medication for RA

Hi cheria

the dosage is correct i had to start on 1a week, then build up to 2, then 3, then 4,

I had a few other side effect symptons but they have now gone just the cramps

Hi Jeanette, have you researched also amd found there can be terrible muscle spasms, body jeks and muscle damage, as well as neurological (irreversable) damage? There have been many reprorts of the muscle spasms/damage. Since the normal prescribed dosage for RA is mandated at 500 mg twice daily, what other cindition do you have that is permitting your doctor to prescribe double this? This is an antibiotic drug. Does your doctor say he is treating a parasitic condition that he thinks proposes is causing an RA condition? Do you take a prescribed anti inflammatory or other medications? Considering the possible muscle damage and the serious muscle spasms associated with this antibiotic drug, and your RA treatment plan, would you consider another doctors opinion or take yourself down to a normal RA dosage to test your own results?

Sulfasalazine is definitely NOT an antibiotic, You are confusing it with Sulphafurazole which is an antibiotic. Can I suggest you should be very cautious before giving dosing advice unless you are medically qualified. 

If you do your own search, you will find also that muscle cramps is one of the firdt major physical signs of a calcium deficiency. Whats really important to know is that vitamin D3 (I take 2000 mg daily) is needed so that the body can absorb the calcium. Magnesium is so under prescribed, (magnesium glycinate) and is extremely important in a ratio of 1:1 with calcium. This is responsible for over 300 muscle, bone, protein and other enzyme feactions in the body and is closely tied in with deficiencies in RA conditions and secndary conditions such as fibromyalga. I have been pain cree from the all over musvle and nerve pain from fibromyalgia for 4 yrs now due to making these proactive changes. I learned this through much research as i was not getting the results i needed for the first 3 yrs of my RA disease.

Hi, if you do a search on the relationship between muscle pain/ muscle spasms or cramping in the thigh, and calcium deficiency, you will see that this is a strong sign that you are deficient or not absorbing calcium. Vitamin D must be taken (i take 2000 mg daily) daily so that the calcium can be absorbed. Also magnesium glycinate which is responsible for over 300 muscle, bone, protein and other enzyme reactions is very much needed for RA conditions, and has contributed to major improvements in my disease. I have no fibromyalga for 4 yrs now and have bery few flairs. I currently take plaquinil, prescribed anti inflammatory and tramadol 2x daily and 5 mg prednisone every other day. Ive been basically in remission for 4 yrs.. I was confined to a bed at the beginning of my RA for 4 months, in a wheel chair for 3 months, and a cane for another 2 yrs. I tried and failed sulfa meds, biologics, and methotrexate. I also watch closely the things that cause or contribute to inflammation in my body such as gluten, dairy, sugars, tomato sauce, soy, stress and lack of enough sleep (10 to 12 hrs needed nightly with RA)

Hi Cheria

I have psoriatic arthritis , had 2 shoulder replacements both knees and left big toe fused . Had this condition for many years

Had methotrexate didn't work for me and been on sulphasazine for about 4 years don't seem to do anything as well. Also had to take 3 calcium tablets over 3 months just the once recently. I was knocked down about 40 years ago result severe bruising of left thigh and concussion but nothing major. This last month I have been getting pain in my left thigh exactly where I had my accident years ago, and it's becoming very painful I was wondering if this pain could come on because of sulpha or arthritis it is more muscle pain than bone pain

Thanks. Kevin

Hi Woody, gosh you sure have been through alot.. it is very aparent that your psoriatic arthritis condition is not managed well, and that you are in need of an effective treatment, that doesnt bring your psoriasis into a severe flare..like some of the RA medicines do to treat psoriatic arthritis. The pain you are describing to me, according to my research and personal experience, does not sound like arthritis pain. Arthritis pain is in the joints, and if i understand right, your pain is in the muscle (attached to bone). Can you describe what the pain is like? Could it be sharp, jabbing pain? Or is it more like cramping? There is such a thing as referred pain, meaning the actual location of your pain is referring pain to other areas, but it sounds as if this is not being referred from knee pain. Have you been diagnosed with neuropathy, which can travel from the foot area up to the thigh area, from nerve damage. The type of pain i have experience with is cramping pain in the thigh area, due to a deficet in calcium with d3 and magnesium glycinate.. vitamins (lack of or inability to absorbing them properly).. do you take vitamins and supplements? If so, which do you take? Why did your doctor have you take only 3 calcium tablets and no d3 for them to be properly absorbed? Do you take a prescribed anti inflammatory and/or other medications?

Hi , Cheria the pain is like as if there should be a bruise there but there isn't it starts in the middle of my left thigh to just before my knee,

I take 4 sulpha tablets and tramadol for pain relief, did not know why I had to take 3 calcium tablets one for each month was not explained, and have blood test on Moday.

Thanks for your reply