Help needed - Arthritis

[guardpig]

OH has been taking methotexrate for a good few years now and it is working fine but the Doctor is slightly concerned about some side effects.  Needless to say himself has now read up on the side effects for himself and wonders if he really should be taking the stuff.

Now idoes anybody know what else he may be offered, what else works or doesn't and whether generally side effects are more or less?

Know it isn't scientific but some idea of what is what before he sees Doc next would be appreciated.

Waves madly and dparts - again.

Many thanks

[fluffypenquin]

Sorry I can't offer any help or advice - but without a doubt any drug has loads of side effects.  It doesn't mean, of course, that your OH would get the side effects - presumably if his GP monitors his bloods etc, it is the best that you can hope for.

At the moment I am on a lot of medication, the side effects are horrendous, but the alternative worse case scenario is that I may potentially have to have my hand amputated.  Based with that scenario I obviously opted to try the drugs - but there are days when I wonder if it is worth the risks.

Hopefully somebody may come along who can offer some first hand experience.  Good luck to your OH.  x

[ladyfallowdeer]

Hi,  Tumeric ,  the spice can be very helpfull, you can get capsules from  a health shop,  but i take half a teaspoon of the cheaper kitchen variety, mixed in  a  little lucozade as a drink or added to tomato soup daily or as needed  and it has helped me and  some friends we also recomended it to, it is a natural antiinflamitory  and  antibiotic and there is lots of information about its benefits online, kind regards, Karen 

[mustavaquid]

Google glucosamine sulphate ( sulfate )

I've taken it, mostly just on the occasions when I've had a bad spell of arthritis, over the past fifteen years. Whatever side effects it may give I've never had from it. It is made from the shells of shellfish, not the fish itself. No prescription required but as always best to check with GP.  It takes a few weeks to kick in and may not work for everyone but I think well worth trying even if you buy at the expensive chemists / high street health food shops. I pay around £3 at Wilko for 60 tablets -- about 30 - 60 days supply.

[goldenangelanimal]

I was taking methotrexate for three months until a couple of months ago and have just found out it has caused me to have. "Fatty liver"

I also struggled with the sickness it caused. I also take a lot of other medication for RA and they have caused all sorts of problems , I including heart failure

I do know that certain foods make me worse, eg, wheat , green grapes, potatoes, prawns are a recent no no, dried cranberries.

If anyone has fibromyalgia/arthritis , it is worth having a look at an article by a Dr, about a low oxalate diet

[bhgardeners]

Thank you.

Not tried Turmeric.  Rest have tried and failed.

Just depends what the specialist offers and test results.  Will admit to Metho having worked really well for years and any side effects not having shown before - if indeed the latest problem is a side effect.  Personally I think Doc is probably over-reacting as he had an infection recently and it was treated with various creams but it certainly had time to go a-wandering first(nobody wanted to commit on the infection site or treatment for it!!!!)

[saasher2012]

It is a problem with a lot of these drugs I'm afraid, the trouble is that if the drug is working for his complaint you or he has to decide if another drug that is safer will be as good in controlling the symptoms, not an easy decision to make I'm sure, however I am presuming they are keeping an eye on this for him?. New drugs are coming on to the market all the time & I'm sure with a little tweek here & there one can be found not only to relieve the symptoms but also the safety aspect. I do sympathise as it's very often trial & error until the right one is found.

[aernethril]

Is this for rheumatoid arthritis because if so, the suggestions above which work with osteo arthritis are not going to help.

I don't know about RA, but I used to know someone who had (has) it and she came off the meds because of the serious side effects and managed her symptoms with diet and changed her life style to cut out stress and rest on the bad days.

[bhgardeners]

It is indeed RA.  Avoid stress?  Rest on bad days? He is self employed, running a business, doing  much more of the heavy labouring that he should because the unemployed have evaporated .......................................

No easy answer.  Just hope Doc is wrong because the Metho works!.

[saasher2012]

Am I correct in that RA affects the synovial fluid surrounding joints which in turn causes severe swelling & pain in the afflicted areas& that it can affect any joint at any time?

[bhgardeners]

No idea Saasher.

However he got up this morning feeling lots better and with his usual reaction to anti-bs so hopefully Doc was over reacting.

[aernethril]

Oh sorry about that - it's the last thing he needs really, but if he's feeling relief from the pain, then that will also help him keep going.

Saasher - here's some info on RA

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Rheumatoid-arthritis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

It's not a good thing to have especially if it is not diagnosed or picked up early enough.

[saasher2012]

Thanks, I was on the right track but wrong conclusion , it's the Sin tissues surrounding the joints , either way it's a bloomin awful complaint, & like many other forms of these debilitating diseases not enough research has been done to find the cause.

[mouse4702]

I'm an RA sufferer? survivor? and mine's kept at bay by Methotrexate and Leflunomide. Meth is the "entry level" drug as it is the safest, with a good success rate. It may, however, lose its efficacy over time if the RA steps up a bit. Like mine did - so Leflunomide was added in, and now I'm like a spring chicken apart from flare times. After Methotrexate, a popular choice is Sulfasalazine. Additional drugs will be phased in, in tandem with the Meth usually, and the Meth discontinued only if improvement on the new drug shows that it is safe to do so. All of these lead to a suppression of the immune system, with attendant risks from infection and complications of existing conditions. If the RA is deemed to be doing "enough damage", the new breed of drugs can be given - the anti-TNF brigade. These usually require self-injection once a week. However, since they can cost between £10,000 and £18,000 per year, obviously it's hoped that the cheaper ones will work. If you are approved for anti-TNF drugs, you'll be carefully screened for all sorts of pre-existing conditions which could worsen, as these "big guns" knock out your immune system even further. Eg, you'll have to be cleared for HIV, hepatitis etc. I was approved for these, but after finding that my immune system would be suppressed even further I decided to decline the offer and stay with Meth and Leflunomide. I've already had a chest infection which turned into pneumonia. I'm not risking losing what immune function I may have left.

[saasher2012]

Do you know if there is any more recent break through on the cause as far as I can see they still don't know, although they seem to have one or two thoughts that as far as I know aren't proven as yet?

[mouse4702]

I really don't know about causes, Sam. It seems that everyone has the potential, but it has to be sort of "switched on". In my case it may well have been as a result of having a Mirena coil fitted - the sudden dose of hormones may have tripped my switch.

[saasher2012]

Hmmm! Could be something to do with the immune system perhaps then! I'll have another look & see what I can find out. But it doesn't sound as though they are any further on to finding answers I'm afraid!.

[saasher2012]

Seems to be auto immune system , the thoughts are Bacteria or a virus, but it seems to affect women more than men, but still not proven, these flare ups are the medication you are on helping with that?

[mouse4702]

That's right Sam, it's an auto-immune disease like AIDS, where the body decides parts of itself must be destroyed - in our case, joints. Drugs will hold it, but not cure it, and for some, the drugs don't hold it. However it's tons better than it was 20, 15 or even 10 years ago. New drugs are being developed all the time. I'm quite glad I've got a disease which is controllable. However it's invisible and people can be less than sympathetic when you suffer with the attendant lack of energy, depression and pain.

[saasher2012]

Has it distorted any of your joints at all, do you have a special diet, do you have physio to help keep your joints supple?
Yes it's very often the case if you can't see physical signs, it doesn't register with people the pain within, I have seen the face grey with pain on some suffering with an ailment with no outward signs of why, it's not a pleasant thing for someone to witness let alone be the recipient of that pain!. Pain can & is very draining but what I can gather with the RA, you get a very high fever similar to flue is that correct?.