Arava

[Guest guest]

Hey Sylvia, Didn't Marilyn Monroe wear a size 14? Stop thinking of

yourself as fat. The USA standards of thin is unhealthy. All of those

actresses at the awards ceremony looked like they were on the verge of

dying of starvation. Most are just way too thin. There is a difference

between being overweight to the point of being unhealthy and being

normal. I have a friend who is big. She mentioned to her doctor that

she should lose weight. He told her he had never met a healthier woman.

Her BP, cholesterol, everything was perfect. Yet, she is considered

" fat " by todays standard.

And in the past, a thin woman usually meant that she was poor. Wealthy

women were heavy because they could afford to have servants and good

food. It was a sign of status among the menfolk that they had enough

money to provide for their family.

JEnna

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Jenna, You made me feel a somewhat better about the size 14

thing. A Marilyn I'm not. Except I could sing a heck of a lot

better then she could. Yes, the hollywood skinny minis do look

emaciated, don't they? It's that visual thing again!!!! Fat or

thin, makes no difference to me, I don't judge a book by it's cover

anyway.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Sylvia

--- In egroups, JennaKay Francis <triskelion@j...>

wrote:

> Hey Sylvia, Didn't Marilyn Monroe wear a size 14? Stop thinking of

> yourself as fat. The USA standards of thin is unhealthy. All of

those

> actresses at the awards ceremony looked like they were on the

verge of

> dying of starvation. Most are just way too thin. There is a

difference

> between being overweight to the point of being unhealthy and being

> normal. I have a friend who is big. She mentioned to her doctor

that

> she should lose weight. He told her he had never met a healthier

woman.

> Her BP, cholesterol, everything was perfect. Yet, she is considered

> " fat " by todays standard.

>

> And in the past, a thin woman usually meant that she was poor.

Wealthy

> women were heavy because they could afford to have servants and good

> food. It was a sign of status among the menfolk that they had

enough

> money to provide for their family.

>

> JEnna

>

> FREE SPIRIT - Starlight Writers Publications

> THE GUARDIANS OF GLEDE - SWP Editors Choice Award; SWP Stellar

Award;

> WordWeaving Award of Excellance

> THE GREEN PUMPKIN - CrossroadsPub.com; furt Award Nominee

> Homepage: www.geocities.com/jennakayfrancis

>

> ________________________________________________________________

> YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!

> Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!

> Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:

> http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

[Guest guest]

Sylvia,

Think it's hard to compare yourself to someone hundreds of miles away in

a showbiz world? How about seeing your younger sister (by 10 years) who

gave birth to a baby a week ago and already fits back into her regular

shorts? Now, that's hard! I can remember when her first child was just

an infant, I went to the zoo with my sister and my kids and the baby. I

was holding the baby while my sister was doing something and some woman

asked me how old the baby was. I told her 2 weeks. Then I said it

wasn't mine, it was my sisters. At which point the lady looks at my

sister and says " YOU don't look like you just gave birth a week ago! "

Apparently she thought I DID look like it. *sigh* It was embarrassing.

Jenna

FREE SPIRIT - Starlight Writers Publications

THE GUARDIANS OF GLEDE - SWP Editors Choice Award; SWP Stellar Award;

WordWeaving Award of Excellance

THE GREEN PUMPKIN - CrossroadsPub.com; furt Award Nominee

Homepage: www.geocities.com/jennakayfrancis

________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Welcome Bonnie Jo to the group. Hives is the one thing I don't suffer from

but certainly can feel for you.

~Esther l~

''To get out of a difficulty, one

usually must go through it.''

" Never look down on anybody

unless you are helping them up. "

----- Original Message -----

From: <JO1140@...>

< egroups>

Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2000 12:28 AM

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: Arava

> Hello there, My name is Bonnie and I signed on to this group recently and

> thought I had better check in before II am considered a lurker. I have

some

> kind of inflammatory arthritis and have had for years. My sed rate is

always

> elevated but I am sero-negative. I also have other auto-immune stuff

going

> onsych as low thyroid. For six months I have been having hives especially

on

> my head and my rheumatologist prescribed doxepin. My primary care doctor

> added Cimededine to that. I have also been taking hydroxozine. I have

> basically been asleep all week. Finally my hives arenot itching as much.

and

> I am beginning to function again. Next week I will begin plaquinal

again.

> I also take piroxicam an anti-inflammatory which I love. I hads to stop

both

> those meds for a while because liver enzymes were elevated. And I have

> fibrmyalgia

> Ny RD explained that auto-immune diseases are linked and there are genetic

> clusters. I found some good websites. Thank you for the thyroid one.

There

> is an excellent list of links art Autoimmune Disease On Line. aarda.org

is

> especially goo

> I am so impressed at how much knowledge and comfort uou share oin

this

> group/ Does anyone suffer with chronic hives{uticaria|? Take care.

Bonnie

> Jo

>

> Our websites: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/

> http://www.rasupport.webprovider.com/

> Change subscription options:

[Guest guest]

i didn't like the way i felt on arava. i have not tried any meds since. how

do you choose between the physical pain and the side effects from the drugs??

it's really a hard choice.

[Guest guest]

it was very hard for me to function on the meds. i was hanging on the walls,

i felt so sick to my stomach, i get really dizzy. i need to work, i am alone

trying to raise my son. i would have to be home to try those again. i live

check to check and borrow still. how can i survive on 1/2 pay? i have to keep

working.

[Guest guest]

hi im a new mom in the group

i am in the study for enbrel

i have been on it for 3 years

there are side effects, respitatory

colds, flus etc.

but the side effects are manageable,

the benefits are enourmous

sometimes i have alot of energy

ia m able to do most things i want to do

in fact most people on this drug try to do too much

so ifeel that rest is important

and your family needs to understand those limtiations

otherwise you will get a flare up and sicker...

cellebrex also helps wiuth theinflamation

[Guest guest]

This is the second time today that I have seen posts where people are

concerned about the side effects of the drugs that we take to control the

RA. The side effects can be terrible and I understand that it gets

discouraging but I have to remind everyone that the drugs are essential

with RA. Without the disease modifying drugs, it can hit your heart and

lungs with fatal results. I have the scars on my heart and lungs to prove

the RA has tried to attack them - I am so thankful that I am on the gold

shots and Enbrel even if the skin is pealing off my hands and I get weird

rashes. The side effects can be uncomfortable but unless they are life

threatening, I will take the side effects over letting the RA run wild.

Sorry about the lecture but after my scare this summer - I am passionate

about this issue.

Pat

[Guest guest]

Have you talked to your doctor about trying a different medication. Most of

us tried different meds before we found our 'magical cocktail'. With some

meds, the side effects will straighten out after you take them for awhile

but some meds just don't work out and you have to change.

Many of us have been in your position with trying to be a Mom to a little

one and dealing with this vicious disease at the same time. You will find

that this group is very supportive to people in your position.

I hope you can find the med that will work for you without terrible side

effects. Please don't give up trying to find something that works.

Pat

At 10:07 PM 10/16/2000 -0400, you wrote:

>it was very hard for me to function on the meds. i was hanging on the walls,

>i felt so sick to my stomach, i get really dizzy. i need to work, i am alone

>trying to raise my son. i would have to be home to try those again. i live

>check to check and borrow still. how can i survive on 1/2 pay? i have to keep

>working.

>

>

>Our websites: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/

>http://www.rasupport.webprovider.com/

>Change subscription options:

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/16/00 9:08:38 PM Central Daylight Time,

kringlemom@... writes:

<< it was very hard for me to function on the meds. i was hanging on the

walls,

i felt so sick to my stomach, i get really dizzy. i need to work, i am alone

trying to raise my son. i would have to be home to try those again. i live

check to check and borrow still. how can i survive on 1/2 pay? i have to

keep

working.

>>

Isn't it hard for you to function when you are not on meds? Perhaps you

haven't found the right med for you that has less side effects and/or

something to take to countact the meds. I cannot imagine having RA and not

taking meds for it unless you are in remission. The pain is so so

unbearable. I used to lay in bed and cry and then needed help getting out of

bed and down the stairs etc. It was very liberating to me when I found

relief with the right meds. Now my liver doesn't like this med so I have to

change to another and the future is questionable.

Sincerely, Jeannette

[Guest guest]

yes some days are very bad and i can't get out of bed, i am thinking of

asking my rheumatologist about anti-biotic treatments when i go for more

trigger injections the 26th. also want to get a script to maybe get a

adjustable desk so i don't have to sit all day. other than that i've been on

glucosomine and msm relafin and tylenol 3's

[Guest guest]

I will start on Arava tomorrow, i am hoping for really good results

(aren't we all??) I am also on Plaquenil and sulfa and prednisone. I

hope to be off the prednisone in a few weeks. I just want to feel

better. Not perfect just better.

a R

> I was on Arava for 6 weeks only and had to come off because of liver

> problems. My hair didn't fall out and I felt better than I had for

> months. I personally know 2 other people taking Arava and both are

> having no side affects and feel it is helping them a lot. One has

been

> on it 6 months and the other one,almost a year.

> Hope this helps.

> Hugs

> June

[Guest guest]

Joanne,

I was diagnosed with RA in APril 2001 when I went to the dr complaining of

severe joint pain and weakness in my hands. I work at a school and do lunch

room duty (LOL), but found that I coulden't open a simple bag of potato

chips. My RA factor was 160, and I was getting worse by the day.

We started with Doxycycline and corticoseroid shots, that lasted about 2

months until the dr realized that I had deteriated considerably while the

cortizone was masking the symptoms. I got to the point where I couldn't wash

my hair, walk, write, UGHHHHHHHHH!

We moved on to Methotrexate. That made me nauseous and caused migranes, but

relieved most of my symptoms. The dr added the antidote to the MTX while he

put me on the waiting list for Enbrel. We used low doses of prednisone off

and on while I continued this regimine until Oct 2001.

At that time, we added the Enbrel. I was doing great within about 6 weeks,

then I asked to remove the MTX and started downhill again. In Jan, 2002 we

added Arava to the mix, and within a month, I was doing great. We decided

to try just using the Arava, and I downhill I went again! We added the

Enbrel back in, and I have doing great ever since. No prednisone, no shots,

nothing. Of course, we added Fibromyalgia and Sjrogren's to my list of woes

once the RA settled down and we could pick out the other symptoms, but the

RA continues to behave itself for now.

Hope this helps, both with your Arava question, and with the info gathering.

Jeanine Kinsey

[Guest guest]

on 11/12/02 5:30 PM, ROBERT BAECHLE at rnbaechle@... wrote:

> Thanks for the support, I saw my primary today and had a little cry, she

> increased my antideprresssants she thinks I am depressed from dealing with all

> this health stuff. What do you know about the arava?

, I have been taking Arava for about four months now, and it's done

wonders for me. I also take Bextra, and a small dose of methotrexate. My

rheumy has kept reducing the mtx because my white blood cell count is low

and keeps going down. But this combination of meds has me just about

pain-free, which is wonderful. I still have pain in my leg bones when I'm

trying to go to sleep, but other than that, I can't complain.

I hope you can get on something that will get you some relief.

Sue in NC

[Guest guest]

Dennis, Arava worked very well to control my pain and inflammation. It

was a much better med for me than methotrexate had been. The only

problem was that my white blood cell count that had fallen below normal

on mtx continued its decline. I would still be " raving about Arava " if

not for that. I didn't have any other adverse side effects. My liver

profile numbers stayed in the normal range after the initial rise that

the loading dose caused. I hope that it will work for you and give you

some relief at last.

Sue

On Wednesday, May 11, 2005, at 11:21 PM, Dennis W wrote:

> I just found out that my Rheumy ordered Arava for me a while back, but

> nobody ever told me. His nurse knows I'm upset at the responses I've

> not

> had. I don't know of another Rheumy that I can afford, so I'll just

> pray

> that he and she will stay on target. I'm going to be watching closely.

>

> Has anyone had a bad experience with this med? Anything I should watch

> for

> besides the possibility of diarrhea? My goal is still being able to be

> a

> substitute teacher by the fall semester.

[Guest guest]

I have been on Arava for over a year and have not had any problems with it

what so ever. I am currently been able to be cut back to every other day

since my RA has been doing well. Hope you have as good of luck as I had.

Terri

[ ] arava

>I just found out that my Rheumy ordered Arava for me a while back, but

> nobody ever told me. His nurse knows I'm upset at the responses I've not

> had. I don't know of another Rheumy that I can afford, so I'll just pray

> that he and she will stay on target. I'm going to be watching closely.

>

> Has anyone had a bad experience with this med? Anything I should watch for

> besides the possibility of diarrhea? My goal is still being able to be a

> substitute teacher by the fall semester.

>

> Dennis

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi! I too am on Arava. Have been taking 20 mg for the past 6 months. It

has seemed to help a lot - the only problem I am encountering is weight loss

I am always semi-nauseated and find it so hard to eat very much. I used

to weight 110 and now am down to 91. I look in the mirror and wonder who

that anrexic woman is !!!! Seriously does anyone else have the problem with

their meds that makes them lose weight??

Suzy inNashville

-- [ ] ARAVA

Happy Holidays to all!!!

I am new to the group and was wondering if anyone is

on arava,for their ra, im on arava,plaquenil,volteren,and davocets for

flares, ive been on arava for about a month 2wks of nausua, but joint

pain much,much better, now not only do i keep getting cysts now my

right finger ring at the bottomclose to the nail has been waking me up

in the middle of night, its swollen shiny,red,now it looks like the

skins gonna peel,just wondering if anyone has ever had any issues with

these skin problems,Im wondering if it could be gout! any

ideas,thanks,positivelyanxios

[Guest guest]

thanks, i'm still going to wait a few more days. i think i'm coming down

with something

Kathy in IL

[Guest guest]

just that i have taken it before and had problems

Kathy in IL

[Guest guest]

Kathy, Arava worked very well for me. I didn't have any side effects

except that it lowered my white cell count. Methotrexate had already

lowered it, and the Arava just continued it. I wonder what would have

happened if I had started Arava first. Anyway, it didn't make me dizzy

or anything like that. I guess I have the tendency to have a low WBC

count, because a couple of years after being off of Arava and mtx, it's

still slightly below normal.

Sue

On Thursday, March 23, 2006, at 05:19 PM, kringlemom@... wrote:

> i picked up my med today. but i am afraid to take it. i don;t want to

> get

> sick again. someone tell me your experiences

>

[Guest guest]

Kathy, I also had excellent results with Arava. I was sorry to have to come of

it because of liver problems which was discovered early on. I was on it for a

year and very little pain. Most meds affect my liver anyway. As long as you are

being monitered regularly, why not at least give it a try.

Hugs

June

----- Original Message -----

From: Sue

Kathy, Arava worked very well for me. I didn't have any side effects

except that it lowered my white cell count. Methotrexate had already

lowered it, and the Arava just continued it. I wonder what would have

happened if I had started Arava first. Anyway, it didn't make me dizzy

or anything like that. I guess I have the tendency to have a low WBC

count, because a couple of years after being off of Arava and mtx, it's

still slightly below normal.

Sue

On Thursday, March 23, 2006, at 05:19 PM, kringlemom@... wrote:

> i picked up my med today. but i am afraid to take it. i don;t want to

> get

> sick again. someone tell me your experiences

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy,

I have been on Arava for three years, firstly by itself and then with mtx I have

had no problems with it...are only now questioning whether the combination is

still working well enough.

Good luck...I hope it works well for you, just make sure your'e getting your

bloods done regularly.

Hugs

[ ] arava

i picked up my med today. but i am afraid to take it. i don;t want to get

sick again. someone tell me your experiences

Kathy in IL

[Guest guest]

wizzy good way to describe it!! as long as i held my head i wasn't bad. my

son said it reminded him of a drunk. i can't remember!!!

Kathy in IL

[Guest guest]

doesn't it work with the thyroid?

Kathy in IL

[Guest guest]

Hi ,I took arava for a short time,and like you i too had a wizzy

feeling in my head,i came off it after around a week as i wasn't too

impressed with it.

>

> ok, so i took it last night and did not like the way my head felt. i

was

> wondering if anyone else experienced this, maybe if i take it before

bed? any

> ideas??

>

> Kathy in IL

>

>

>

>