RA

[jksjules40]

I was diagnosed about 6 months ago. The pain in the knees was horrible. I feel it is traveling to my ankles as well. Does it move to various joints in time? I am taking 8 methotrexate by injection and 2 plaqunil a day. I had gastritis bypass over 15 years ago so I wasn't absorbing the methotrexate. I feel like the methotrexate is beginning to not work as the pain is back . Is is a trial and error game for many years to come? I also was getting steroid shots in the knees about every other month. It absolutely wears me out.

[Hidden]

Sorry to hear you are having a bad time at the moment, I don't have RA but PsA, from reading different blogs on here, it appears that it can move to other parts of your body. People do try different meds and when you find one that suits you, it will help. At the start I was on MTX, from memory that used to knock me out more than the disease, mine was the tablet form. Hopefully TildaT will reply as she has recently gone on to the injections and will know more to help you.

I can understand where you are coming from with the Gastric Banding as my sister had one of those and any meds she has to take now are in liquid rather than tablet form, as you say it's not absorbed otherwise.

Take Care. xx

[watson3]

Hello and welcome.

Like Georj mentioned I also have Psa. But I take methotrexate 20mgs by injection form too. I have recently started on leflonomide another DMARD drug.

The RA condition does fluctuate and sometimes does completely wear you out.

My hips, knees and ankles all very painful. Also my shoulders.

The dual therapy has started to reduce the pain but it is a slow process.

Finding the best combination of drugs that work for you is often a process of elimination.

Speak with your specialist soon to get some pain relief till they can look at your drug regime.

Good luck

Love and light

Carole

[jksjules40]

Thanks. Any information is very helpful.

[helixhelix]

Hi there. It did take me over a year of trial and error to find a mix and dosage of drugs that worked, so don't despair. And I also improved when I first started a drug, and then slid backwards after a few months until something was changed. Just keep pushing your rheumy team to get you on a regime that controls your RA better. And yes, it does seem to wander round your body....and you can never tell in advance, it just seems to pop up! Polly

[Hidden]

Hi - I started injecting MTX about 10 weeks ago after trying oral MTX for 9 months. I only take 15mg (6 tablets) but I do know that it's absorbed more rapidly than taken orally and I also have seen online that a trial found that injections are significantly more effective than the tablets so if you are taking 20mg that will probably be more like 22.5 or even 25mg - a high dose. I am now down to 1 Plaquenil/ Hydroxy tablet a day - I don't know why though.

The combination of MTX and Hydroxy has worked well for me although my consultant was concerned that I still had active disease and switched me to injection because I couldn't tolerate any more than 15mg by tablet - I felt terribly sick. Six months is around the time that MTX started properly working for me re joint pain and flares but my inflammatory markers remained high until I made this switch to injection. Before I was diagnosed and put on MTX it did travel about from day to day and week to week but it was worst of all in my hands and wrists. I really hope you start to feel the benefit of the DMARDs soon but maybe you should contact your rheumy team if not. There are other newer drugs called Anti-TNFs/ Biologics which can be taken by injection and I believe the older RA drug, Gold, comes in injectable form too. Tilda

[Hidden]

Yes "gold" does come in injectable form I use it its trade name is myocrisin.

The task of finding the right drug is a minefield im on my 3rd dmard and it isnt all plain sailing with it.injectable biologics which gold isnt it is a dmard... gold, methotrexate and sulphasazaline

are all very old drugs most have been round since the 1950s

[corrective]

I am 53! I got rather three weeks after the birth of my first child! When I was in my 20 And thirties I suffered from various complaint as a result of radio eg pericartitis! Swelling around the heart! The swelling around your joints can also happen around all your organs! At forty I developed nutropenia as a result of developing fealty syndrome as a result of RA! I have now developed leaukemia! So yes RA can develop other diseases! I have spent a large number of my time in New hospitals Australia a big percentage of my life! Hang in there! Be strong!