I have had RA for 5 years & despite prognosis I'm doing

i have recently been told u have ra,after 14 weeks on sulfasalazine i had to stop because of the effect on my liver.

The next drug they want me to try is methotrexate but i read that this can also cause problems with your liver,as i am now 62 and all the best years of my life are gone is there any point in trying to bugger my liver up with drugs alcohol would do that and would be much more pleasureable?

Don;t worry Mike. I've been on Methotrexate for the past two years and have never felt better. I am still on Sulphasalazine also. They will monitor your blood really closely at first so if there are any signs that it is affecting your liver they will know before it does any real damage. It's worth a try mate. Good luck. :D

i have ra & have had it for 10 years or so i have been on everything twice over i have even been passed & tested for entenacept but become poorly a few days before so i had to delay having it then i had to be retried for it now my consultant has changed & my new consultant will not consider me for it i am so frustrated as i suffer most days with terrible pain & stiffness & ocassional swelling which seems to be a bit of a problem witm my consultant as he seems to think it is more fibromyalgia he seems to think i dont get any inflamation but mt gp disagrees so at the moment i am not takin any medication for my ra appart from coddiene & paracetomol i have totally given up on my consultant has he makes me feel like a fraud when i go to see him i wondered if anyone has any advice to give me on what to do

Hi,My name is Jinky and Im 27yr old every time Im gonna get my Menstrual cycle like two weeks before I get my period my whole body start to feel very weak and all my joint hurt so bad I wonder if any of RA patient feel what i feel. :cry: :x

My rheumatologist was great at getting me enbrel - unfortunately it didn't make any difference at all - I took it continuosly for 5 months! I've been on methotrexate for years after trying many other drugs. I've been going through a really bad time so my rheumy was talking abot hip replacements but the surgeon won't do it due to my age (39). So my rheumy wangled it so that I could try the other Anti-TNF injection Humira, he said that he has found with 4 other patients that when enbrel didn't work humira did and it is, my psoriasis has completely gone and most of my joints are so much better!

Unfortunately on Thursday I was told by my GP that I had Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis - scarring of the lungs!! I presumed it was the Humira but after speaking to my Anti-TNF nurse she said it was the methotrexate and I must stop it immediately! See my rheumy tomorrow so hopefully will find out more info!

Hi Lisa

I suffer from psoriasis. I've tried many drugs and treatments over the last 20 years and finally when everything else failed by dermatologist finally gave me Embral. I injected myself twice weekly and after approx 4 months it was nearly gone. I continued for the next couple of months (6 months in total). I then stopped taking it and was psoriasis free for approx 6 months and it has now started to come back. I see the dermatologist again in Oct to hopefully start treatment again. I also suffer with some joint pain and this along with leflunomide keeps that at bay.

Hope you went on ok with your appointment and everything worked out ok

Regards

Dave

Hi, it took a long time for both of my conditions to be diagnosed. The doctor that I saw first said that I didn't look ill! When they finally agreed to do blood tests they were surprised and horrified about the results. My kidneys and liver functions were impaired.My doctor told me months later that she was extremely worried that I wouldn't recover.I have tried various drugs and am now on methotrexate.It is only my third week but it seems to make me very tired.It is too early to say if it has had any effect but I am very weepy which is very unusual for me.However that could be as a result of other stresses that I have, my father dying, having to move etc. The poverty that I am now experiencing as a result of not being able to work is awful.Trying to claim benefits is a minefield and takes far too long.As both diseases are autoimmune I look fine on the outside so there is little sympathy from the general public.Fatigue is almost impossible to deal with. I still retain my sense of humour.....just x

Hi

I too suffer with fatigue, it is very difficult to deal with especially as it can't be seen. You do have to learn to be kind to yourself (not easy I know) and pace yourself as much as possible. I'm sorry that I can't be more helpful but please know that you are not alone.x

HI . MY TREATMENT CONTIUNES , IM ON METHELTREXATE AND SULSASAFINE .AND THE USUALL PAINKILLERS WHICH DONT WORK . THE PAIN CAN SOME TIMES BE VERY BAD I SEE THE REUMY DOC EVERY MONTH THEY AND VERY GOOD THEY DO TRY TOO HELP . BUT SOMETIMES I GET SO DOWN ABOUT THE WHOLE THING GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS ON MY GOOD DAYS I DO TRY TO DO THINGS I ENJOY SO ITS NOT ALL BAD FOR ME . REGARDS MARY

I attend glasgow rheumatology unit. my own health board is ayrshire and arran. glasgow prescribed self-inject MTX and sulfhasalazine. Local health board will not teach me to inject or prescribe so have to travel over 20 miles weekly for injections. this is the last thing one feels like doing when in the middle of a flare. what is this nonsense with inter health board politics, dont they realsise that their saved pounds means so much pain that is unneccesary. Sorry, everyone. Guess i am feeling sorry for myself but i have little energy left to fight them

anyone else have this problem and did they manage to resolve it

HI Sunnie

Sorry to hear about the experience you have had. I too am diagnosed with RA and hypothyroidism. Been on Methotrexate for 11 months, not really made much of an imact on reducing my symptoms but may have stabilised it. Fortunately I am still able to work and I have sympathetic employers that are doing all that they can to support me, including agereeing to buy me a thick pen so I can continue to write my file notes without suffering the pain with having to grip thinner pens. I was hoping to find a recommendation of writing aids on this site somewhere. Benfits are a minefield fortunately my job involves me supporting people to access benefits so I do have more experience than most in completing the forms. It may be worth you submitting an application for Disability Living Allowance.

[color=red:541b5cb422]News title:[/color:541b5cb422]

Arthritis: Maeve Binchy and Martina Cole share their experiences (click here to read)

[color=red:541b5cb422]Article summary:[/color:541b5cb422]

Two bestselling novelists Maeve Binchy and Martina Cole suffer from arthritis but have refused to be downcast or to let it impede their work. Here they describe some of the prejudices they suffered and the cunning ways they devised to keep their condition secret. Both women in different ways have resolutely adapted to one of our most intractable common and poorlyunderstood diseases.

If you would like to see all the related explanations and advice we have on Patient UK, click here

[color=red:541b5cb422]Source:[/color:541b5cb422]

Telegraph

[color=red:541b5cb422]Date:[/color:541b5cb422]

16/01/2009 14:53:00

[color=red:541b5cb422]What you can do:[/color:541b5cb422]

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I know someone in India who has cured many RA +ve patients.

His medications are based on siddha and they have no side effects. The patients are pain free in about 2 to 3 months and they are totally cured if they take his medication for a year. His medications are about 90 to 100 pounds for a month. So try lookin for alternate stuff instead of taking medicines throughtout your life with vain.

Hello everyone. My wife is over 65 with some other health problems but lately has started complaining that joint on her index finger is swollen.

Whenever she is in agony of any kind does take paracetamol to relieve the pain. This swelling on the finger joint may be a concern to her. Does this necessarily mean that she is developing RA? Perhaps with the knowledge and experience of members some light is shed on this and respond as to what to do at this stage, leave it as its or seek a medical advice. As from experience all pain killers do have side effects and sometime no come back.

@ scriv

If you have RA then you need it to be properly managed, it is the damage to joints but also possibly organs and eyes which needs to be closely monitored.

Hopefully you have a very mild case and don't have the issues that many have but you still need to keep on top of it; it never gets better, there is no cure.

People also seem to get very confused between Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis, RA is your immune system attacking you, an autoimmune disease, Osteoarthritis is physical damage to the joint.

Personally as an RA sufferer I would advise you visit your GP and ask to see the specialist, so you can put your mind at rest