Galloping Arthritis

[Guest guest]

I posted this on the about.com arthritis forum and PatB suggested I

post it here too. I just joined this group last week.

I too have PA. My aunt had the same thing and she always called

it " Galloping Arthritis " because of the way it moved around. Mine

seems to linger in one or more extremities for about a year and a

half and then move on. Thank goodness the worst part has left my

wrists and now is worse in the middle fingers of both hands and left

ankle. I have involvement in feet, toes, knees and one hip also. I

have been on Remicade for nine months now. At first I saw great

relief but each treatment seems to give less and less relief. I will

start getting it every six weeks now instead of every eight weeks.

My rheumy suggested every four weeks but I am afraid of those super

infections and want to see if the six week interval works. I am also

taking 20 mg. methotrexate a week and 200 mg celebrex twice a day.

My psoriasis is completely in remission as long as I take the mtx. I

too have the HLA b27 gene. I am not exactly sure what that means but

the doctors were impressed.

Darlene in California

[Guest guest]

Darlene,

How do you find out if you have this particular gene, that you mentioned

in your Galloping Arthritis mail....

Thank you,