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...
Happy Easter everyone! I'm fairly new to RA and I was wondering about RA pain. I have about 5 questions that I'm looking for answers to. In some cases I think I know the answers but simply need confirmation. Here they are:
1. Is it common for RA pain and inflammation to target some joints while leaving others alone? When I was first hit with RA most joints hurt but now after seven Enbrel injections I only have pain in a few joints.
2. Is it common for some joints to have a low chronic pain while others have acute, sharp pain? Some of my joints that still have pain are in acute pain while others are just achy and stiff.
3. I'm assuming at this point after reading this forum and other articles that Enbrel alone will probably not make me pain free. Am I right in assuming this? Will I still get both acute and chronic pain to some degree even though I'm taking this powerful drug? Will I still have "bad days" along the way?
For treatment at this point I'm going to continue the Enbrel because I am getting slow improvement and I'm even starting to have days where the pain isn't all that noticeable. I had to stop all steroids again so in addition to Enbrel I'm taking the NSAID Lodine, Voltaren Gel and hydrocodone 7.5 only if necessary. I'm hoping this course of treatment makes it possible for me to work longer and do a portion of the outdoor activities/chores that I enjoy so much..
The above plan leaves out medication that makes me tired (an occasional Vicodin usually increases my energy instead of making me tired). I can't work or find the time to do what I enjoy if I'm always wiped out. I may also inquire about substituting Celebrex for the Lodine. I like Lodine (Etodolac) but hate having to take it 3 times daily for it to work well.
4. Anyone else on Celebrex and like it compared to other NSAIDs?
The above plan also limits my use of prednisone. I can tolerate it for a few days but then I get side effects.
5. Does anyone else use prednisone for 5 day bursts and stop before side effects slip in? Is that even okay to do?
Sorry for al the questions and the unorganized way I presented them. I have lots more but I already chewed everyone's ear off with these. I'm trying to learn all I can to help me understand this disease a little better. If you have any answers to these then please chime in.
Thanks!
Greg
1. Is it common for RA pain and inflammation to target some joints while leaving others alone? When I was first hit with RA most joints hurt but now after seven Enbrel injections I only have pain in a few joints.
2. Is it common for some joints to have a low chronic pain while others have acute, sharp pain? Some of my joints that still have pain are in acute pain while others are just achy and stiff.
3. I'm assuming at this point after reading this forum and other articles that Enbrel alone will probably not make me pain free. Am I right in assuming this? Will I still get both acute and chronic pain to some degree even though I'm taking this powerful drug? Will I still have "bad days" along the way?
For treatment at this point I'm going to continue the Enbrel because I am getting slow improvement and I'm even starting to have days where the pain isn't all that noticeable. I had to stop all steroids again so in addition to Enbrel I'm taking the NSAID Lodine, Voltaren Gel and hydrocodone 7.5 only if necessary. I'm hoping this course of treatment makes it possible for me to work longer and do a portion of the outdoor activities/chores that I enjoy so much..
The above plan leaves out medication that makes me tired (an occasional Vicodin usually increases my energy instead of making me tired). I can't work or find the time to do what I enjoy if I'm always wiped out. I may also inquire about substituting Celebrex for the Lodine. I like Lodine (Etodolac) but hate having to take it 3 times daily for it to work well.
4. Anyone else on Celebrex and like it compared to other NSAIDs?
The above plan also limits my use of prednisone. I can tolerate it for a few days but then I get side effects.
5. Does anyone else use prednisone for 5 day bursts and stop before side effects slip in? Is that even okay to do?
Sorry for al the questions and the unorganized way I presented them. I have lots more but I already chewed everyone's ear off with these. I'm trying to learn all I can to help me understand this disease a little better. If you have any answers to these then please chime in.
Thanks!
Greg
Here's the statement I stick by. "Your diagnosis is accurate. You have a reasonably common disease with less common presentation. That is more common than a very rare unidentified disease."
I used to always question why I have mostly bursitis and tendonitis and no bone erosions. I'm 4 years into this...NEVER any bone erosions. Never morning stiffness. Just aches here and there. But my anti-ccp is >500! I have RA for sure. RA attacks synovial fluid. For some it's constant until it eats away at joints. For me, it just inflames, but on a big bursitis scale.
I don't doubt my RA anymore. I just know it's not "typical".
I have to sorta laugh at the typical part. Truth is, none of us has the same presentation. Nor do we exert the same energy in our daily life. As pw39 mentioned - he does hard labor daily. Me - not so much so that may be a factor to what shows up when and where.
My clinic's motto is "Back to life...as it should be". That's the END GOAL. It takes a lot of work to get us there and may never be exactly how it used to be. But getting there is the goal.
I don't know if Vectra DA is evidence of RA but I have I fairly high score of 45. My rheumy also said she could tell I had RA by the fact that I was in near complete relief after 3 days of prednisone (along with my other symptoms of course).
Getting back to my negative anti-ccp - I assume I'm still seropositive because of my positive RF factor but my rheumy did say that I may not have a severe of case due to my negative anti-cccp. Thoughts?
I've read that a positive anti-ccp correlates with more aggressive disease, and I've also read, in equally reliable sources, that it does not. Go figure. Right about the time we're all keeling over from old age they'll get this nailed down.
Vectra is another new test. There was (is?) hope that it might point to which biologic would be most effective. Maybe later.
I'll be curious to hear what the dermatologist has to say. Good luck finding one who takes both new patients and insurance, and is interested in something other than cosmetic procedures. I actually have psoriatic arthritis. One thing to look at is your finger-and toenails. If you have any ridges, any little pits, or if any nails are pulling away from the nail beds, put a huge check in the PsA column. I don't remember if you have back problems. PsA and its fraternal twin, ankylosing spondylitis, hit the spine and sacroiliac joints as well as everything else. All the drugs you're taking- biologics, NSAIDs, prednisone, etc., are used for both.