Click here for our Featured Discussions
Current Discussion
Archives
Survey

Click here to go to our Medical Info section
Disease Index
Surgeries
Tests & Labs
Medications
Alternative Therapy
Expert Advice
Pain Management
Newly Diagnosed
Find a Doc
Medical Records
Clinical Trials
Webcasts

Click here to go to our Community Center! Meet some new friends!
Register
Chat
Message Boards
- Where's Arthur?
Member Directory
Greeting Cards
Newsletter
Get Involved
Birthday Board
Member Stories
Photo Album
Members CAN
Member Websites

Question of the Week
Ken Akers Cheer Fund
Protein Folding Team
Warrior Angels

All the Arthritis & Health News on the Web!

Click here to go to our Better Living section
Tips & Hints
Get Cooking
- Cooking with Char!
Diet & Nutrition
Travel
AI Help Desk
Social Security Disability
Home Treatments
Advice
Exercise
For Friends & Family
- Rosie's SOS
Gardening
Parenting With Arthritis
Fight the Fatigue

Arthritis & Employment
Our Pets
Arthritis & Depression

Click here to go to our References and Resources section
Book Nook
Web Links
Organizations
Ask the Webrarian
Dictionary
Abbreviations

Click here to go to our Just for Fun section. Laughter is the best medicine!
Jokes
Fun Links

Click here to go About Us. Who the heck are we?
The Directors
Advisors
Contributors
Brag Book
Tell Us What You Think
Tell A Friend
Contact Us
Click here to go to JRA World.

Home Better Living Advice Archives

Advice for Better Living Archives

5/9/01

I saw a brief clip on TV some months ago about the benefits of wrapping arthritic joints in cabbage leaves to relieve the pain. I can't remember any more than that, Has anyone tried this is there any info about it?

Cabbage leaves? Is this a serious question? On the slim chance that it is,
let me offer you this advice---It probably isn't going to do you any harm,
but the only benefit that I can think of that it might possibly have, is that
it may hold the heat in any joint it is wrapped around. And heat often helps.

But my advice to you, is-------make some rice socks instead!! -Char


5/9/01

Hi, my name is Evelyn and I`ve been on predisone 7 1/2 mgs a day since Sept. 2000. This may seem like a trivial question with all the serious ones on here..but I was wondering about the moon face. I`m starting to notice it on
me and I wondered if anyone had any ideas about makeup or hair styles that
would camouflage it. I know it sounds vain...but hey, I`d like to look my
best. Thanks, evei

I too had the moonface being on 10 mg of prednisone daily, per order of rheumatologist, my family Dr. saw me, and said &quoT;too much prednisone! called me moon face, I felt terrible! did he forget that it was he who sent me to see the rheumatologist? -Linda K.

I found that by wearing a drop earring, not necessarily a big one, that the resulting effect was a longer look to my face.&nbsP; Even a hoop earring helps. -Linda

My dear-Don't sweat the small stuff. There are so many other things that can go wrong with us, in association with these diseases. Instead, concentrate on meaningful things. Like-am I a good, honest and caring person? Am I setting a good example for the children in my life? (And they dont have to be your own kids. Nieces, nephews, the next door neighbors kids you run into almost everyday, are kids in your life.) Have I made a difference in this world?
Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. -Char

No need to worry about people thinking that you are vain asking this question! I had the moon face for a while and I'm always amazed at what people will tell you! I had so many people telling me how much weight I had gained, like they didn't think that I knew that already!

I started wearing my hair down and had it cut so that it framed my face instead of tucking it behind my ears. I also toned down my lipstick shade, instead of wearing bright colors, I used more natural neutral tones that didn't bring attention to the bottom part of my face and played up my eyes so that people would look up!

Go to your favorite make-up counter at a department store or similar store and have a make-up artist help you pick out colors and show you techniques. I was surprised at the reaction I got when I went to my local department store, the make-up artist was very understanding and helped me feel better by looking better!

Talk to your doctor about lowering your pred. doses (slowly) if possible. When I got down to 5 mgs a day, my face almost immediately got skinny again!
Good luck :-)
-Lucian

I too experience the dreaded moonface after taking 15mg of prendisone for the past 5 months.&nbsP; I have found wearing my hair in a fuller style seems to help the full face.&nbsP; My hair was in a straighter longer style and it seem the&nbsP; first thing I saw was a full face. I got a wavy perm and it seemed to help.&nbsP; I also try to wear more blush high cheekbones help also.&nbsP; I was told if you can cut out carbohydrates and sweets from your diet this also helps. I plan on going on a low carbo diet, I'll let you know if this helps. -??

Any advice for the dreaded moonface?


4/18/01

Hello, my name is suzanne, i have ra. Iam 39 years old and was diagnosed when i was 36. My pain is what i call tolerable. I have been on gold injections for quite some time. And i feel that for the most part, there working good. Ive had this problem though with inflammation in my hand. All my pain seems to be on my right side. Being my wrist and my foot. Recently my doctor suggested i try more drugs. Im not to keen on them though, because of what they can do to your insides. I feel that as long as im able to work, and function with the amount of pain that i have im better off just staying with the gold.ive already had a liver biopsy done because of the drugs, let me tell you, i dont want another one. Thank god it came out alright, being nothing is wrong. The drugs he wants me to try are methotrexate and remicade. He says my wrist is already 2/3rds damaged and i cant get that back. I would like to try surgery to remove the build up. Rather then the drugs. Metho scares the hell out of me. And i dont know much about remicade. I have a great doc though, he told me he will work with me...whatever i decide. Well thanks for listening, and if you have any input to my dilemma please let me know. Thankyou suzanne

And your answers:

Hi I am 55 and have been on MTX for 5 months I had side affect in the beginning so the dose was lowered.I still have the gold tabs as well I was like you scared but its worth going down that path if it helps.
gives you a break of the merry-go-round of drugs I didn't have a liver Biopsy before starting but I have blood and urine tests every month I have a caring DR
good luck mate we are all thinking of you -RJ

Hello there! I have been on MTX for about 6 months with minimal problems. I had a little stomach upset and some mouth sores in the beginning, but with the help of leucovorin (a folic acid, not another drug) the side effects are not even a problem any more. Also, for mouth sores you can mix one part cherry benedryl and one part cherry Maaloxx and rinse with it. It sure sounds yucky, but it does the trick. It is extremely important for you to
get on some sort of med that will stop the destruction of your joints. I also have deterioration in my wrist and my doctor and I felt that MTX was my best option to stop the deterioration because there is more data on long term side effects than many of the other drugs. Please don't let your fear get in the way of your current and future health! Best of luck to you! -Jeanie

Suzanne: I have been down your road and I can tell you that I was on gold which did make me feel better. In fact it is my contention now that it was holding my FMS in check [my opinion, not my doctor's]. However, it did not keep the arthur from marching through a second wrist, and three finger joints [I had lost one wrist and one finger joint before gold].
So far I have refused to have a liver biopsy, which they seem to want to do before I would begin MTX. I am one of those people, if it can go wrong, it will. So I see no reason for an invasive procedure when there is no reason to do so. Again, my opinion, not my doctor's. I would recommend getting yourself on some more aggressive drug: have your done research on Arava, Enbrel, Remicade, MTX, and many others. You have already found this web site which is one of the best. I also like
http://www.arthritis.co.za/ It belongs to a doctor in South Africa and it is another very good site for research that is reliable. And each of these drugs have their own site.
The more research you do, the better will be your ability to help guide your decision. Doing nothing and relying on surgery is one way to go, but quality of life is the most important. Sitting in a cast for 6-10 weeks every other summer repairing one broken joint at a time basically is for the birds. I have done it, I know. Original equipment is still
the best.
Try not to be afraid of these medicines. Having to have seven surgeries you could avoid is more scary. And I have destruction of my jaw [both sides], base of thumb and little finger which I am holding together with bubble gum and pray but know that unless I get really lucky those too will have to be operated on in the future. We won't even mention my eyes.
Write down the like/pros and dislikes/cons of each drug as you research.
One of them should come out on top. Good luck to you. -Duckie

Suzanne: Yes, the medications have side effects, but so does RA. Surgery is risky too. For me, I will take whatever meds I can to prevent further joint damage. You say your wrist is already damaged, and you have problems with your foot. I don't think tolerating pain, which could mean your joints are being damaged further each day is really a wise choice. Prevent what damage you can to your foot right now. Believe me, being able to walk without pain is pretty important and the future surgeries you may need to correct joint damage in your feet if the meds are not stopping joint damage can really change your life. Mtx and remicade do have side effects, but if monitored carefully by your doctor, they are safe drugs. And, remember you may not experience any side effects at all. I took MTX for 5 + years with no serious side effects and some wonderful benefits as far as my RA went. Why suffer or tolerate pain - you life can be so much better? I guess my input is: take the meds, prevent what ever joint damage you can. You will be dealing with RA for the rest of your life, and it needs to be treated. -Sue

I am 35 and have RA. My doctor gave me the choice of methotrexate and sulfasalazine. I did a little research and the damage from sulfasalazine and the side effects seemed sooooo much less scarey than the metho. Some people don't do well with sulfa drugs but after about 5 weeks, I felt like a new person! You may want to speak to your dr about sulfasalazine. It is the #1 drug of choice for RA in Europe. By the way, I continue to take plaquenil and my nsaids, even with the new drug. -Terri

Dear Suzanne, I am 32 years old and was diagnosed with RA a little over a year ago. I have been on methotrexate for 1 year, and remicade for approx 8 months. I was also scared of the medications at first, but after much thought and talking with my doctor, I decided that I am much more scared of not treating the arthritis. I have had very good results with remicade, and I haven't had any significant side effects. If you have already lost that much function of your hands, I personally think you need to take action (meds). Surgery is only a temporary fix, your not treating the cause. Ultimately you have to do what is best for you, good luck. -Shari

Suzanne, I have been on methotrexate for two years now. The doctor started me on it without doing the biopsy. Every two months I have blood test done to see how the liver is handling the metho. I have been diagnosed with RA for at least ten years. Much of this time I have been on plaquenil. I can't understand why some doctors don't try plaquenil. There are no side effects other than long term, possibly eye damage. This is monitored by annual eye exams. I was doing fine until I decided that the plaquenil wasn't doing well enough and took myself off of it after advising the doctor. That was a big mistake as I had numerous flares for several months. After about three or four months back on plaquenil and metho my symptons became tolerable. I would like to echo the other folks that have responded and tell you to not be afraid of the drugs. Your body is made up many chemical and drugs. Methotrexate is not as bad as its reputation. The arthritic patient is not given near the doses a cancer patient is given. -Dan

Any more advice for Susanne?


4/12/01

I have five children and rheumatoid arthritis. Three of my children are
still in car seats. Often I have trouble getting the children unbuckled
from their car seats. Are there car seats made especially made for persons
who have difficulty pushing the button to release the buckle?

I have been through many different car seats! I ended up using an Evenflo model for the infant carrier. My 19-month-old daughter is now using a convertible car seat. It is also an Evenflo - Horizon model. Some days are easier than others but these car seats have made my life much easier.

Best wishes!
Margie

I have no advice regarding car seats. But I want to commend you if you are
getting out with five children, 3 in car seats, on any kind of regular
basis. More power to you! ~Melanie

Anyone else know of a gimp friendly car seat?

Advisors, Partners, Contributors, Community Members
Page last updated on August 8, 2001

Knowledge is Power...Support is Essential!

Link to Us!         Want to Help?
The information provided by Arthritis Insight.com should not take the place of advice
and guidance from your own health-care providers. Material in this site is provided
for educational and informational purposes only. Be sure to check with your doctor before
making any changes in your treatment plan.
Information presented on ArthritisInsight.com is the opinion of the authors and
has not necessarily been approved or endorsed by the medical advisors. The
information contained on this web site may not be published, broadcast or
otherwise distributed without prior written authorization.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo Privacy Statement Advertising Policy

Copyright Info

Graphics by Faded Jeans Web Design