Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Had my doctor appointment yesterday and knew I was going with an earful for my Rheumy to hear. Told him about my feet...hands...pain blah blah blah.....So he had X-rays done of my feet and hands and only a couple of very small spots where erosion has started. My daughter works for the imaging company so I am going to call today and see if she can take home my results of the Xrays or at least mail me copies. I keep all records.
I purposely did not take my MTX orally yesterday morning because I thought he may change things up and he did. He wrote a script for injections. Luckily my daughter is a medical assistant so when she got home last night she showed me how to inject it etc. I started with the 17.5 and next week I'll do the whole 25 MG. One vial is two doses. I'm happy because it will absorb 100% better than oral because of gastric bypass.
Anyone else on injections of MTX?
He also wants to do another Xray in 6 months to see if there is more erosion. He did talk about biologics but right now he does not want that to be an option. He said there are too many dangerous side effects not worth the risk....like infections and Cancer. I don't know if it can be a hereditary thing but my sister did die leukemia. He told me of a patient who had recently passed away due to Cancer because of biologics but he did not say no. It was more of lets see if this gets aggressive enough to need that down the road. I will be happy to do the MTX injections. Especially because they get absorbed. God only knows how much oral MTX was getting absorbed. I take so many vitamins and minerals now because my body does not absorb a lot from food.
For once I feel optimistic.
I purposely did not take my MTX orally yesterday morning because I thought he may change things up and he did. He wrote a script for injections. Luckily my daughter is a medical assistant so when she got home last night she showed me how to inject it etc. I started with the 17.5 and next week I'll do the whole 25 MG. One vial is two doses. I'm happy because it will absorb 100% better than oral because of gastric bypass.
Anyone else on injections of MTX?
He also wants to do another Xray in 6 months to see if there is more erosion. He did talk about biologics but right now he does not want that to be an option. He said there are too many dangerous side effects not worth the risk....like infections and Cancer. I don't know if it can be a hereditary thing but my sister did die leukemia. He told me of a patient who had recently passed away due to Cancer because of biologics but he did not say no. It was more of lets see if this gets aggressive enough to need that down the road. I will be happy to do the MTX injections. Especially because they get absorbed. God only knows how much oral MTX was getting absorbed. I take so many vitamins and minerals now because my body does not absorb a lot from food.
For once I feel optimistic.
Husband's been having unexplained headaches and his doctor was suppose to order a Catscan....that was last month. I'm calling today.
I felt like hell this morning. I took the oral MTX in the AM because side effects would hit about bedtime. Last night I took it about 6 PM on an almost empty stomach. This morning I got so sick feeling, nauseous, felt like vomiting and the chills real bad. I ate breakfast and now feeling back to normal. That's why I do my MTX in the AM.
As for cancer from biologics, your doc is now ":traumatized" from losing a patient and it will take him time to embrace biologics again. Happens. But most biologics cause lymphoma.....not leukemia. It's why we get yearly chest x-rays to check for enlarged lymph nodes and why we need to report all symptoms when we see them. They only give lethal drugs because Ra in and of itself, can be lethal. But if you aren't considered serious Ra, then you really don't need them. You are serious when you have a ton of joints involved or when you have internal organ involvement.
I take Orencia, the one drug that tends not to cause lymphoma but instead causes lung cancer. I have 2 small vascular growths in my left lung discovered when my PCP was checking on something else. It was repeated at 6 months and still there but same size. I go tomorrow for my 1 year re-check and we'll see if they are the same. If so, we leave them alone. If they've grown, I guess it's biopsy time. I've been on Orencia for over 7 years.
I did the math on some of these drugs and quite frankly, you have about the same chance of being hit by lightning as getting cancer from a biologic drug....so don't go out in thunderstorms. But they still watch us like hawks when on them...or at least they should. I know mine does.
hugs........Jen
Good Luck
Bluedogs2
The percentage is very small but exists. She stated has never had a patient get cancer from the treatments. Of course it's scary. It's weighing the pros & cons I suppose.
Never heard a doctor make statements like that. Must be extremely upsetting to loose a patient but cannot help but wonder after sharing this how a patient must feel when Biolgics are needed.
To be brutally honest it would make it much tougher for me to take the Bio's if that came from my doctor. After all we place our care & faith in their abilities to make the best decisions in their hands.
Sally it seems as though most doctors gravitate to the xrays. I do agree 100% that other tests need to be included. Just get the feeling it's more about cost & insurance then anything else. Watched to many doctors buckle under the pressure.
Very sad.
Glad your feeling optimistic Melly. That's always important.
Here's to feeling better.
Sammy