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...
A year ago, I was in a methotrexate crisis with my liver. I was about to get a call from the hospital to admit me through the ER to get a liver biopsy because of suspected Autoimmune Liver Disease. It was a really scary time.
I had been off MTX for over a month and numbers kept increasing. My doctor had NOT seen this. *Note to all, our livers are individual, just like with everything else. Some livers take a long time to kick out the bad guys*
My biopsy was the 23rd and my results came in Christmas Eve. All was ok, just had it wait it out.
I received so much support here that I promised myself even when I felt good I would be here to help those in similar situations. I've not failed that promise. Since that time, I've been one of the lucky ones having a lucky year. I know my RA can rear it's head and will in time. I've been over 12 months now without any DMARDS or biologics as my RA is still comatose for the time being. (although my allergies are off the chart this year, and somehow it's connected with the immune system)
Thank you all for the support I received back then and now. This is a terrific group!
I had been off MTX for over a month and numbers kept increasing. My doctor had NOT seen this. *Note to all, our livers are individual, just like with everything else. Some livers take a long time to kick out the bad guys*
My biopsy was the 23rd and my results came in Christmas Eve. All was ok, just had it wait it out.
I received so much support here that I promised myself even when I felt good I would be here to help those in similar situations. I've not failed that promise. Since that time, I've been one of the lucky ones having a lucky year. I know my RA can rear it's head and will in time. I've been over 12 months now without any DMARDS or biologics as my RA is still comatose for the time being. (although my allergies are off the chart this year, and somehow it's connected with the immune system)
Thank you all for the support I received back then and now. This is a terrific group!
It gives us all hope.
You certainly have kept that promise and it's so good to see you so active here.
May 2013 be another year of comatose RA for you.
Hugs
haven't been on here in months. I had a liver biopsy, about 14 months ago..It was NASH..non alcoholic fatty liver disease..and i was never a drinker!
I did get off long term mtx for 4 month, even zyrtec, simvistatin.....so many things i looked up elevated the liver, even zyrtec, and NSAIDS of course i got off
it's not all from the mtx, i have to loose 20 lbs...WHen i take prednisone, my blood sugar goes up, and i got diabetes2 this year
WHen i flare, it also raises my sugar
each lab has differant control numbers
but 10/30/2012 liver labs, still slightly elevated
ALT is 75..range is 12-78
AST is 59 range 15-37
so it's a big improvement..being sedentary doesnt help, past ortho damage...and if it should get worse, i could get cyrossis ..spelled wrong!
they will let me do only 6 mtx pills, am on max on remicade..it does wear off for me, before next infusion..awaiting lupus test results..and i am sero-negative on the RA, and got diagnosed with PSA now also, because of the peelings on palms/soles
so i dunno anymore...lots of auto-immune stuff going on, and got to get this sorted out, so more opinions, this time from a rheummy at a top-notched university here
they let me take celebrex , in place of Relafen, NSAID
i am so very happy your doing so well, it gives us hope.....what a great celebration for you over the holidays, with your wonderful news..you are probably in remission..congrats
bcatz- do you have any RA symptoms? My hands and feet have never been pain free since the beginning but not so painful that I have to take pain relievers. Sometimes I have short periods of time where I'll have a little trouble with my shoulders, knees, etc. but my doctor seems to act like maybe I don't have RA and he doesn't want me on meds. He looks at my hands and feet and says he doesn't see evidence of disease.
To be safe I asked for xrays of them. He seemed pissy but he said OK. His nurse was very smug when she reported that they showed no erosions and minimal OA.
I feel frustrated about not feeling 100% and not having a name for why I don't feel good. Last visit he said fibro,
My doctor says I still have RA but that I'm still in remission. My crp is .1, liver numbers re 18 ALT and 19 AST (hurray!), and sed rate is 26. The sed rate is elevated but not by much. Doctor says that if I flare, call and i'll start enbrel again since MTX is out (as is any dmard that has risk to liver like plaquenil or sulfasalazine).
But, I am not always pain free. In fact, if I go walk a mile, my feet will hurt towards the end as if the arches are falling. If I wear supports, something else will hurt. But the pain gets better always by the next day. I live with my ring finger on left hand feeling stiff, and that is for sure RA, but it never gets worse. I tape it to my middle finger at night so it's not bad. My jaw pops when I chew gum or eat something like beef jerky. All RA. (I have a prescription for mobic and 7.5mg will help prevent misery on a busy day with lots to do)
I'm not ready for my RA to return but I know it will. I have just enough reminder happen to know it will. Doctor just lets us "watch and wait" for now.
I still think there's a connection with my personal immune system between RA and allergies. My allergies have been terrible. I wonder if that were cleared up, would my RA begin to hurt again.
hugs
BCatz, that is interesting about your allergies and RA remission. My rheumy thinks my allergy shots (I had severe asthma) triggered my RA. My allergies are mostly under control, but the RA never is, without meds - except after the car hit me riding my bike. My rheumy told me there is a definite connection between allergies and RA, they just aren't sure what it is! LOL
My Rituxan is already failing after 3 months. I am tempted to take some more mthx, I can't take anything else. This is a hard game to play, no doubt about it.