It’s a neeeeeew doctor! | Arthritis Information

Like on game shows when they say "it's a neeeeew car!" and everyone
cheers?

Like the title suggests, I'm going to a new rheumatologist on Tuesday. My
old one was a little condescending and entirely not helpful enough. He
was planning on starting me on Plaquenil or sulfasalazine, but decided
not to, as he thought I was "too young" for this kind of thing. Hello!
People a lot younger than me have RA, and ultimately the sooner I get a
hold of it, the better my joints will be long term. So....

I'm hoping the new guy will start me on something to help. At the
moment I'm only on anti-inflammatories and pain killers, and the fatigue
and brain fog is getting hard to cope with. I need my life back! So wish
me luck, and if you think of anything I should specifically ask him let me
know!

Good for you !!!! You are being your own active advocate. Something that is VERY important with these diseases.

I would take any and all lab test results with you (that way maybe you won't have to be poked and prodded at too terribly much). I would also take a calendar of events with you (I keep a blank calendar on my fridge and record anything and everything related to my diseases on it). Plus, it actually helps in heading some things off or seeing a pattern with your activities.

Good luck and keep us posted !!!!

Hey awesome albear, I wish you the best of luck. I also changed docs a couple times because I wanted someone to treat my RA aggressively, and it took a couple times to get it right. Please keep us updated on how it goes! Hey Albear: How old are you? I'm on Sulfasalazine and now believe it is finally working. Like to recommend something that has helped me the most. I too was having severe problems with chronic fatigue and brain fog, problems sleeping which makes all the problems even worse. I had read about a drug in alot of arthritis magazines to help with the severe fatigue called Provigil. My rheumy, which I am not happy with, just laughed it off as a stimulant. It is a drug previously used by people with sleep apnea. The FDA has expanded it's use to people with chronic fatigue, helps with depression, etc. Well, goit my regular MD to prescribe (he said alot of his patients had been helped by it). Anyway, I tried it for the last two weeks and it's wonderful. No side effects. I take 200 mg each am. The brain fog is GONE! FATIGUE IS GONE AND i FEEL LIKE MY OLD SELF AGAIN!! NOT SLEEPING MY LIFE AWAY ANYMORE. I had problems sleeping at night before; waking up multiple times due to pain and restless leg syndrom. Guess what? Not a problem anyhmore. I get tired at night and sleep deeply all the night through!! WOW! It's totally changed my life and even the depression has lifted. I can work everyday, clean house, play with my son. I still have the RA but it seems somewhat stable now. I still have some good days and bad days but I have 90% more good days! I would recommend to anyone with chronic fatigue and depression. Hope your new DR gives you some relief and you are back to your old self (at least a resemblance!) soon!! Good luck and check in with us often.

Karen; you've about got me talked into Provigil; I'm so excited for you. Fatigue is such a hard part of thie illness...I'm excited to hear of your reaction to it. Good for you!!

And Albear:

WooHoo

Your news is fantastic!!! You go girl. If one doctors not giving you what you want...get you a new one. I hope you'll have a great experience with your new doctor and he'll let you play a major part in your treatment. Remember, I've said it before and I'll say it again: The relationship with your RD is going to be a life long one....make sure you choose someone you like!! (Young and Handsome..AND charming makes it pleasant too

Lovie

Albear,

like Lovie said, WOO HOO!!

I sure hope you'll like this new Doc.

Let us know how it goes

Best of luck,

I'm so nervous about tomorrow! I can't help it, I'm afraid of doctors
Kind
of crazy seeing as I work with a lot of them! My hands are feeling better
than
they've felt for ages and they aren't swollen or puffy! How's that for luck,
I'm
going to go in complaining about hands that look fine. Timing hey? My
hips
and knees and feet are still awful though.

Provigil (modifinil) is only approved for use in narcolepsy in Australia at
the
moment I asked a woman that I work with today if the fatigue ever
goes away, if it's all in my head. She just said it's not in my head, and you
learn to live with it. Oh well, at least it's an honest answer I had 19
hours of sleep yesterday (I know, no life) so I feel much better today
fatigue wise. I wish I could do that everyday. Mmmm, sleeeeeeeep
*drools*

Oh! KarenNTx, I'm 22 nearly 23

Hang in there sweetie. Hope all goes well at your appointment.

Shawnie

The new doc seems nice! He gave me Plaquenil to start with, but said if I'm
not starting to feel better in twelve weeks see him and we'll start mtx. So all
in all he was pretty good. He took me seriously and didn't make me feel
dumb for asking questions. He also said that my RA is now "moderate" as
opposed to the "mild" the other guy said. The next step is "severe", so here's
hoping I stay at moderate! And that I was pretty swollen (so it wasn't all in
my head!).

w00t for new doctors, and w00t for birthdays that are coming up!

I'm sure he told you, but make sure to keep up with your eye exams. on Plaquenil. Rarely if ever are there complications, but if there are they can easily be reversed once treatment is stopped. That's why it is important to know when there are complications.

Plaquenil took a while to become effective for me...just as everything else has. I took it in combination with Sulfersalazine years ago. Don't give up on it if it's not working as quickly as you'd like. It has to build up in your system and that does take a while.

Good Luck!! I feel like you're finally on the right track with this new doctor. This is great news.

Lovie