work does not mean it is not there. All Autoimmune diseases have that chance of showing.
He pot me on the Lodine, 2x a day and we will see if it keeps it manageable. If not then he will have to send me to a Rheumatologist. He said that he did not know enough about Arthritis to really treat me more then what we are doing now.
Huggs guys.
Tia
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| « Last Edit: Oct 15th, 2007, 3:28pm by Tiannia » |
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LeLimey
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Re: Well RA is being treated, its a start
« Reply #1 on: Oct 15th, 2007, 2:02pm » |
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I love doctors that admit they don't know it all - makes me have complete faith in them becaus eI know I won't suffer for their God complex!
I'm very glad you have such a doctor Tia, they're hard to find. I hope it eases for you on the Lodine too
love
Helen x
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Rosybabe
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Re: Well RA is being treated, its a start
« Reply #2 on: Oct 15th, 2007, 3:12pm » |
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Hope you get to feel beter Tiannia, last night I was thinking of you because my right wrist started hurting, got to go to bed with a wrap...  , it is better now  .
Hugs
Rosy.
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Tiannia
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Re: Well RA is being treated, its a start
« Reply #3 on: Oct 15th, 2007, 3:27pm » |
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Thanks, gods I did not realize how bad I spelled in my first post. Oh well.
Rosy, I have used the wraps for the past 5 nights and it helps. I can move a lot easier in the am.
Helen, yep. I like the fact hat he is not an "I know all." a$$hole. It helped that I was able to answer his questions. So we will start here and see where to go if it does not work.
This week is supposed to be rainy and cold, so it is not going to get better on its own.
Huggs and PF Blessings for all
Tia
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Lizzie2
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Re: Well RA is being treated, its a start
« Reply #4 on: Oct 15th, 2007, 10:07pm » |
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Tia,
Glad to hear this! I hope the Lodine starts to help for you soon! I posted on the meds board about learning last night that I shouldn't be taking Kudzu with Methotrexate, and since they both help for different things, this was a bummer!
If you can keep the RA under control with meds like Lodine, then you are probably far better off than playing with the chemo drugs with the scary side effects.... I really hope it works for you and that you start feeling better soon!! Glad the doc was a decent guy!!
Hugz,
Carrie
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Tiannia
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Re: Well RA is being treated, its a start
« Reply #5 on: Oct 16th, 2007, 3:36pm » |
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I am hoping that Lodine or one of the other NSAIDs help, I really dont want to try the chemo drugs unless my RA progresses a lot further then it is. If that happens then I'll beseeing a RA Doc, so we can talk about it now.
I did learn that over the past 10 yrs, they have learned that RA can cause Carpil Tunnel symptoms. As I had all the tests that showed there was no nerve damage, I dont want them cutting my wrists to see what is happening there. But it is good to know that there is a reason why some of my symptoms are not text book RA ones.
Be careful Carrie. The side-effects that they listed for Methotrexate where really severe. But I know what it is like to want a means to the end, and anything for relief is worth it.
PF Blessings
Tia
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Lizzie2
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Re: Well RA is being treated, its a start
« Reply #6 on: Oct 16th, 2007, 9:50pm » |
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on Oct 16th, 2007, 3:36pm, Tiannia wrote:
Be careful Carrie. The side-effects that they listed for Methotrexate where really severe. But I know what it is like to want a means to the end, and anything for relief is worth it.
PF Blessings
Tia |
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Thanks for the concern. I've actually been on methotrexate since June of 2006. Initially, I was taking 12mg in pill form once a week, but then after a few months I went to 15mg injectible form. For the most part, the majority of negative side effects on methotrexate happen at doses used for chemotherapy for cancer, and not in the low dose, autoimmune form. My rheumatologist is actually on the panel of people who writes the recommendations on methotrexate, and she's been doing this since before I was born, and she says that she has seen a lot of good success with methotrexate and very few real side effects noted. The possibility of side effects on MTX is pretty great as evidenced by the list, but the majority are on doses way higher than those used for RA. I'd say the biggest things that can happen on the lower doses are impaired liver function (have to have frequent blood work), anemia (frequent blood work), risk of infection due to immunosuppression (frequent blood work, hygiene and avoiding those who are sick with contageous illnesses), nausea, vomiting, fatigue. One of the most scary side effects is that even at low doses, methotrexate can cause a type of lymphoma, BUT that being said - in the literature that I've read, they say that if one develops the lymphoma on low dose methotrexate, coming off the MTX usually will cure the lymphoma.
I know the literature on methotrexate makes it sound like the most dangerous drug on the planet, but my rheumatologist has convinced me that isn't entirely so, and my experience with it over the last year and several months is that I haven't really had bad side effects at all - just nausea/vomiting and fatigue on the day I do the injection. Oh and I have gotten bad colds more easily, especially last winter, so I now get the flu shot and do even more to prevent against infection. Granted, I'm a nurse, but I work with babies so the incidence of infection is lower/different than if I were to work with sick adults!
All that being said, I really hope that your RA can be continued to be controlled by drugs like Lodine and other NSAIDS and that you don't need to go to the heavy-hitters!!
Hugz and PF wishes,
Carrie
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