Plaquneil takes a long time to work, if it works at all. If you are getting worse, tell him you want to change to injectable mthx. This disease needs to be hit hard. There is an old insurance protocol that some doctors still use, or have to use, meaning starting with Plaquenil.

Pain meds and alternative things are fine if they work. But even if you did feel better, they are not stopping the progression of the disease. Be very firm, complain loudly and show your doctor all the flares. You don't want any deformities, so tell him it is time to move on.

And let us know how it goes!

Thank you

I just left a long winded post on the thread "How does this Arth thing work". Give it a read, you might benefit from what helped me.

Tell the doctor you want aggressive treatment with MTX. Beginning immediately.

you are brand new to your diagnosis. I think it is great to follow the protocol that your doctor is prescribing to you. listen to our journeys and our shared collective wisdom as anecdotal only. there probably is a method to your rheum's madness and every one of our cases is individual including your's. RA is a wicked weird disease that way.

for working and day time pain when first diagnosed I used ankle wraps and slide on shoes (the shoes used to be off under the desk - paper pusher :) - and I used a lot of nsaids.

yeah I did have a few joints drained around early diagnosis (especially the knees) and have had a fair amout of steroid shorts the past 10 years but not so many in my early diagnosis part.

some rheumatologists prescribe prednisone as a poor man's diagnosis in the early first months of diagnosis - maybe if you could ask a question about emergency "bridging only" pain relief on the patiet portal (if you rheumatoogist has an online patient portal)?

i purchased a couple of books on RA after checking them out from my local library where I studied up on disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs when first diagnosed. looks like you are at month 2. perhaps also you could get a cancellation from the rheum's office and get in earlier rather than you regularly scheduled which would be at 4 months in april no?

going on function, how are you doing on the job at work? or with the kids? or driving or walking?

every insurance company in the united states is different but some have some standard operating procedures for prescription of one or two dmard's at first. Some rheumatologists like to do imaging, their decision, and your rheumatologist might bring this up, to further refine diagnosis.

as to office visits,, It's 3 to 5 times a year now at the rheumatologist from now to forever for most folks with this diagnosis. Start setting up your questions for the next in office appointment.

get that book at the library so you can know more about methotrexate than your rheumtologist and you can have your questions lined up :)

I am sorry you are hurting

depot

I think a hard part for me was trying to figure out what my pain really was. in a since that I don't always have the same pain. My flairs feel different when its cold vs when it is warm. I would give yourself a change ( and it sucks) to understand what your body is telling you instead of rushing to feel better. Mostly because you cant rush this.

I would give the medication a shot, the worst thing that will happen is that it wont work. I found that tracking my good and bad days helping me understand.

I just relapsed after about 3 months on Plaquenil and it was an over night difference. When I was on the Plaquenil I had some bad days, but when the medication doesn't work (for me anyway) I couldn't function. I couldn't go to school, I felt like I could not even get out of bed. Like my joints had cement in them. That was a totally different feeling than before, but I never would have known that without sticking with the Plaquenil even through bad days. good luck!

I would suggest trying to get on MTX . I have been on Plq. For 6 months now and it works better than nothing but not as good
As MTX worked for me. My doc gave me a script for prednisone for the days when I am hurting really bad.