at last, i got my injection !! happy days xx

[mumoftwokids]

wow, how good does this feel, some of you may know that ive been through the ringer lately, but finally got my steroid injection and boy has it kicked in xxxxx it feels so good just to be able to take my kids out without having to stop, or tell them that mum cant play today x must admit, it wasnt looking good at one point, as consultant wasnt sure because i only had one 6 weeks ago... but thank god he "he said yes!!!!" its been a great day, being able to be a mum and not a settee based mum.... thankyou to all that helped me the other day xxxx

[helixhelix]

Oh that's great! I love the jabs...it's like going on holiday (but thankfully have not needed one for ages now) let's hope that when you start Tocilizumab you won't need them anymore. Pollyx. (I forgot to say the other day that I think you should challenge your doc re his decision about HRT. IF you want it, and are happy to accept the risks, then why wait?)

[mumoftwokids]

hi polly, thats just the problem, he wont tell me the risks, he just said to look them up on the internet and come back to him once id seen the risks, so he could discuss it some more !! but the more i look them up, the more i get confused xxx

[tiger in reply to mumoftwokids]

It is disgusting that he should tell you to search the net and base your decision on that info. How does he know that you have looked on a credible site. It is his job to inform you and personally I think you should tell him so or complain to the practise manager. No wonder you are confused.

Hope you come to the right decision for you, with or without your GP!

Wendy xx

[helixhelix]

That's not too good, I'd have thought it should be other way round in that doc explains the principles and then asks you to go away and think some more about the decision before you make it.

Anyway, this is just the way I think about it, and am no doctor but might help you make your decision. HRT does mean that you will have a slightly increased risk of heart attack, strokes, blood clots and breast cancer. It's not a huge increase, eg for breast cancer it increases from 32 women in a 1000 to 34-38 (depending on your age and how long you take it for), but of course that could be hugely important if you happen to be that person. There are also other risks for people with specific problems eg liver disease. But as against that, HRT can really help with menopausal symptoms and does give some protection against osteoporosis. Personally, and this is just my own experience, it does seem to help a bit with joint pain. Doctors seem to disagree whether there is a relationship between menopause & joints.

The sort of questions I asked my doctor before I started it were whether he thought there was anything in my medical history that would suggest I was at an increased risk, whether he thought there would be any negative effects with my RA drugs, what symptoms should I look out for that might indicate a problem was developing, how long should I give the HRT to see whether it was having a positive effect, and whether there were likely to be any problems if I stopped taking it after a while. It's a serious decision, so consider it carefully. Pollyx

[Hidden in reply to helixhelix]

Menopause & RA (or auto-immune diseases generally): time for intensive research, surely? I know that as a middle-aged woman I've become invisible when trying to buy a drink at a crowded bar (those were the days) but 'we' now fill vitally important roles in just about every institution. And still the menopause remains unchartered territory. (Unless there's a whole body of knowledge that's completely passed me by, I am getting on a bit ...)

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

Invisible....that's an understatement! Apologies to all the men on this site, who I'm sure are not sexist at all (how could you be when so many of us RA'ers are women..) but I do believe that decisions on research funding are still governed by male dominated panels, and young researchers don't often think that women's health is a top choice for their career progression. Px

[earthwitch]

I'd probably get a bit heavy with the consultant on this issue (but then I'm post menopausal and don't stand for nonsense these days!)

If your doctor is concerned about the risks of steroids, then why isn't he offering you something better? If your inflammation and disease is uncontrolled, then try asking him directly why you aren't being offered anti-tnf drugs, because clearly if you are needing steroids that often your disease isn't being adequately controlled.

[shirlthegirl]

I started the menopause 7 years ago at the age of 42, at first i was told i was to young but thats untrue, it took a while at first for the doctor to give me the hrt, but i was going though such a bad time, unable to sleep, bad mood swings and hot flushes the hrt out weighted the risks,I felts a new women,

I agress with everyone you shouldn't have to look on the internet, what are doctors there for these days, what happened before we had the internet, and also some people don't have one

all the best Xxx

[megant]

Hi Mumoftwokids

So glad for you that you are feeling "normal" again. I normally have to have a steriod injection every months, but this time I've gone 8 weeks this Wednesday yay! Unfortunately pain is coming back so steriod injection booked for this morning, hope mine kicks as quick as yours.

Take care

Alison

x

[Rohan]

I'm glad things are going on a positive side for you !

Wishes!