Eczema, ear pains, just stress?

[Guest guest]

This is what I just emailed my Rheumy:

" Hi Dr. , another " do I take enbrel " moment. Just this week I've

started with what appears to be pretty bad eczema on my elbows and

inner right wrist......Is this going to spread, what can I do about it

and should I skip the Enbrel. We are talking REALLY really really bad

itching here -- like HELP.

I actually saw Dr. Glickman (primary care internist) for my annual

yesterday and all that she had to say was yes it was probably related

to the RA (it wasn't itching quite so much in that instant and we were

talking about other things). [of course, the way I said it, she may

have thought that I had already spoken to you about it and received

treatment]. Then last nite for about three hours I thought I had an

infection in my left ear -- slight swelling and severe pain -- But it

is l00% gone this morning. I feel like I'm falling apart.

Advice? Carla "

As a background, I've been doing pretty well on methotrexate and Enbrel

but since January my mother's health, and house, have both suffered

some pretty severe problems - to the extent that I am stressed out to

the max.. I'll omit the details as I'm barely out of bed and (as my

husband says) I " speak and think Klingon " for the first hour or

so..<G>. Anyway I'm hoping Dr. gets back to me but I won't have

time to try calling her till later today--wondering, anything sound

familiar.......? Thanks all. I feel like I have poison ivy...bad...

and am losing control of my health situation... Carla in RI