Does anyone else have chronic nodular gastritis post nissen fund.? I'm trying to research whether this is considered a pre-malignant lesion or not, as nodular gastritis can lead to diffuse gastric...
Thanks for the response. I guess I've been trying to eat some things that I probably shouldn't. That is what seems to cause the spasms....
I've recently (less than a week ago) had a paraesophagael hernia repair with the reflux wrap, etc... I'm able to swallow ok--have been the whole time. But today, it seems like my esophagus is going...
I'm 46 and I've been diagnosed since 35. I've been on two DMARDs at any given time for the past 8 years or so. I also work full-time and happen to be the primary breadwinner of my family. My husband...
Please be very careful and cautious when weaning off prednisone. The one time I was on it, I weaned myself off way too quickly and my adrenal gland almost shut down. My mother was on and off of...
I had asked about rituxin at one time. I was on the TNF inhibitors (enbrel, etc...) for many years--they stopped working. I tried orencia and was put on the injectables; they never worked as well as...
I've been on methotrexate for many years. I used to take the pill form, and now I do the injectable form. I've not had any issues with methotrexate at all, and in fact, it has been a great drug for...
I think you're probably ok with Remicade during pregnancy; methotrexate, however, is another story and should most definitely be stopped before conceiving. Remicade is the first biologic, I believe,...
Hi there. I've always had hip pain that tends to flare when the rest of my joints flare. And it was one of the first joints to be impacted by RA. I am not usual, though. My shoulders and hips hurt...
I have taken both orencia injections and orencia infusions. The injections do nothing--I feel very few effects at all from them. The infusions are much more effective for me. Maybe because at the...
Hi Nite, There are other drugs available besides enbrel. Has your rheumy suggested anything else? Since enbrel may have been causing your neuropathy, you might want to avoid all of the TNF inhibitors...
Hi Peggy, Sorry to hear the orencia didn't work for you. I just had my first orencia infusion a couple of weeks ago, and so far it's ok. I was on orencia before and it does work for me, but it also...
Hi all. I just had an EGD in November. Findings were erosive esophagitis and an inflammatory ulcerating polyp in esophagus. Polyp was removed, and I continue to take PPI. I'm now learning that I am...
Hi all, Does anyone have multiple skin tags related to insulin resistance? I have these horrible tags and would like to get rid of them. I understand they are harmless in an of themselves, but that...
Hi Hobbit, The biologics are very expensive drugs, no matter what country you reside in. That being said, someone pointed out that many pharmaceutical companies offer assistance for those without...
Hi Don_D You brought up an interesting point. Usually the basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas are found on older individuals. I'm in my early 40's and definitely on the young side for...
Hi Hobbits2ndbreakfast, I did have a skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma. It was removed by a surgeon and I'm back on orencia, but also under the care of a dermatologist. You are correct in that these...
Has anyone had joint replacement surgery as a consequence of RA? If so, how long did you have RA before you considered joint replacement? Elcamino...
I forgot to address your question--years ago, I took enbrel before I would agree to take methotrexate. Enbrel alone did not work as well, but it did help a bit. It was certainly better than nothing....
glad to hear that rituxin is working for you. I've been through the TNF inhibitors, like enbrel, humira, remicade, etc...) and I started orencia last year. The orencia infusions proved too much for...
Hi Neena, Just wanted to let you know that all three of our cats came from a rescue shelter. And all three were kittens when we adopted them. It's largely a question of timing. Sometimes a shelter...
Neena, I took Enbrel for many years, along with methotrexate, and now I'm on Orencia in lieu of the Enbrel. It was always my rheumy's advice to stop the biologics (whichever one I was on), Enbrel...
Hi there. I'm sorry to hear about your breast cancer, and I hope everything works out well for you. I had to stop taking orencia, another biologic, for a while due to a skin cancer (and healing from...
I received the pathology results yesterday, and according to the lab I do NOT have Barrett's. And the polyp I have is hyperplastic, which I gather is a fancy way of saying it is benign. It was...
Thank you all so much for your frank and honest responses. I believe I will have a discussion with my current GI about the surgery, and after the polyp is completely removed, I will seek a second...
Hi all, I've noticed that many on this forum have had (or will have) the reflux surgery. I've had reflux for 10+ years, and have been taking PPIs supplemented by prescription zantac and tums for 10+...
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I have been taking PPIs for over 10 years now--did not know they could cause polyps....
Hi all. I have had GERD for more years than I care to count. Had an upper EGD today and was just diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus. Also had a very large polyp that was removed and sent off to the...
Hi Don, I've been on mtx injections for about a year now very successfully. I'm not sure what your doctor meant by injecting the mtx deeper into the thigh. MTX is also a sub-cutaneous...
parafin wax machine does wonders. Used by manicurists, I think walmart carries small ones. Elcamino...
Bluesky13, One option you have with the methotrexate is that it is offered in the form of injections if it proves too hard on your stomach. I took the pill form for many years but was not absorbing...
Hi Don, I stopped taking Orencia on my own about 6 months ago because I kept getting infections and felt it just wasn't worth it (plus I hate the injections). I had the gut feeling that everytime I...
Thanks for the responses. Ides, I am not yet at the 50 year milestone. I have always had hip pain since the very beginning (along with shoulder pain) of my RA diagnosis. Rheumatologist said it is an...
Does anyone have any suggestions for hip pain? My hips ache terribly, and actually keep Me awake at night. Tends to get even worse when walking. I'm sure I didn't injure them. My right hip hurts more...
Hey Teslagirl, I also don't seem to match the typical symptoms for RA. Yet my bloodwork is positive and I have a great response to most therapies (biologics). With autoimmune disease, I feel it's a...
Hi all. I normally post on the Rheumatoid Arthritis forum, but I had a blood pressure question that many of you will be able to answer. What is "normal" blood pressure and when should a middle-aged...
WearyRASufferer, My flares sound an awful lot like your flares do. I rarely have anything severe enough to keep me from work, but I do have many days in a flare that I will choose to telework (if my...
Hi Carole, Welcome to healingwell. I'm sure others will jump in. I'm surprised that your pharmacist wouldn't know that methotrexate is often paired with other drugs to control RA? Both methotrexate...
While I've not taken Humira long term (I think I only took it for 3 weeks or so before switching), when I was taking Enbrel (the same class drug as Humira), I definitely felt it wearing off before my...
Zasu, Glad to hear that the prednisone worked for you. I have been on it, but only for a very short while (2 weeks). It is one of those drugs that cuts both ways--it makes you feel incredible, but...
Hurtingirl, When I initially started just the enbrel, it did take a few weeks to actually kick in. I did, however, experience an immediate energy surge--enbrel did wonders for the RA fatigue. Hang in...
Hurtingirl, I'm sorry you're having such a hard time lately with the RA. I can tell you that, although everyone is different, when my meds are straightened out (biologic + methotrexate) I can do just...
Hi there, I took enbrel for several years and it never caused any side effects that were concerning to me. In fact, my energy levels came back very shortly (within 2 weeks of first injection) after...
I've taken sulfasalazine before for RA. One of the drugs I had to "fail" before moving on to the biologics. Sulfasalazine, as someone already pointed out, commonly causes allergic reactions in...
Barbara, I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. You are correct; the boundary between these drugs and cancer risk is a bit blurry and the research seems to be conflicting. That being said, I've...
Hi there, I took orencia for five months or so, with great success. Previously I had been on enbrel for many years but it had stopped working for me. Orencia worked quite well, but I had to stop...
Has anyone taken rituxin before? From my admittedly limited research, it appears to be a last resort drug when the other biologics don't work or the patient can't take them. Just curious, as cancer...
Ronrob, First, I am sorry about your situation. I do recall that the TNF inhibitors, like remicade, enbrel, etc..., can cause MS brain lesions. I do think it is rare, but is a listed side effect for...
thanks for your reply Grammyjam. Yes, I've also recently read that any history of cancer, including the nonmelanoma skin cancers, excludes you from taking any of the biologics. Last time I saw my...
I do not have melanoma, but basal cell carcinoma. And it is in a place not routinely exposed to the sun. Plus I've never had the patience to sunbathe. I've taken a look at the side effects listed on...