I have had RA for 2 years and while it was a shock if I look back it wasn,t as consistantly bad as it is now.
I started off with plaquinal, prednisone and have slowly added more drugs like sulphursalazine, MTX and more pred.
What is the outlook for my future?
It seems the more drugs I take the more I need...?
Love
Cathy
How about the biologics from my understanding there goal is to get us into some kind of remission I was diagnosed in july am on disability so I am very bad right now they keep adding more and more drugs but here in canada in order for medical to cover the more exspensive drugs you have to try the smaller drugs first goodluck.....................TERESA ps ra is a progressive disease
HI CATHY,
I HAD THOSE SAME QUESTIONS AS TO THE OUTLOOK FOR MY FUTURE. MY RD TOLD ME THAT WITH THE MEDS AVAILABLE TODAY MY RA COULD BE CONTROLLED. I BELIEVE THERE IS A COMBINATION OF MEDS THAT CAN WORK WELL WITH YOU AND BRING RELIEF. THE PROBLEM WE ALL FACE, IS THAT WE'RE ALL SO DIFFERENT AND RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO THE SAME MEDS OTHERS ARE TAKING. SEARCHING FOR THAT RIGHT COMBINATION TAKES TIME. ALL THESE MEDS TAKE A MONTH OR MORE TO SHOW ANY SIGNS OF BEING AFFECTIVE......SOME TAKE 6 MONTHS. MEANWHILE IF THE COMBINATION GIVEN ISN'T GOING TO BE AFFECTIVE, WE SUFFER! SOME COMBINATIONS WORK FOR AWHILE AND THAN WE FIND WE NEED A CHANGE OF MEDS. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PATTERN FOR SOME PEOPLE.
DON'T LOSE HEART! YOU'RE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS BY SEEING AN RD, TAKING MEDS. I WISH I COULD NAME THE BEST MED OR COMBINATION OF MEDS THAT WOULD BRING YOU LONG TERM RELIEF.HANG IN THERE AND KEEP POSTING FOR ANSWERS. THERE ARE A LOT OF SMARTER PEOPLE THAN I ON THIS SITE THAT CAN HELP YOU.
I WISH YOU PEACE OF MIND AND PAIN FREE DAYS,
DON
Hi, I have had RA since 11/2002 and started with my hands feeling bruised all the time, knees not bending and swollen ankle. After 3 months of Plaquenil Doc added MTX and I was up to 9 a week. He started to taper me back to 6 but I am not sore ALL the time, hands always hurt so he is upping my MTX again, and wants to add Biologic but we are self insured and my Ins company will NOT pay for injectibles, and we make too much money for the drug companies to help. It is like bigger than my house payment for a month supply of injectibles. I will try to get Ins to pay for Remicade, but not sure.
I am actually scared for the first time. I am 44 and my hands look 60, knuckles started to protrude a bit, index finger on right hand is crooked.
Anyone else showing signs, not just feel it?
Thanks
Sherrie
My hands have some permanent deformity from before I was being treated. Swollen finger joints (especially my thumbs) but not much pain anymore if I take it easy on my hands.I've had it for about 12 years and for me it has progressed....and like you it's taken more and more meds to control it over time. I feel blessed though to have been on numerous treatments over the years that has definately SLOWED the progression.
At first the weaker DMARDS like sulfersalizine, then plaquinel worked well....then MTX and eventually Biologics (Humira). I feel certain had I not been on a good treatment plan my problems would have been far worse by now. My X-Rays do show a progression in my errosions but my doctor and I both feel like they are minumal compared to what might have been had I not been on the treatments that I have.
Hi all,
went see my doc and he does take exway of finger middle one on my right showed arthitis red swollen still cold weather killing it.he says take naproxin is best thing to help it.Wish redness go way on it here.I do have arthitis gloves here help some what keep them warm at least for me here on these cold days.
was tring find chat room thought was chat room here somewhere.
from Sue