Outcomes RA

[Wantplaytennis]

Hello troopers.

For those of you on biologics,interested on outcomes experiences.if they work I'm guessing there supposed to halt ra progression?. 1.do they relieve associated inflammation pain? 2. Are you able to resume previous functions,given that affected joints I'm told are irreversible3. What is remission if you have been lucky enough?

So many uncertainties, hence obliged for any of your experiences.

[JenniferW]

For me:

1) Yes unless in a very bad flare up (once a year or so)

2) Mostly. I haven't gone back to my old hobby of bell ringing which very demanding on the hands. My left wrist is permanently weakened by the damage, but physio and using it as much as possible has restored a lot of usage

3) I get a bit mixed up about exactly what remission means, but I am considered to be in remission. There is only very occasionally more damage and the reduction in pain and increased ability to do every day things is a huge benefit, I was in pain just picking up a glass of water before abatacept, now I can bake and lift heavyish items like shopping bags and my feet rarely hurt, I can walk much further and therefore am far fitter.

I hope this helps,

Jennifer

[medway-lady]

LEF put my RA into remission for years and years then it had to be stopped because of CKD, so then AZA again good and Etercept added that was fine for years but UTI's put paid to that now its still AZA plus Abatercept (another boiological.) It isn't remission but not far off and I lead a normal life allowing for CKD. My joints are not damaged and all fully mobile and apart from the odd blip like the 5th Covid jab all is well. I've had left foot issues solved by surgery and that's because my foot twisted but now its straight and matches the right. I've had RA for a long time and consider myself lucky as RA is not a big issue but I tested zero positive and believe it may be very different if sero negative.

[oldtimer2]

1.do they relieve associated inflammation pain? Yes if you find the right one for your particular variety of Rheumatoid Disease. Unfortunately that is still trial and error.

2. Are you able to resume previous functions,given that affected joints I'm told are irreversible. Yes you can get back to previous function (like playing tennis) provided not too much damage has been done, but you might want to play social tennis rather than competitive tennis. So my sister found (she was Swiss women's champoin one year, so her competetive is high standard). At a lesser level, I haven't been able to open jars or make a fist, until going onto adalumimab and now I can again.

3. What is remission if you have been lucky enough? Moot point. Depends on the interpretation it's either that you don't have flares and your blood tests and ultraound are normal while on treatment, or it's quiescent activity off treatment. I was told some years ago that I was in remission and to come off medication. I had occasional flares for a few years and then a massive one.

[Wantplaytennis in reply to oldtimer2]

Thanks for that it's encouraging cos they want to give me adilumimab.