I am hoping someone will have some good suggestions here.
I posted recently about a friend who had started Humira and ended up in hospital for 2 weeks because of fluctuating temperatures. She is still not well. Se was told her RA is unusual in that she flares constantly,
I dont know how unusual that is. I know my flaring comes and goes. Her RA was diagnosed as moderate to severe. She has stopped the Humira and is going to stop all medication and start again - she was on methotrexate for quite a while and has been on prednisone.
Do any of you flare constantly and if so, what has been the best treatment for you. She is fairly miserable at the moment so am hoping for some suggestions for her.
Thanks.Boy Cassandra. I sure don't flare constantly anymore. I spent the first 5
years in a constant flare though. I didn't know I had RA though at the time
and I think I was labeled a chronic complainer. So in that respect, I know
how she feels. The plaquinil has changed my life. Has she tried other
DMARDS? Pred and MTX are pretty potent meds and can cause many side
effects. I know they want to go with biologics with moderate to severe these
days. Stopping the meds and starting from scratch may be good but tell her
to only do it under a doctors supervision. Keep me posted.
I flare constantly, something small can trigger it or nothing at all. I always say that there is no remission with me, I live in a constant flare and have a good day every now and then. Its only been like this for about 2- 3 years but my allergy to most of the meds i have been on doesnt help.I am still waiting for the Humira to kick in
I hope your friend feels better soon
I too am pretty much in constant flare mode. I have been for almost a decade now. Nothing helps really and I have had to scale back my daily expections of working to no more then 4 hours...IAtoo have had constant flares in various joints of my body for the past almost 2 years. I have had a few good days. I felt good on my first injection of humira in Oct. Had to go off in Jan because of surgery started humira again end of April took my third shot yesterday and still feel like crap! I hope it kicks in soon for everyone!
I just got out of the hospital a couple of weeks ago from a flare. I am still flaring but not as bad. I am on humira and mtx and pred. If I don't improve after this pred taper I have to go back to rheumy and discuss other med options. Bleargh.
Flares like that can happen, do happen, and they bite. I hope your friend feels better soon.
Reliable 1 - this is not a site for advertising. We try and help each other because of humanitarian reasons not for commercial gain.Chocolate releases endorphins. One of our happy chemicals in the brain. So I am all for chocolate lol. the happier I am the happier everyone else is around the momma lol.
The best thing I can tell you to tell your friend is lots of rest (I know easier said than done), hot baths if she can get in and out of the tub with help, heat packs or ice packs...whichever she prefers, luckily she has you that understands what she is going thru and that helps so much, work with her docs in getting this under control, eat as well as she can (sometimes our appetites are not what they used to be with the pain and all), and once again, lots of rest. Flares bite. They really do. Especially ones that don't want to leave us alone.
I have had flares that have lasted up to a year. Some last a few months...but rarely do I ever have a day I am out of pain.
I have good days and some not so good. If your friend is in a contunial flare...Her Rheumy may need to look at some alternatives for her medications...taking some away and adding others to help fight this flare.
Also...ask her to see if they will prescribe her massages to help with the pain. Warm baths and showers can help as well.
I hope she feels better soon.
Roblyn
Thanks for the advice will pass it on - she doesn't do rest but she might rest up a little more now.