Had my first visit with my rheumatologist this morning. The guy's a little gruff, but I think we'll get along. He asked all the usual questions, I guess, checked my joints and mobility, and said what I had been thinking for a while ---- there just isn't the kind or amount of joint damage he'd expected. We discussed my Rheumatoid Factor, which has gone up to 2000+, and he actually said, "Well, that doesn't mean anything."
I've stopped the mtx due to lung issues as well. Got an abnormal CT scan in July. So, off the mtx to see if that is the cause. Basically dr said-if it get worse, we know it's not the med. hmmm.....
good for you, cat.... I hope!!
If I understand you right, you have very little joint damage? That's good news. If the lung damage is due to the mtx, is that something that can be turned around? We'll hope for that, right? If you should flare during the time your off the mtx, will you start a different med, or get back on mtx?
My very best wishes for a perfect outcome after stopping the MTX and that you be flare free forever.I'm just excited to be off one of my meds for now. Sometimes I think I'm more sick of taking pills than I am sick. I stopped taking my Nexium two days ago and --- so far --- I'm GERD-free. We shall see......
Was MTX all you were taking Cat? I was taken off of MTX a while back due to elevated liver test, but I was also using Humira so I really haven't missed the MTX nearly as much as I feared I would for years. I did go through a little bit of adjustment, but pretty quickly adjusted.Yes, Lovie, mtx is all I've ever been on. But, you see, I was going to the free clinic and no one there would (or could?) prescribe anything else, and they really didn't know enough about the disease to make that kind of decision.
I did have a short consult with a rheumatologist, through the clinic's program, earlier this year, and she ordered a whole bunch of tests because she was actually concerned that I don't even have RA. She was looking for something else that could cause all my symptoms. And she was concerned about the mtx's effects, especially if I really didn't need it. I had to wait until I got insurance and "my own" rheumatoligist, because the people at the clinic didn't have knowledge of the tests or how to interpret them.