Rheumatoid arthritis

Imuran-azathioprine, I have taken Imuran for JRA

Methotrexate and I do not agree with one another.

sulfasalazine-salazopyrin-Azulfidine I have also taken.

Your rheumatologist is attempting to quiet your symptoms and modify your rheumatoid. I see nothing unusual in the combination of medications. Your rheumy is avoiding steroids use...good.

Perhaps this will help you to understand the treatment of rheumatoid.

Rheumatoid is a dynamic disease that morphs....this is why a medication that helps today may not help tomorrow.

By observing a person's reaction to a drug, we can learn a lot about the rheumatoid in that person's body...Both Enbrel and Humira are TNF, tumor necrosis factor. Individuals whose rheumatoid responds well to either Enbrel or Humira are said to have TNF driven rheumatoid. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20. For those who respond favorably to Rituximab, we say their rheumatoid is CD20 driven.

Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis can be successfully treated with an NSAID...non steriodal anti inflammatory drug...such as Orudis, Feldene, Naprosin, Naproxin, Motrin, Indomethacin, Butazolidin to name just a few.

Steriods...not to be confused with anabolic steroids...prednisone, budesonide, methylprednisolone are three of many steroids. Many decades of study have taught us toq use steroids judiciously because steroids cause unwanted side effects such as bone density loss. Today, steroids are prescribed using a burst approach...high dose fast start, immediate graduated decrease, off.

DMARDs & Biologics... disease modifying anti rheumatic drug...

This class of medications modify, literally change the way rheumatoid behaves... Methotrexate (now the gold standard), hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, Orencia, Remicade are all typically oral.

Rituximab is delivered by infusion as are some of the others.

Enbrel in the mid nineties was the first DMARD. I still remember watching the television news that night with tears running down my face. Those of you who face rheumatoid today should never face the full fury of this disease. Nevertheless, matching a sufferer with the best medication to defeat their rheumatoid continues to take time. As the class of medication used increases, so too do the possible adverse side effects. Be patient and work with your rheumatologist, only a board certified rheumatologist, to fine tune a treatment effective against your rheumatoid.

54 years of severe juvenile rheumatoid has left my body permanently damaged and deformed because medicine did not have the wealth of knowledge it has today.

I am grateful for all of the analgesics, NSAIDs, and steroids that made it possible for DMARDs & biologics to modify even my severe juvenile rheumatoid. Today my JRA relatively quiet. And once my rheumatoid quieted down, I forgot about the really tough times it raged.

kind regards

I love to read your responses.  You are so knowledgeable and make us feel like we are not alone.  You've gone through so much.  I'm currently on Remacade and have been for 2 years.  Nothing else has worked for me.  I get up every morning thanking the makers of this drug because it has given me my life back.  I'm aware that it probably won't work forever.  When and if it doesn't, I guess I will have to go back to try and test and see what will work again for me.

when it stops working, it means your rheumatoid has morphed.

I made 8+ years on Enbrel. So when it happens, just discuss it with your rheumy. You will feel the slip, just don't let things slip too far back. This way the new medication will be effective quicker.

hugs