what in the world is going on?

I also taek Tramadol for severe pain.

I agree... that may not be nearly enough medication for you.

And keep in mind that although a healthy diet is always a good thing and will benefit your whole system, it's really highly unlikely to have any direct effect on your RA, whatever people may tell you.

The best thing a good diet can do for an RA sufferer apart from general improved health will be to help you lose weight. For obvious reasons, actually... with RA creating such a strain on the joints, the lighter weight we have to carry around, the easier it is on them!

Hope it all goes well...

I also agree about diet: nothing helps. Being slim does--somewhat.  I tried every one. . . and it never makes a difference, except for sugar--that always makes me feel bad. But I did every other kind of limited diet, anit never helped.

The brest I ever felt was on Ornecia, monthly infusions, but I got sick too often. But my joints were great.

That s interesting to hear about your experiences with diet. I tried an elimination diet for 3 weeks but it s quite tough to do and nothing improved. Thought maybe I hadn't stuck it for long enough. Sorry to hear orencia made you sick too often. I am  on rituximab and have not got an infection in the 2 months since first infusion. Have any other biologics been suggested?

I was started on Enbrel, but had to get off of it due to M.S. like neurological problem , so ALL anti TNF (Humera, remicaide) are off the table. I tried rituximab I did the 2 sets of infusions , 6 months apart, and it did nothing for me. Then we went to Orencia which as I said was great, but I had so many bronchial infections that my doctor took me off it. I was also missing lots of infusions, due to illness. So now it's just MTX and Sulfasalazine, and pain meds when I need it, and very small amount of prednisone, because I got stuck on it, and am down to 4/3 mg a day. We might try Xelganz, its fairly new, and doc is deciding if infection rate is low enough for me to tolerate in the post marketing data.

That's my story!! I've been on so many different meds.

I hope the Rituxin helps you!

Take care,

Barbara

And you don't get infections now?....just asking cos mxt can be the cause too. I had to come off tocilizumab  because of problems with lungs but it turns out to be RA related not med related so could have carried on but in the meantime was changed to rituxin.saw rheumy yesterday and blood results not as good as hoped for 2 months in but I'm hopeful it ll  improve as I have less places that hurt and actually feel better.

i do hope they find something to help you.i am on top doses too of mxt , sulpha and hydroxy and just beginning the slow step down off pred. 

Take care

Rowbirdie 

I am on top dose of Mtx, too, and 600mg Sulfasalizine 2 x a day, and no, not much infections. Actually no major problems with MTX, after getting used to it--enormous fatique in the beginning--so much that I quit one of my teaching jobs. Just couldn't manage.

I'm doing pretty well, but i cold be a little better.

Thank for the good wishes!

 

I'm on rituximab too. Four months in and so far so good. Plan another infusion in two more months.

Barbara, could you be specific about your MTX 'top dose'? How much is that?

I'm also on 15mg a week, plus 2.5 preds

Great!

let us know how it goes.

i had an appointment yesterday and still in moderate disease for DAS score but I do feel some improvement.

When I had tocilizumab end of last year it brought down my blood results dramatically so hoped the rituximab would do the same but only had it 2 months ago so not enough time yet to see full effect.

my mxt dose is 25 mg a week. They won't put that up higher I don't think.

 

Sure,

I take I cc by injection , which equals 25mg. I have been told that is the maximum dose. For a number of years I was on .9 cc with other drugs including Enbrel, cyclosporine and Orencia. Currently I take 4 mgs of prenisone, and 3 mgs 2 days a week, Tuesday and Saturday.