Hello- new to forum and RA | Arthritis Information

 

As far as the pred goes, it's not something you want to be on long term. It can have some pretty nasty side effects not to mention the weening involved when you try to get off it. It's not one of those drugs you can go cold turkey on.

 

If you're interested in a more natural approach to heading towards remission, I think your best bet would be roadback.org. There are several folks on here who swear by it. However, I do suggest talking all your options over with your RD. You especially need to know whether or not your RA is mild, moderate or severe. My opinion is to be aggressive with the treatment as RA damage is irreversible. This is a nasty little disease that just plain sucks!

 

Again, sorry you have to be a member, but welcome to our club! Hope you're having a superfantastic and extra-comfortable evening! [QUOTE=joonie]Well... I can tell you it sucks not being able to use your hands for anything. Been there, done that. My son depended on me to care for him when I could not use my hands. My hands are my worst looking joints and were the effected joints that made me depressed the most. Because you HAVE to use your hands/fingers for everyday things. There is no, not using your hands and being independant. It is frustrating to say the least. [QUOTE=SnowOwl]Hi Sparky, welcome.  The thing about RA that scares me the most is how it can also affect the eyes, one of my prime factors in deciding to start on methotrexate was a stubborn attack of iritis.   It's a complicated and frustrating disease, but there are many medical options now and doctors are willing to tackle it early and aggressively and that's a good thing.   In addition to treatments hopefully designed to help put the condition into clinical remission, we have to consider quality of life, keep your sense of humor eh, and live a little.  [QUOTE=CO_Mel]Hello! Sorry you have to be here, but glad you came! Welcome! [QUOTE=joonie]

DX'ed = diagnoised

Hey Sparky

I was just dx 6 mos ago. I am also a musician, a cellist. And it turns out that I live in your neck of the woods.
I am not in anyway against using mj...believe me. But I have to agree with some of the others here, please wait a while before starting on it. You need to have an accurate picture of how active your disease is so that you can get on the appropriate doses of the appropriate meds. That is your best chance for preserving function in your fingers. I had to slow down on my beloved cortisone injections for the same reason...they were masking some of the symptoms of the RA. The RA meds will protect your joints.
I totally get how scary this is and how scary the meds are. I completely understand that mj is a lot less scary, especially to those who are well acquainted with its charms... But the RA meds will allow you to keep playing long term.
Anyway... sorry you are here with us..but welcome to the boardMJ has done nothing for my joint pain.I have found marijuana tea to be of benefit; although it does not relieve joint pain entirely, it does relax muscles and mind. The tea is also a soporific: very useful when sleeplessness rules life as I know it.

Hey again everyone just returning to update my situation.  Been more than a year and I was treating with the MJ this entire time.  We (gf and I) were quite happy with the results of it and felt it was as important ans any med considering all it was doing, including helping with my nausea, sleep, of course pain relief and swelling. 

Well financial forces conspired and I had to stop using the MJ for a while.  We expected there to be an increase in pain and sleep problems.  I have also been taking Vicodin- 6 tabs a day, along with DMARDS, still on Prednisone all this time later, and more.  In the first two days off the MJ the pain increased to an extreme degree, to where I was moaning, writhing and hyperventilating.  I realized I was in trouble and started making calls to my RD and primary care physician.  Well now I'm on morphine along with the Vicodin.

As much of a believer as we were in the MJ for treating RA, we now have an even greater respect for it, and I plan to go back on it asap to get off this morphine.  It's not for everyone- I'm dopey all day, but I am on the morphine too. 

Still waiting for remission and I have not given up any hope at all.  I cannot play guitar anymore but I plan to again someday. 

I'm certainly not a physician but I would certainly recommend a pain management specialist.

Sam12342010-03-13 12:14:09I've already voiced to my Dr.s that I'm interested in pain management.  None of this happens as fast as I would like.  Really IMO it seems like they drag their feet getting things done.  I just got taken off Humira even though it was effective because of a possible problem but I can't go back on it until I get seen by a neurologist and I've been waiting on them to schedule that appt for two months now.

I'm partly just checking back in here but partly here to state my positive experience with medical marijuana as a treatment for RA.
Hi Sparky, I am glad you found something that works for you.  I hope you can get back on some kind of RA med to help control the inflammation soon.  Is there a plan to go on one of the other meds any time soon?  Let us know how the visit goes with the neurologist, I hope you get into see him soon so you can get back on track for your goal of remission! 

Take care and visit again soon!

[QUOTE=The Sparky]I've already voiced to my Dr.s that I'm interested in pain management.  None of this happens as fast as I would like.  Really IMO it seems like they drag their feet getting things done.  I just got taken off Humira even though it was effective because of a possible problem but I can't go back on it until I get seen by a neurologist and I've been waiting on them to schedule that appt for two months now.

I'm partly just checking back in here but partly here to state my positive experience with medical marijuana as a treatment for RA.
[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=waddie]Hi Sparky, I am glad you found something that works for you.  I hope you can get back on some kind of RA med to help control the inflammation soon.  Is there a plan to go on one of the other meds any time soon?  Let us know how the visit goes with the neurologist, I hope you get into see him soon so you can get back on track for your goal of remission! 

Take care and visit again soon!

[/QUOTE]

Might be sooner than you think with this kind of hospitality. [QUOTE=Sam1234] I live in a legal medical MJ state but I've never had the nerve to ask a doctor for it.  My methotrexate and vicodin are both hard on the liver.  Does anyone know if MJ ingested (brownies, etc.) harms the liver? [QUOTE=Lacey]I live in a legal medical MJ state but I've never had the nerve to ask a doctor for it.  My methotrexate and vicodin are both hard on the liver.  Does anyone know if MJ ingested (brownies, etc.) harms the liver? [/QUOTE]

Hi Lacey.  I take both Methotrexate and Vicodin also and they do get to my liver sometimes.  I can tell when my liver is stressed and I need to hold back some.

I don't believe the product from the marijuana plant should stress the liver when eaten but I'm not certain because if eaten it does process through the liver.  When eaten the buds have a different effect.  They can cause some stomach upset, and need to be titrated properly or they can cause some side effects.  If edibles are made with leaf product however strict titration is not as necessary and possible undesired side effects are greatly diminished.  For this reason I tend to stay away from edibles unless I know what went into them, and I plan to start making my own soon.

Even though Dr. Donald Tashkin recently proved that smoking marijuana does not cause cancer, vaporizing remains the preferred method of marijuana use as it is safer than smoking and much more easily titrated than eating.
The Sparky2010-03-14 10:59:04[QUOTE=The Sparky] 
I imagine that means you do not have to use something already like high level pain killers that do the same thing.  I was more with it mentally smoking high amounts of weed than I am on this morphine.  [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Sam1234][QUOTE=The Sparky] 
I imagine that means you do not have to use something already like high level pain killers that do the same thing.  I was more with it mentally smoking high amounts of weed than I am on this morphine.  [/QUOTE]

HOWEVER, a huge percentage of marijuana crops are sprayed with chemicals like Windex, formaldehyde or worse to improve potency and increase density/weight. Smoking marijuana coated with such substances is one of the most damaging things you can do to your liver.

If the MJ is working, why are you taking so much vicodin and morphine?  Sounds like it's not helping at all.  Are you hooked on pain pills....No doctor around here would put you on that much pain meds. unless you were dying.  You better find a doctor that will try and get the RA under control.  How can you enjoy life if you are spaced out all the time? Sorry people but you need to read more closely.  I did mention I was on DMARDS on page 4, I mentioned I was no longer on the marijuana which is why I am on morphine on the same post on page 4 again, my update post.

Regarding using morphine as a pain killer for arthritis from what I understand a few years ago (05,06) a study was done that showed that morphine was an effective treatment for arthritis pain.  I was shocked when he said that was the prescription he was writing too but with the pain level I was experiencing I figured I'd give it a try.

I am not hooked on pain pills, if anything I was not getting enough pain management.  This is all supposed to be temporary while they get my DMARDS straightened out.

OK though another update- the office of my RD emailed me and said I am supposed to make an appt with my primary care Dr. now for a pre-neurology appt.  So all this time I was told to wait by the phone for a call and that wasn't true at all, I was supposed to make an appt with my regular Dr.  It was a communication breakdown on their part and I understand that but it put me through a lot in the way of problems and I was a bit upset.  Hopefully now we have it worked out though.
I hope you find something that works, whatever it be.  I know all about the pain Of RA,  the burning pain that nothing works, to the dull ache that I have just about every day.  Yes I think just about everyone of us have been there.  My Dr. has alway put me on very high predisone, then tapered as ra drugs kicked in...but oh the problems the pred. has cause. Can't seen to win with RA.  You just seen so young to be on so many drugs.  They can mess your life up....just be careful.  They are hard to get off of....wish you the best, take care.Thanks rusty, and everyone else.  Sorry if I'm short but I'm still in pain and trying to get used to the med change.  I agree I'm too young at 40 but I think this is when it usually strikes isn't it? 

BTW this doesn't have to be a discussion about MJ.  I found it strange that I knew people treating RA with MJ effectively yet no one would talk about it, and when I realized the full scope of treatment I was getting from it I wanted to speak up.  I knew it wouldn't make me popular around here, or maybe anywhere, but there's no reason for it to be a secret.  I love the science behind it all, and I keep up but whatever is said I cannot deny the empirical evidence.  Bottom line is the stuff works and it works really well for me.  I didn't smoke at all before the RA so it's not like I was some pothead.

So I'm not necessarily trying to stimulate conversation about it- the silence can continue, but if anyone was interested or wondered about it there's my experience.  Maybe it'll come up in a search or two.
Oh Sparky, I was out of line, sorry, I should not have asked.Oh no harm done rusty.  I don't really have a problem with that at all- I need to check my own motivations daily.  As soon as I am able to go without the pain killers I need to get off them. I'm with Rusty. If you are on vicodan and morphine your DMARD is not controlling your RA. What DMARDs have you tried? [QUOTE=hessalina]I'm with Rusty. If you are on vicodan and morphine your DMARD is not controlling your RA. What DMARDs have you tried?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=The Sparky] I take both Methotrexate and Vicodin also and they do get to my liver sometimes.
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[QUOTE=The Sparky] I just got taken off Humira even though it was effective because of a possible problem but I can't go back on it until I get seen by a neurologist and I've been waiting on them to schedule that appt for two months now.
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