Guest guest Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Many of the RA medications take a long time to show any effects (sometimes several months) so if it has been less time than that she should keep taking the medications. Also her RA may be getting worse and the medications are helping to keep it from feeling much worse. Unfortunately RA is a hard disease in many ways. People react to different medications with some getting great help and others not being affected. It teaches us patience whether we like it or not. If she has any questions about her medication she should call the doctor’s office. The doctor cannot treat what they don’t know about so it is up to us to let the doctor know if anything does not go as expected. You might not get to talk to the doctor but you should get a response from someone who does get the doctor’s comment on your message. Another caution is that some medications can be bad if you stop abruptly. The most notorious one that is often used for RA is Prednisone and if you have been on high doses for a long time it can be painful or perhaps even fatal to stop abruptly. She should always consult her doctor’s office before making a change in her medication. With time the doctor may give her instructions on how to adjust her medications based on how she feels but until getting the doctor’s permission she should not make a change in medication. If you said what medications your mother is on perhaps we would be able to offer other suggestions. Also we might suggest other medications to talk to her doctor about. Most of us are not medically trained but we do talk a lot to others with RA so we have some ideas of what has worked for others. Whatever we suggest should be talked over with the doctor before making a change. If she can’t talk to her doctor, perhaps she should consider a change. Don’t be afraid of making a post too long. We can ignore one we think is too long but we can’t respond to things that are not said. God bless you and your mother. From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of dawnmn26@... Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 7:30 AM Rheumatoid Arthritis Subject: RA Medication Hello My mother wanted me to ask this group a question about RA Medication. She wants to know if its harmful in any way if she doesn't take the medication for RA cause she feels the same on it & without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Hi Dawn, This is Steph in VA. I've had RA since 1999. Recent research has shown that early aggressive treatment has the best outcome on slowing down the progression of the disease. I recently had my bone density scan. After 7 years of living with arthritis & being on steroids just as long, and I am still within normal density range. I have been on Remicade for 6 years & it works great. My rheumy said that TNF, the gland that is inhibited in Remicade, is the same gland that causes bone erosion & osteoporosis. The rheumy said that is how we know the Remicade really works for me despite the severity of my illness. What type of meds has your mother been on? Is she under the treatment of a rheumatologist. Where does she live (some of us may be able to recommend someone). Take care, Steph in VAdawnmn26@... wrote: Hello My mother wanted me to ask this group a question about RA Medication. She wants to know if its harmful in any way if she doesn't take the medication for RA cause she feels the same on it & without it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world -- indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead) AmeriCorps Alums -- We're Still Getting Things Done Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make PC-to-Phone Calls using Messenger with Voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Dear Dawn- Thats usually a question no one can say yes to. If you have RA and your disease is mild then she may be in remission too. Medication is to relieve pain and inflammation and in cases like mine and many others biologic drugs can stop the progression of the disease. Have your mother talk it over with her doctor. She may be on meds that make her feel fine but without them she may feel she needs them. Have her get a bone density just to be safe and have her return for x-rays and blood tests too on a regular basis. Yours, Deborah On 5/21/06, dawnmn26@... <dawnmn26@...> wrote: Hello My mother wanted me to ask this group a question about RA Medication. She wants to know if its harmful in any way if she doesn't take the medication for RA cause she feels the same on it & without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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