Remission | Arthritis Information

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Have any of you had your RA go into remission for a long period of time (like a year or more) and your doctor said you could go off your DMARDs?  I am kinda hoping mine might be going into remission and I was wondering if you still had to take those darn DMARDs! 

Would appreciate any advice you can give me on this.  Thanks

Susan

MY RHEUMY SAYS THERE IS NO OFFICIAL "REMISSION" JUST PERIODS WHEN THE DISEASE IS NOT AS ACTIVE  I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION FROM HER THAT THESE MEDS ARE FOR LIFE LONG AS THERE IS NO CURE.I agree with Karen, remission is just a catch phrase for inactivity. i went into remission about 18 months after starting drug therapy. I thought i was cured, dumb me, i went off all my meds. i was fine for about 18 more months, then it came back with a vengence. It took years to get it back under control and I have never again been in remission.  As much as we hate taking these drugs, they can be the difference between good quality of life and no quality.  Good luck in your decisions Susan.

TRacy

The so called remission we all can go through is medication induced.

I know what you mean and like Tracy I did the same thing....without my doctors blessing. She warned me that without the meds I'd be back there crying for her help, and it would take that much longer for us to get it under control again. Needless to say I've learned my lesson. When we tried the same theropy again it didn't work and I had to move to much stronger medications. So for me...I think it was a set back.

I think if you are doing really well maybe suggest decreasing some of your meds....but I would not advise going off of them completely.

Lovie

I have been in remission for 3 or 4 years. I radically changed my diet and took Minocin/Minocycline.

 

Gary

I was in remission from about 1992 to June of 2001.  The only med I was on at the time was Arthrotec and my daily vitamins.  Then, while on vacation from work I had the worst flare ever!!  Now, it seems that no drug is going to help.  I've even been on prednisone since about August of '01( the lowest dose is 10mg)  Tried Kineret, RA just laughed at it, Enbrel:not much of an effect, but it's helping a little. 

My rheumatologist believes that another remission is possible, but she says not to hold my breath.

Bob

I was told in March of '03 that I was in remission and could go off the DMARDs.  The disease was in active until July of '04, when it started creaping up on me again, only this time MUCH worse than before.  Like Lovie, I've learned my lesson.  If I can get this monster under control again, I will continue to take the meds to keep it that way.

Cris

Oh yeah, a friend's daughter was dx at 14 with JRA.  She was on meds until she was around 18, then went off of them when she was told that she was in remission.  She did great, didn't even take ibuprofen, until after her baby was born this past winter (she's 24 now).  Now she's even worse than before. 

Cris


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