I take Imuran for RA. I take it with Humira, Plaquenil and pred. For me, it's been wonderful! No side-effects, gets me over the 4 days when my Humira would wear off....
My biggest phobia is of losing control, and this has kick started many others. I have agoraphobia, emetaphobia and a fear of hills and stairs. My agoraphobia is generally well controlled: on bad days...
I think most therapists and doctors don't like it because it breaches the line between the doctor/patient relationship and encourages a more personal interaction. I have only ever given presents to...
I come across those kind of people all the time. For me the best ones are the people who think my RA can be cured by drinking a certain tea or wearing a certain type of shoe with no meds at all. I...
I think in words. I have to read everything to be able to understand and I remember conversations like play scripts. This is mainly because I'm a visual learner. When I listen to music, I rarely...
Sorry to hear about your son. It sounds like they have caught things early though and with the correct meds he has a very good chance of going into remission. Read what you can and ask for advice. RA...
Hi, I'm Scat. I'm 21. I've been dealing with anxiety and panic since I was 7 and depression since I was 10. I was diagnosed with psychotic depression at 14 and panic disorder is a relatively new...
I was put on Celexa for anxiety and depression. It helps me sleep but I too have continued to lose weight. Most of that is because my appetite just isn't what it used to be....
I've found Overcoming Anxiety (by Helen Kennerley) and Overcoming Depression (by Paul Gilbert) very useful. Both books give you explanation of what each disorder is and what they may be caused by,...
Sorry, I forgot to add a subject. If a moderator could fill that in for me, I'd be most grateful....
/community/emoticons/cry.gif He just about sums up how I feel right now. How I've felt all day. My RA is currently in a big flare, when I had been in a medication induced remission for 3 months. To...
Low B-12 can cause joint pain. I've answered your anxiety thread on the anxiety board....
It is possible for tests to come back clear and a person to have RA but you would usually present with any one of the following : visible swelling, warm/hot joints, nodules, red joints, lack of...
Hi fR33zErBuRn, I've been taught a breathing exercise by my therapist which I find very helpful. It works best if you practise it at home at few times while you are calm, so you know what sensations...
I've had to completely change my career plans since being dx'd with RA. I'm at uni - something no-one thought I'd ever achieve at one point, due to the severity of my depression in the past. I wanted...
Depression is higher than average among people with arthritis. Psychologists don't know why but some have suggested that coping with a chronic illness and chronic pain alongside everything else...
Jeannie - Are you doing a form of lucid dreaming? I have friends who can lucid dream and I really wish I could. Sadly my brain isn't wired that way. I have heard that it can run in families and...
I lost a lot of friends when I was first diagnosed, and in subsequent years when I had another episode. My parents are very supportive, some of which comes from my mum having depression too, for most...
behindtheseeyes - One of the ways my anxiety manifests is to make me petrified of being in the dark alone, especially if I feel unwell. It isn't so bad here at uni as my room is tiny and I have an...
Thanks everyone. I know my meds cause me to dream more vividly at times, but the nightmares are usually a sign I'm getting more depressed. They are usually linked to one of biggest fears - either...
I was wondering if anyone has any advice regarding nightmares, vivid dreams and waking multiple times a night? I keep have nightmares and waking up crying or with very little voice, as if I have been...
Thanks for your responses Kitt and Karen. Kitt - The CBT helped me loads. I credit that with keeping me reletively well for so long. My current counsellor is going to work on some CBT with me but...
Hi, This is my intro: some of you may know me from the Panic and Arthritis boards, although I must admit I'm not a regular poster. I do read frequently though. I'm here because over the past week I...
Almost sounds to me like you're flaring. Sometimes I get fatigued after my shot, but only for a couple of hours. My shot wears off at around day 10 too, so my RD has been playing with my MTX dose to...
Welcome TayIsa! I'm sorry to hear you've been diagnosed with RA. I don't know much about green tea helping with RA pain. I've tended to stick with more conventional meds to kick mine into remission....
Swimming is one of the better exercises for anyone with joint problems because you don't put any stress on the joints. I try to go frequently to improve my fitness and muscle strength. My muscles are...
Pamela - Codeine is an opiate, albeit one of the weaker ones and the methotrexate does help my RA. For me the MTX didn't work on it's own - it's only since putting it with Humira that things have...
I'm on Celexa and have been on Zoloft and had the same side-effects of nausea, tiredness, drowsiness. From what I can gather, side-effects for the SSRI's and SSNRI's are very similar. They should die...
Kitt - Right now it's making me drowsy more than anything else. The betablockers are helping the physical symptoms. Studying is my saving grace! I'd go mad(der!) without it. I go back to uni in 3...
It maybe that you did too much in the pool. The water feels so good that it is easy to get carried away. When you get out again your body remembers everything and sends it right back at you,...
Percycat - Med. Lit. is fantastic! Next semester I'm going to be learning Anglo-Saxon and I'm also hoping to pick up Medieval Latin. Last year we focused mainly on Middle English. It's great fun....
Ginny, I'm glad you don't have RA or AS, but I'm sorry to hear about the massive fibro flare! I hope you can get it under control somehow....
Coffee, in fact anything with caffine in, is a big no-no. Makes my anxiety much much worse and kick starts all my physical panic symptoms. I love coffee, so when I'm feeling calm and in control I...
Thank you. It's a relief to talk to others and to have my feelings towards the meds understood. Meg- I'm studying English Literature. I was studying English Literature with Creative Writing, but I...
I just got back from the doctors. She has put me on citalopram (Celexa, I think is the brand name in the US) for panic disorder and depression. I'm also on a beta blocker, propranolol, for the...
Hi Ginny! Part of my diagnosis was helped big time by my bloods. I have never shown any inflammation markers outside of 'normal' ranges, even when I've been so swollen, red and fevered my doctors...
Hey, I usually post on the Panic board but I hope you guys don't mind me popping across. I've been a lurker here for a looong time! I have RA. I was diagnosed in November 2006 but my symptoms started...
The only pain relief I found from costo was taking my full 150mg Diclofenac daily and 30-60mg of codeine and 1000mg paracetamol every 4-6 hours. Sometimes a heat pad or ice pack helped - best done...
Peacesoul - I haven't noticed any major anxiety on the Plaq. I started it over a year ago, when I was stable on the anxiety scale and it had no side-effects at all for me....
I used to, many years ago, take Zoloft for depression. If I remember rightly it caused some nausea for the first few days and made me fatigued - although that could have been the depression. Might be...
Kitt - thanks for the link. I'll sit down and take a look later today. Marie -Clare - The reason it's only for 6 weeks is a) because I live in the UK and the quickest way to see someone was through...
I went to my counselling session this morning and left more upset than when I went in, which is saying something. The counsellor is a psychotherapist... She is currently rehashing my childhood which...
All your goals sound positive and achievable but remember not to beat yourself up. These things take time, a lot of time, to resolve and it is frequently a '2 steps forward, 1 step back' graduation....
There could be lots of reasons. I know I get anxious over going because it might be busy, I might have to sit in the middle of a row of seats, someone might try and make me eat/ drink something, the...
Light therapy is a brilliant way to combat seasonal depression. A doctor can also prescribe a light box so it isn't so much out of pocket. You only have to sit in front of the lamp for half an hour...
Thanks for the welcome! One of the things I've been trying to do is utilise the CBT stuff I know to use for my anxiety. I can use it fine with the depression - that's how I stay stable! - but I'm...
Hi, I'm 20 and I live in the UK. I'm a university student in Wales, studying English Literrature and Creative Writing. I'm here because I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder a week ago. I also have...
Thanks for all your replies! It's great to find communities like this. Matthew - I wish it was due to pred withdrawal but with the exceptionally slow taper I'm on I very much doubt it! I'm meant to...
Hi, I stumbled across this forum doing some research into IBD and you all very friendly and knowledgable. I'm just turned 20 and went to my GP about 4 weeks ago after passing blood when going to the...