Welcome Rebecca | Arthritis Information

Welcome Rebecca!

Hope to get to know you!

Thank you! I'm still trying to navigate my way around here, but I think I'm catching on! I see you were diagnosed with JRA when you were a baby. I've had psoriatic arthritis since I was 11 years old (I'm 37 now).

I've just switched back to Enbrel after a few years on Remicade. It works better for my arthritis than the Remicade did, but I'm having bad headaches that I think my be from the Enbrel. How about you? Have you found anything that gives you some relief?

I am only on 5mg of prednisone right now. I have not been back to the doc since June. I was not on anything good, before then either, I had to stop taking my meds because I was pregnant, and was put only on pred to get me thur my pregnancy. I had my son back in October of '04. And just been on pred since...for many reasons...lost insurance....and then just got insurance again about 4 weeks ago.

Glad to hear enbrel is working for you, but sorry to hear it might be causing you to have headaches.

June

jooniper38597.9371412037Hi Rebecca. I am starting Enbrel next week. Are headaches supposed to be a side effect? I have a lot of emotional investment in this Enbrel. Not much relief here except the evil prednisone. WELCOME. Stay awhile. Friendly folks here and lots of good information.

Welcome:0) Happy you've found us. Sorry about the headaches hope they go away and the enbrel continues to work for you.

What were your first symptoms as a child??

Hi Rebecca, welcome to the BB!

Hi everyone!

Thanks for making me feel so welcome! While I've had arthritis forever, I haven't talked to very many people who have it too.

My symptoms started as swelling and pain in my left ankle when I was 11. Since then, it's spread everywhere, but it's left some places after a while. For years, my knees were really bad, but then it went away and hasn't affected my knees since. Other places though, like my hands, continue to deteriorate.

I'm very lucky that I've been able to avoid prednisone so far! I was on it for just a week or two and it was awful! But I've tried just about everything else. Remicade and Enbrel have both worked for me. I always seem to have these strange side effects - like headaches or back pain - that could be caused by the medications, but could be something else entirely. All I know is that it hurts!

But overall, I'm hanging in there and doing okay. I'm just really glad I found you guys and am looking forward to getting to know you all!
Mike

Welcome Rebecca,

I am fairly new to here too but I am so happy and pleased to have found these informative, humourous and very compassionate people. I was only diagnosed with RA in June of this year but had palindromic Rhuematism for a couple of years. I wish I had have known that this board existed previously (only found it mid July) then I wouldn't have went through the worst of this on my own. My condition is improving more and more each day. I take 20mg of methotrexate weekly. I too have managed to avoid the Prednisone to date but my RD wants to start me on plaquenil soon along with the MTX. We'll see how it goes.

Anyways....A big welcome to you!

Jackie

hey rebecca, i too have psoratric arthritis, affecting especially the lower spine and sacral area you are lucky the meds work for you , i am allergic to remicade, humira and enbrel, i dont know what the dr. is going to try next. WELCOME AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND DEBBIE

Hey Rebecca! i 'echo' what everyone else said

Lulu