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Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Thread starter Razorguns
- Start date
It is not possible to diagnose RA from symptoms alone because they may be very vague. Most commonly, there is pain in multiple joints. Only a doctor, after doing blood tests, can diagnose it.
There is no cure. There are exacerbations and remissions.
There are many treatments.
It is a life long disease.
There is no cure. There are exacerbations and remissions.
There are many treatments.
It is a life long disease.
Most of the newer treatments are injectables. Amgen has recently created one known as Enbrel, and Roche put put Humira. Those are two of the best.
silverfish
New member
The mother-in-law has it. It's so bad that if she does andy cleaning or whatever during the day she can't move for hours. Remicade is what the Dr. used as treatment in the beginning.
Razorguns
Well-known member
Silverfish said:
Has she tried Humira?
I think my mom got it, a pretty painful versin, pretty much overnight. She's gonna get blood tests, etc. done next week to see if it is. Fits the symptoms to the T though.
Oh and she takes medication for thyroid issues after her thyroid was removed during thyroid cancer treatment. Not sure if that's related or if it caused it.
Last edited:
silverfish
New member
Razorguns said:
auto-immune conditions often occur together....thyroid, diabetes, R.Arthritis
its an autoimmune disorder where you get inflammation and pain in the peripheral joints usually. They dont know what causes it so there;s no cure to it but treatments have varied over the years
last i checked the use of anti-TNF alpha had shown good clinical results and was very new, stateside this translates to it probably being availiable OTC, lol but thats worth inquiring about. otherwise methotrexate is used as well as the usual stuff u can google (pain relief, etc)....i havent ever seen anyone on gold or penicillamine so i assume they have been left to rest as treatments go
i havent actually checked any of thios and am doing it from sketchy memory haviung seen it more than a year ago, but try out www.merck.com for more cutting edge treaments....
diagnosis can be done by testing for the auto-antibodies, rhematoid factor, Xray's show signs of the degeneration
its an autoimmune disorder where you get inflammation and pain in the peripheral joints usually. They dont know what causes it so there;s no cure to it but treatments have varied over the years
last i checked the use of anti-TNF alpha had shown good clinical results and was very new, stateside this translates to it probably being availiable OTC, lol but thats worth inquiring about. otherwise methotrexate is used as well as the usual stuff u can google (pain relief, etc)....i havent ever seen anyone on gold or penicillamine so i assume they have been left to rest as treatments go
i havent actually checked any of thios and am doing it from sketchy memory haviung seen it more than a year ago, but try out www.merck.com for more cutting edge treaments....
diagnosis can be done by testing for the auto-antibodies, rhematoid factor, Xray's show signs of the degeneration
I have RA, and it sucks. I went from a life time of martial arts, and 4 years service in the 82nd airborne to a lawn ornament almost over night. I couldn't close my hands, couldn't bend my arms at the elbow, could barely walk.. well it sucked, and I was 24 years old and fit as hell when it hit.
I am currently on Enbrel and Methotrexate, and I'm telling you now that the drugs are life changing. An absolute god send, and I'm not kidding, it works and works well. If you have any concerns that your mother has RA, all the doctor has to do is a simple blood test to check for it. If you think your doc is giving you the run around, go see a Rheumatoligist and have them run the tests. It has taken a while, but I'm at the point where I can go back to the gym now, and work off some of this excess wait without it killing me.
btw.. Enbrel is expensive, as in, my house payment is less than what this drug costs on a monthly bases. Hope you have good insurance. A good subsititute is Remicade. It's the same kind of drug, just different brand name so to speak.
Good luck bro.
Hrmm.. Apparently I don't post alot heh. But I do read here alot
/wave to everyone.
I am currently on Enbrel and Methotrexate, and I'm telling you now that the drugs are life changing. An absolute god send, and I'm not kidding, it works and works well. If you have any concerns that your mother has RA, all the doctor has to do is a simple blood test to check for it. If you think your doc is giving you the run around, go see a Rheumatoligist and have them run the tests. It has taken a while, but I'm at the point where I can go back to the gym now, and work off some of this excess wait without it killing me.
btw.. Enbrel is expensive, as in, my house payment is less than what this drug costs on a monthly bases. Hope you have good insurance. A good subsititute is Remicade. It's the same kind of drug, just different brand name so to speak.
Good luck bro.
Hrmm.. Apparently I don't post alot heh. But I do read here alot
/wave to everyone.
