Wait a minute....are you on DMARDS? Or is this how you handle your RA? How many times has the same joint been aspirated this year?...
Those symptoms are more likely related to the Pred than to the DMARDS. If Xanax resolves the symptoms.....I'd have to wonder if your real issue is anxiety over the RA or other issues. I was diagnosed...
While I don't live in Florida, I have lots of relatives who live in the Stuart to Miami area, as well as in Ocala. They mostly have chronic, serious conditions and have had lots of success with their...
I've been on Humira for 6 years and live in OC, CA. No, can't say I have aged. Never heard about a relationship between biologics and aging. Sounds to me like your derm knows how to push the buttons....
On what grounds did they deny it? Can you appeal?...
Didn't happen to me. Is it possible it's not the drug, but is simple the natural worsening of the disease? [Takes a while for these drugs to kick in.]...
"Spreads like a crack in the windshield" - wow, what a great analogy. Let's see - you're scared you'll end up like your grandparent.....and here you're being offered the drug that should prevent...
Sorry - I don't come to this site very often. Appears I was asked how my symptoms started. Let me preface by saying this: none of us start the same way. In my case I woke up one morning and my left...
Has your rheumatologist [it IS a rheumatologist, right?] run an HLA-B27 blood test? 95% of all people with AS are positive. You said you have cervical neck pain and I HOPE someone has taken a good...
It could be any one of a number of autoimmune, or even non-autoimmune diseases. A rheumatologist should do the workup and make the diagnosis. PsA, RA, AS......and several others are possible. The...
Here's a thought: the minute the doctor's touch creates pain, just tell him, "You're hurting me," and pull the body part away. That ought to make it clear why there are tears....
And then you have 20+ year veterans of seronegative RA. I also have OA, DDD, PsA.....and the list goes on and on. My best advice: get the best possible rheumatologist. Sometimes there is nothing in...
The author [not an MD] writes all sorts of "cure" books. The arthritis breakthrough book is nearly 20 years old. The title itself, "The New Arthritis Breakthrough: The Only Medical Therapy Clinically...
As I recall, the antibiotic treatment has been around for quite a while. I don't have the time now to collect the links to references, but if memory serves, they found that in SOME cases the...
Humira does not replace Pred.....they are two entirely different drugs. RA patients need to take DMARDS to control the disease and prevent further destruction. Pred is NOT a DMARD. I've been on...
CRP is an indicator for inflammation and infection. Has the pain in the joints been gradual? Sudden, possibly triggered by another event? I would see a rheumatologist first, as you have pain in the...
I had no side effects with the exception of MTX, which made me nauseous when I was on very high doses [for RA]. Injectable MTX took care of that. I've never used Pred pills. There was a long period...
I have to put my two cents in here. LEXAPRO: Unless the doctor who prescribed Lexapro is a board certified psychiatrist, he really shouldn't be handing out scripts for this anti-anxiety med. It's...
Thank you all for your welcomes. It's good to be here. But sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. Yes, ILD is another possibility. Then there's something called costochondritis. Here's a...
Regarding MTX: It is a DMARD [though not a biologic] and the generic version can be as little as $5 with insurance. It's an excellent starter drug, though biologics are really needed for the more...
On the other hand.......COPD can present itself later in life. I have it, plus asthma, but have been on Humira successfully for over 5 years. SOB can be from any number of causes.....even as "benign"...
Elsewhere in this thread a comment was made about RF value correlating to the severity of the disease. I personally don't feel this is accurate. I know many sero negative patients, such as myself,...
Keep the appointment with the pediatric Rheumatologist. But call them every morning about 15-30 minutes after they open to see if there's a cancellation so they can squeeze you in. Sooner of later...
Wow - I am humbled by your generosity and love. You say there is only one Rheumatologist in the Kaiser office. Is there another Kaiser office within an hour's drive of you? That might be a better...