I have recently (this past spring) been diagnosed with RA.
Daily I take 1000 mg of Relafan, 1200 mg of calcium with vitamin D and 1 mg of folic acid. Once a week I take 12.5 mg of mtx and 70 mg of Fosomax. At my last appointment my doctor gave me literature about Humira, Enbril and Rumicade. I have an appointment next week and I'm sure these treatments will be discussed. Is the basis for choice just a matter of what works for your lifestyle? If you choose one and there are problems, do you then try another? I notice many of you are on prednisone...and I would prefer to not have that as an option, for personal reasons...but what is the benefit from prednisone that any of the other medications cannot provide?
Also - I have what I am told are rheumatoid nodules...one about the size of a ping pong ball (maybe a touch smaller) below my left elbow, a smaller one below my right elbow, one about the size of a pea on the "pad" part of each of my thumbs (though they don't protrude like the elbow ones) and a slight one on the underside of my left ring finger. My doctor tells me (of the elbow ones) they can be removed, but she can't promise they won't return. I have decided to do nothing for the time being, as removal will leave a scar and, should they return I'll then have a nodule with a scar on it. None of them are painful - the elbow ones are uncomfortable should I lean on them, and the thumb ones make doing some tasks more challenging. Has anyone else experienced these nodules?
One more thing - and I should probably have broken this post into several different ones - does anyone experience what my OT has described to me as Raynaud's phenomenon? I mentioned to her that now that it has gotten colder, my fingers are more sensitive to even the slightest cold...displaying symptoms similar to frostbite. She told me, while she couldn't "diagnose" me, that it is not uncommon for those with RA to also have Raynaud's. She said I should mention it to my doctor (next appointment is next week), and to look it up on the internet, which I did. I was somewhat relieved to know this information. It seems everytime I notice something new I have to wonder if it is part of the RA or something else going on.....
Thanks for listening - would be glad to hear if anyone has any similar experiences as well as your opinion on the treatments...I don't know if one will be recommended at my next appointment or if I am supposed to choose, but would like to be as informed as I can be.
Minnie,
Wecome to the board
Welcome to this great board! There are so many wonderful people
here that can help shed light into this crazy disease. I started
with the prednisone after being diagnosed. That helped me
immediately with the swelling and pain in both hands and both
feet. I was put on methotrexate, folic acid and enbrel soon after
my diagnosis. The enbrel didn't work for me, so he has me doing
remicade infusions. This seems to help with the
progression. I still have to take the prednisone and when the
doctor starts to decrease it, the pain and swelling come back... so
back up to 10 mgs a day, which isn't a lot considering what many others
on this board are taking. I also was diagnosed with reynauds in
my feet.
The doctor said it is common for those with RA, but thought that I was
too old to have it (I'm 57)... however, he is still trying to treat it
with Adalet. This doesn't seem to be working. My toes
turn purple, are constantly freezing, and my fingers are always
cold. I'm not sure what else I can do. I even wear socks to
bed and if the coldness goes away, the numbness is always there.
I'm sure your doctor will go over all the suggested drugs and many times, it is hit or miss.
Good luck and hang in there....
Vicki
Hi Minnie,
Welcome!
I've had Raynaud's since pretty much the beginning of my RA...so about 15 years. My fingers turn white and become numb then turn a dark bluish/purple when they're cold. I was told that quitting smoking would probably help. I haven't smoked in about 6 years, but it never helped with the raynaud's. My doctor said there was medication for this, but I decided to not add anything more to what I'm taking.
Mention your symptoms to your doctor...see what he/she suggests.
Kelly
Hi Minniemoose,
I am fairly new here also but have found it very informative to be able to log on and ask a question or encourage someone else. I do have a couple of those nodules and have just let them be. So far they have not bothered me by leaving them. When I was first diagnosed about 15 years ago I did take predisone every day. About 12 years ago I decided I had had enough of it and with Dr. help worked my way off of it. I only take it now if I have a really bad flare. However, believe me a big dose of it will make you feel better and give you energy but I just did not like the side effects I started hearing and reading about. What has really helped me has been Plaquenil. I had a Dr. in Houston that started me on it about 13 years ago. I have had no problems with it at all and do believe it kept the RA at bay up until recently. I am taking methetrexate and I did start Enbrel this week and really don't know what it expect yet. I pray that it works and I start having more energy. Just hang in there, it can be a trial and error kind of thing.
Have a Blessed Week-end
Welcome
Research your medication options and discuss with your doctor which is best for you. I take Humira and have found that it works really well for me with few side effects. You may also end up trying a couple of different meds until you find the right one for you. Keep in mind that anything you take for the RA can take anywhere from and immediate effect in relieving symptoms to 3 months. Prednisone works almost immediately to relieve inflammation and keep it away. I do not take pred due to the fact I almost died from it once and my doc will not prescribe it for me again. However, that is very rare for that to happen with pred and it does wonders for most people and I wish I could take it. It is not uncommon to have or to get another disease along with the RA. I have high blood pressure and fibro and the docs feel that it is from having RA since I have no family history of either condition. If you are flaring or in pain from the RA, make sure that you let your doc know. I feel that most everyone here will tell you that you have the right to control your pain, you do not have to suffer, and that it does not make you a weak or a bad person to ask for meds to control your pain. Good luck to you! Keep posting!
My doctor did the same thing yours did about two years ago. I'd been increasing my MTX without too much success for months when he finally said I need to make a decision about what to do next. He gave me the same options as yours did and I went home and compaired them all and finally choose Humira. I've been on it with good results ever since. I choose Humira at the time because I live about 30 minutes from my RD's office and to get the infusions I'd have to take pretty much a whole day off to do it. Enbrel seemed like too many injections to me; and I was weary of them to begin with. Humira starts at only once every other week. After about 6 months on Humira I had to switch to weekly....but that's still less than Enbrel in most cases. It's a difficult choice; but they are all very simular. Some people respond better to one than the other but you'll only know once you try one. As you mentioned; they will switch you to a different one if your first choice turns out to be the wrong one. There's no right or wrong choice....and your insurance company may end up being the deciding factor. As for predisone; I've used it when I've been at my worst and only for short periods of time. It's been wonderful for me at times and will quickly get me moving again, but I too refuse to be on it for extended periods of time like many are. I wish you the best of luck as you consider your options. Hope we'll see more of you here. Take Care.
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com