When you are in a flare it can hurt all over. With luck, and the right treatment you can be painfree again, or close to it and yes, slow down or stop the progression and destruction of the disease. What medication has been prescribed so far? Remission is possible for extended periods of time - even years! But everyone's experience is different.

Warriorgal.....Tylenol.....and testing Limbrel 500 for 10 days....I am on day 5.

Limbrel 500? Are you going to a holistic doctor? Are you trying to avoid more mainstream pharmaceuticals? Some people try this route first to see if it will work for them and it does work for some people. I'm just checking that this is a conscious choice you made and not one made for you. I've seen the reverse happen too and people have been put on strong immunosuppressive drugs, but had no idea what they were taking.

How did the trial turn out?

My RA doctor gave the Lambrel to me......I do not know anything about RA or medications.

Limbrel did not help.

I've had this disease a long time and this is the first time I've ever heard of this "drug."

Are you SURE you have a board certified rheumatologist? Holistic medicine will not arrest RA.

If it was me, I'd start shopping for a new REAL rheumatologist who practices real medicine and understands that RA patients need to arrest the disease immediately and prescribing unconventional "treatments" that historically have never worked seriously jeopardizes their progress.

For those who don't know what Limbrel is a "food product."

Crystal: you need to read up on RA using credical medical resources [bot vitamin marketing hype]. Don't rely solely on this forum. Be your own best advocate. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

He is board certified...... I have an appointment on Tuesday morning.....I have a list of questions.....I will not ask for a refill on Limbrel but will ask for medications that will help to stop the RA. If he doesn't perscribe any I will look for another doctor. Thank you so much.

Do your research and select three meds you want to try. Be assertive and ask for one of them.

I'm not an MD, nor am I a pharmacist, this is just from my personal experience. When the RA activated within my body it was as quickly as turning on a light switch. Unlike yours mine began in the big joints of my upper body.......shoulders, elbows, soon followed by wrists and fingers. Later it traveled to my jaw, then where the collar bones connect to the breast, then into the feet and ankles.

I was started on generic mobic as an anti-inflammatory and I'm still on it. And at the same time plaquinel to try and get it to stop (remission)......did okay for 4 months and another big flare, Rheumy added methotrexaite (MTX)......did pretty well for 9 months and another big flare, Rheumy dropped the plaq and added humira.....did extremely well for 12 to 14 months and then my right lung began filling with fluid (numerous xrays, testing of fluid, had a liter drained, pulmonologist said it was just RA) so Rheumy switch me from Humira to Actemra and added 5mg of prednisone. So I'm now on MTX, Prednisone and Actemra (along with folic acid to counter side effect of MTX) and doing well. When I consider the MASSIVE pain previously, I'm doing quite well.

Board certification doesn't come with the experience of enjoying a major joint dislocating in slow motion while being locked in place. You might want to do a little shopping.

If you are sero-negative, meaning blood tests don't show anything, some doctors are very uninformed about how painful and destructive this disease is, so you will have to be firm, not take no for an answer. Sero-negative starts in the hands and feet. Feel free to use my story of not being properly diagnosed for 3 years, and another 5 years undermedicated. Now, I am the worst case my rheumatologist has ever seen. I would do much rather be the mildest case! Sigh!

I hope you can convince this doctor that you are not interested in food products, but strong meds. Keep in touch, and let us know what he puts you on.

So glad the rest of you chimed in about the Limbrel. I try to respect people's choices, but.... it really bothers me when doctors make that decision for us.

Thank you all I go tomorrow...I will insist on meds to help stop or at least slow down... I will let you know how I make out.

Kimhurts:

YOU should make the decision, not the doctors. THEY are YOUR employees.

Granted, they have the medical knowledge [though I wonder about the doctor Crystal has], but it should be a collaborative relationship. That is, they give you VIABLE options and YOU make the decision.

Crysralcrane,
How did it go at the doctor? I was reading other posts and think it was you that also has kidney issues. Is that autoimmune related or another issue? I haven't researched any of the meds, but that may be a reason your doc didn't put you on 'typical' RA meds at first. It sounds like you are a more complicated case than we initially realized. I still think you will find some that will work for you, the doctor may just need to be more careful and monitor kidney function with more vigilance.
This is a long road with a lot of trial and error. Most of us have a list of meds we tried and failed on, so don't get discouraged if you start your own list. I have a list that I can't even try because of additional health issues.
Wishing you well.
Kim

Kim,

There's nothing in the medical literature about LImbrel for RA. Only OA is mentioned.

http://www.renalandurologynews.com/limbrel/drug/3866/

Any renal patient should have their rheumatologist consult with their nephrologist specialist to get consensus on RA drugs.