Re: rheumy visit and new meds

[Guest guest]

Hi Kerri. I am glad to hear there is someone else out there like me. I

thought I was the only one, or I really didn't have RA. But I just had my

hands and feet xrayed this week, and my hands showed normal. My hands hurt

pretty bad especially my right thumb and wrist area. When I have a bad flare

the pain there is almost intolerable. Even when my flare starts to get

better, the pain there is still very bad. But everything is normal on xray??

The xray of my feet showed alot of osteo degeneration. My regular doctor was

telling me this stuff, and he really couldn't help too much of what it all

means, but I see my rheumy Oct. 10 and he will go over the results of xray

and labs.

I really didn't understand my regular doctor when he was talking about my

feet. I don't know if he was saying osteo arthritic problems or osteoporosis

changes. Aaaarrrrrgggggg! It gets so frustrating sometimes don't it? I know

what you mean about going nuts. If I wasn't nutty before all this started, I

m sure gonna be by time its over with!

Hang in there

-- [ ] rheumy visit and new meds

I hope all of you are having good days and there are better ones yet to come

Today I had my third rheumy visit, although the visit itself was short(he

had an emergency) I guess it was pretty productive. I was able to explain

that the Arava was working for general achiness and morning stiffness was

improved about 20% but because of that, I was able to find where most of the

localized pain is- deep in heel, knees, and 3rd joint in fingers... after

discussing that he decided to start me on methotrexate and folic acid, any

of you who have taken these- I'd appreciate to hear what your side effects

were and what I should expect. He also went over a list that I brought in of

health issues I deal with so I would know if they were related to RA or if I

should go to my GP with them. I had more lab work today and go back in 6

weeks for more. Also, on xrays and mri's (3 years old) there is no visible

arthritis or erosion... rheumy said doesn't matter what those said because

its possible to have

RA (or other inflammatory disease) and not show that progressive physical

damage...has anyone ever heard of this? It seems impossible that I am in so

much pain and nothing is seen. My lab work indicates RA and maybe SLE and

chronic inflammatory and pain problems as does swelling in my hands and feet

but nothing shows on exrays. I don't know, to me its like giving birth only

to find there was no baby... why all the pain? If any of you have any

thoughts, please feel free to share... sometimes I feel as if I'm just going

completely nuts. happy days to all of you.

kerri sue

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Kerri. I am glad to hear there is someone else out there like me. I

thought I was the only one, or I really didn't have RA. But I just had my

hands and feet xrayed this week, and my hands showed normal. My hands hurt

pretty bad especially my right thumb and wrist area. When I have a bad flare

the pain there is almost intolerable. Even when my flare starts to get

better, the pain there is still very bad. But everything is normal on xray??

The xray of my feet showed alot of osteo degeneration. My regular doctor was

telling me this stuff, and he really couldn't help too much of what it all

means, but I see my rheumy Oct. 10 and he will go over the results of xray

and labs.

I really didn't understand my regular doctor when he was talking about my

feet. I don't know if he was saying osteo arthritic problems or osteoporosis

changes. Aaaarrrrrgggggg! It gets so frustrating sometimes don't it? I know

what you mean about going nuts. If I wasn't nutty before all this started, I

m sure gonna be by time its over with!

Hang in there

-- [ ] rheumy visit and new meds

I hope all of you are having good days and there are better ones yet to come

Today I had my third rheumy visit, although the visit itself was short(he

had an emergency) I guess it was pretty productive. I was able to explain

that the Arava was working for general achiness and morning stiffness was

improved about 20% but because of that, I was able to find where most of the

localized pain is- deep in heel, knees, and 3rd joint in fingers... after

discussing that he decided to start me on methotrexate and folic acid, any

of you who have taken these- I'd appreciate to hear what your side effects

were and what I should expect. He also went over a list that I brought in of

health issues I deal with so I would know if they were related to RA or if I

should go to my GP with them. I had more lab work today and go back in 6

weeks for more. Also, on xrays and mri's (3 years old) there is no visible

arthritis or erosion... rheumy said doesn't matter what those said because

its possible to have

RA (or other inflammatory disease) and not show that progressive physical

damage...has anyone ever heard of this? It seems impossible that I am in so

much pain and nothing is seen. My lab work indicates RA and maybe SLE and

chronic inflammatory and pain problems as does swelling in my hands and feet

but nothing shows on exrays. I don't know, to me its like giving birth only

to find there was no baby... why all the pain? If any of you have any

thoughts, please feel free to share... sometimes I feel as if I'm just going

completely nuts. happy days to all of you.

kerri sue

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Kerri, I've taken MTX and folic acid for 2.5 years

now. I started on 10mgs a week. The only side effect

on that dosage was mild fatigue for a couple of days

after taking it. I started seeing improvement in joint

pain and swelling after about 3 weeks. After about

1.5 years we increased to 15 mgs because of increased

joint involvement. I started having mild hair loss

and increased fatique. I stayed on that for several

months and then changed Drs. and he wanted me to

increase it to 20 mgs a week. I was increasing the

folic acid with each MTX increase. At 20 mg the

fatigue (much more)was lasting almost from one dose

til the next and my hair started falling out by the

handfuls. I only took two weeks of the 20mgs and

called my doc and said no go one this one. I'm now

back down to 10mgs and taking minocin bid and feel

much better. It did really help the joint pain and

stiffness but the fatigue and hair loss at the higher

dose was unacceptalble. I also have been taking

naproxen since I first started taking the MTX. Hope

the information is helpful and that you get great

benefit and no sided effects.

--- kerri paquette <ksp2242@...> wrote:

>

> I hope all of you are having good days and there are

> better ones yet to come. Today I had my third rheumy

> visit, although the visit itself was short(he had an

> emergency) I guess it was pretty productive. I was

> able to explain that the Arava was working for

> general achiness and morning stiffness was improved

> about 20% but because of that, I was able to find

> where most of the localized pain is- deep in heel,

> knees, and 3rd joint in fingers... after discussing

> that he decided to start me on methotrexate and

> folic acid, any of you who have taken these- I'd

> appreciate to hear what your side effects were and

> what I should expect. He also went over a list that

> I brought in of health issues I deal with so I would

> know if they were related to RA or if I should go to

> my GP with them. I had more lab work today and go

> back in 6 weeks for more. Also, on xrays and mri's

> (3 years old) there is no visible arthritis or

> erosion... rheumy said doesn't matter what those

> said because its possible to have

> RA (or other inflammatory disease) and not show

> that progressive physical damage...has anyone ever

> heard of this? It seems impossible that I am in so

> much pain and nothing is seen. My lab work indicates

> RA and maybe SLE and chronic inflammatory and pain

> problems as does swelling in my hands and feet, but

> nothing shows on exrays. I don't know, to me its

> like giving birth only to find there was no baby...

> why all the pain? If any of you have any thoughts,

> please feel free to share... sometimes I feel as if

> I'm just going completely nuts. happy days to all

> of you.

>

>

>

> kerri sue

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Kerri, I've taken MTX and folic acid for 2.5 years

now. I started on 10mgs a week. The only side effect

on that dosage was mild fatigue for a couple of days

after taking it. I started seeing improvement in joint

pain and swelling after about 3 weeks. After about

1.5 years we increased to 15 mgs because of increased

joint involvement. I started having mild hair loss

and increased fatique. I stayed on that for several

months and then changed Drs. and he wanted me to

increase it to 20 mgs a week. I was increasing the

folic acid with each MTX increase. At 20 mg the

fatigue (much more)was lasting almost from one dose

til the next and my hair started falling out by the

handfuls. I only took two weeks of the 20mgs and

called my doc and said no go one this one. I'm now

back down to 10mgs and taking minocin bid and feel

much better. It did really help the joint pain and

stiffness but the fatigue and hair loss at the higher

dose was unacceptalble. I also have been taking

naproxen since I first started taking the MTX. Hope

the information is helpful and that you get great

benefit and no sided effects.

--- kerri paquette <ksp2242@...> wrote:

>

> I hope all of you are having good days and there are

> better ones yet to come. Today I had my third rheumy

> visit, although the visit itself was short(he had an

> emergency) I guess it was pretty productive. I was

> able to explain that the Arava was working for

> general achiness and morning stiffness was improved

> about 20% but because of that, I was able to find

> where most of the localized pain is- deep in heel,

> knees, and 3rd joint in fingers... after discussing

> that he decided to start me on methotrexate and

> folic acid, any of you who have taken these- I'd

> appreciate to hear what your side effects were and

> what I should expect. He also went over a list that

> I brought in of health issues I deal with so I would

> know if they were related to RA or if I should go to

> my GP with them. I had more lab work today and go

> back in 6 weeks for more. Also, on xrays and mri's

> (3 years old) there is no visible arthritis or

> erosion... rheumy said doesn't matter what those

> said because its possible to have

> RA (or other inflammatory disease) and not show

> that progressive physical damage...has anyone ever

> heard of this? It seems impossible that I am in so

> much pain and nothing is seen. My lab work indicates

> RA and maybe SLE and chronic inflammatory and pain

> problems as does swelling in my hands and feet, but

> nothing shows on exrays. I don't know, to me its

> like giving birth only to find there was no baby...

> why all the pain? If any of you have any thoughts,

> please feel free to share... sometimes I feel as if

> I'm just going completely nuts. happy days to all

> of you.

>

>

>

> kerri sue

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>