I have RA and my hands are hot when I'm flaring. This is how my husband knows when I am in a flare, and he always tells me too...
Hi and yes I sure did. A couple of weeks after, I was leaving work and I had weird shooting pains in my knees, and put up with it for a few days, finally went to my pcp with the complaints. He ran...
Glad to hear you are hanging in there! Maybe they can just fill the tooth without a root canal?! Thats a pretty strong pain medication so I doubt you are feeling any pain from your tooth:) But at the...
Headgames...speaking of diet, also sugar plays a part in many with RA..candy, soda, sugary sweets in general will really trigger a flare for me and usually in a few hours after I *treat* myself, so...
For me it is stress plus lack of sleep that can make my joint pain increase. But I'm sorry I have to disagree with Hanyt..my emotional state was quite fine before I got RA. I was happy, and working...
I hope you are doing okay with the tooth..since our immune systems are so puney, it doesn't take much to get an infection going. The last time I was on Enbrel in 2008, I ended up with one, and it was...
I've been told the only one to be taken with MTX is Cephalexin, all others interact....
I agree with Aimsgirl. Now I don't know much about the sleep apnea, I don't have that, but my father in law does and he has a cpap machine, are you using one? What does your rheumy say about your...
Oh weary, you poor thing! I've had that same thing happen, tender pain near the ovaries, but my gyn never suspected fibro..I've had too many ovarian cysts and pelvic surgeries, plus I just chalk it...
I'm on Enbrel and no I've never had such an improvement either time. Are you talking about a Medrol dose pack? Where you start out taking 6 pills, then 5, then 4 until you are down to one pill on the...
I'm so sorry, I've never heard of such a thing! I hope it isn't painful to have taken care of and all goes well, good luck and I hope you feel better soon!...
By the way weary..something came to mind on the feet..I remembered that my rhuemy seems to like the summer months, when patients tend to wear flip flops, and sandals, it gives him an opportunity to...
Oh Weary, your rheumy sounds like a nightmare! I'm not really too sure what a *bunion* is, but I have those awful bony protrusions on my feet, maybe they are bunions! down near my big toes and they...
I have not tried the no gluten route, but do know someone who must refrain from all gluten products, it is endless (Celiac disease) and I'm just not sure if I buy into the gluten...
Thank you Chartreux! Yes, you are very correct about allergies! I will let you know what happens, and thank you so much for your care and concern:)...
Oh BadDay, that sounds so miserable! Where do you live? We are going between shivering here, and mildly warm. It just goes back and forth, to the point it is ridiculous, especially for the joints....
I have an appointment. Okay, Golitho, you are making me shudder, mouse protein? What? Did your breathing difficulties, happen pretty much just the day after your dosing? Where you woke up in an...
I've noticed the days after I take the Enbrel and MTX, I can hardly breath, to the point I am wheezing. I had asthma growing up, but it hasn't bothered me in over 12 years! I thought it was something...
Glad to hear you found a great rheumy, that is half the battle! I have RA, but have never had the cortizone (sp?) injections. Once they were offered, but not caring for needles, I declined. I hope...
If your fatigue is that severe, you may need something more than just over the counter folic acid. When I initially started my MTX years back, the fatigue was so bad, it would be 10 in the morning...
I'm sorry you have to get back on the pred roller coaster! I was able to sleep just fine on the pred, but it did make me hungry and I gained about 10lbs, on my 10mg over the course of several months...
I've never gone off of MTX per my rheumies advice. However, yes I've stopped taking it once or twice because I myself didn't believe I had it, and was tired of the MTX, plus didn't think it was...
Sorry to hear the plaquenil stopped working, there are so many other meds out there to try, maybe your rheumy can help you figure out a new plan, and get a new cocktail started in addition to your...
Hi there, I'm sero-negative as well, I get pain in my shoulders at times, but have never heard of a *frozen* shoulder that needs to thaw out. Short of prednisone, and the injections, along with your...
Mally...Sero-negative, means all your testing, or more specifically the test for rheumatoid factor is negative, yet you still present with the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for more than six...
Hi Golitho! I don't feel as fluish as I did, just plain old RAish, if that makes sense. I wish I had a huge dose of pred, right about now! Speaking of vitamin c...I drink something called...
The first time I went to my rheumy, I had no idea what one even was! Had never heard of RA, or rheumatology. I was sent there by my primary care doctor..thankfully, he turned out to be the best...
Hi Golitho, It is so nice to hear from you! I think I do need my levels checked again, the last time my red cell count was pretty low and last week after taking the MTX and Enbrel, I got those little...
This is my second time on Enbrel. The first time was in 2008. However, this time around, I've been under the weather constantly with it, and it seems the day after I take the dose of Enbrel, I feel...
Oh yes, I had this (and still do at times) I tried everything under the sun, and my rheumy finally had to prescribe Trazodone, it helps most nights for sleep. It is so important for those of us (or...
Thanks everyone! Yep, I'm afraid I'm headed back to the doctor and most likely a look see (MRI or X-Ray) to see what is going on, if it isn't one thing it is another, righ? Thanks so much for the...
I'm so sorry to hear you are flaring on the Orencia, and I'm not sure how long it takes to kick in, I haven't taken that biologic. I am on Enbrel and there are weeks when I take it and it feels as if...
So I've had pain in my back, now for the past few weeks, I've noticed the stiffness in my back. It is so tight, almost like a vice grip around my lower back/tailbone/spine area, and it lasts the...
Hi psbg..Yep, I would say that pretty much somes up the hip pain doesn't it? At this point, I am having so much trouble sitting for long periods of time, and driving is a nightmare, getting out of...
Chartreux, so sorry to hear of your car accident! Yes, I am also on the Vicodin and am concerned about the amount of tylenol that I take. I've taken Norco a couple of times in the past, and it really...
If folic acid isn't enough, and sometimes it isn't, you can always get a script for Leucovorin. This is taken 24 hours after your dose of MTX. It helped tremendously with my MTX symptoms....
It is true regardig the immune suppressants, but on the other side of it, I was working as a teacher and you know how bugs go around..went home with an awful stomach bug and a couple of weeks later,...
Hi couchtater, Actually, I was an early childhood teacher (3's and 4's) when I developed my RA, and I have to say there is no way I could possibly go back and do that job now on a daily basis, it...
I didn't have any early signs except POF, premature ovarian failure, but there was no explanation and then the RA came on after a bout with a stomach bug. After that the inflammation was pretty much...
Jeanneac, that is ridiculous, I agree. They cannot send for your medical records? or have them faxed over? surely there must be a faster way to go about the process? I'm sorry you have to go to so...
Pretty much what Vannie described, lack of sleep is huge for me and much of what I eat, plays a role and when I have a role, I just feel extremely fatigued and my hips hurt on the outsides of the...
Hi Golitho, so happy to hear you are feeling better and that you enjoyed the musical! It is always nice to get out and about with a friend and have some fun! Mayflower..it isn't that I don't have any...
Oh Weary, I'm sorry and as someone else said you can have normal results and still feel like death, so true! My last results at the rheum were okay except very low red cell count, well, I told the...
Oh Mally, I'm so sorry you are not feeling well. I used to ask myself those same questions! I had a bad stomach bug, and a couple of weeks later, knee pain of the worst kind that never went away and...
Oh dear, I'm so sorry, but yes I think it is a symptom. I've looked at my hands recently, and if I hold my hands straight out, my pointer finger turns in towards my middle finger, it is worse on my...
Hi Golitho, Sorry to hear you have been sick! Not much to rant about just taking the Enbrel and MTX and having a bad flare, I hurt so much it feels like I have the flu, even my back hurts. I have one...
I've also taken MTX for several years and have not had that type of reaction since first starting out, say the first month. The first few doses, I felt like death, literally. After that I felt okay....
I've had many long car rides, 6 hours one way, 12 hours total in the same day, it can be horrid when you have RA, joint pain etc! I have taken pred in the past, but when I didn't have that I would...
Weary...I've also gone to the rheumy feeling like death, went for my labs, and then not a peep, next visit, sent for labs, it is a continual repeat and never hear a word that they are out of whack....
One more thing to try is to pay close attention to what you eat. I've found that tomato based products and sweet, sugary foods really make me flare within a few hours of eating them. A good example...