Arthritis sufferers are daily bombarded with new, better, more exciting
treatments. Try Enbrel! Try Humira! Miracle drugs! Get your NSAIDS! Get
your DMARDS! Pump more chemicals into your system. Side effects? What side
effects? You have a choice; accept the side effects or get sicker and
sicker.
In order to allay our fears, the drug companies publish the results of
their clinical tests. This double blind study proved that that lethal
chemical reduced your swelling more than another, equally lethal
chemical.
Do they think they're playing with babies? Yes. That's exactly what
they think. Arthritis is such a horrible, debilitating disease that we'll
try anything to reduce the symptoms. And that's exactly what these awful
drugs do. They reduce the symptoms, temporarily. As the symptoms creep
back, your rheumatologist increases the drug or experiments with other
lethal concoctions to reduce your swelling or pain. We're told there's NO
cure for arthritis. We're told that no one knows the cause. Really! Almost forty
years ago we sent men to play golf on the moon. But we can't
pin point even one cause for this crippling disease?
It's time for a reality check. The drug companies will continue to pump
out really expensive chemicals, ostensibly helpful. Our doctors will
continue to serve up the concoctions fed to them by the drug companies.
Unless we refuse to go along with this travesty. We don't need a
revolution. We don't even need to take on our doctors or the drug
companies. We only need to pool our resources and conduct our own
quiet experiments.
We need to experiment with our habits. Just take one aspect of our life
and alter it for one month. For example, are you a heavy coffee drinker?
I'm pretty well wired to the ceiling by mid-day. Cut coffee from
your diet for one month. Document any changes to your system resulting
from this. You may, of course, suffer withdrawal symptoms but you may also
experience a very welcome reduction in arthritic pain and swelling.
That's just one suggestion. We have lots more. Feed-back from our brave
experimenters will eventually allow us to make real recommendations. The
revolution has started!
I know what you are saying and it is scary trying all kinds of toxic chemicals and other things to lessen our suffering. I used to drink 10 cups of coffee a day and am down to 1 in the morning and maybe a half cup after lunch. My RA isn't better. It seems like nothing makes it better. Time is taking it's toll on my body after having the disease for over 40 years. My hands and feet are deformed and my back is so painful when I sit at this computer for more than a few minutes. Have had 7 surgeries because of RA. The fatigue is numbing and the migraines are twice a day now. It seems like a nightmare in a torture chamber. The cost of prescriptions and treatments is prohibitive and the cost of the OTC things like calcium with D and other vitamins and such is more than I have in income. Still, I don't look particularly sick. People don't understand. Doctors don't care most of the time. No wonder we get depressed.
Bon
Over 32 years, I really thought I'd seen it all, until I read your comment. I'm so sorry to see what you're going through. There simply has to be a better way than the vicious cycle of drugs and more drugs and then surgery.
Every day, I get letters to my web site (http://www.dealonbracelets.com) and I notice a defininte increase in the level and lethality of arthritis drugs. It used to be that people would write asking if they should eat certain foods or avoid some fruits and ask for some suggestions and recipes. Now, everyone seems to be prescribed really heavy duty drugs and they detail the most horrific side effects of those drugs. I'm a lawyer, not a doctor, but I'd have to be an idiot not to see the escalation of absolutely lethal chemicals being pushed on a very vulnerable segment of the population. Try to keep your heart up. I do hope things improve.
You really have had a rough time. I was sorry to read your post but also glad about some things you wrote. My migraines have gotten just awful since RA and they also are getting worse and worse. My doctor says there is no connection but I told her that there is. I have always had them but they had stopped. Now, I have maybe 5 or a week and some of them are awful. I also get worse all the time. I have tried all the drugs out now. I have gone through MTX, humira, rituxan and enbrel. My doctor is waiting for some new drug that is supposed to be out soon. And, I keep getting worse. It sucks. I also only drink 1 cup of coffee so that clearly isn't my problem either. I hope you find something that helps.
Jane, Thank you for your reply. I have found that Treximet helps the migraines if you can take one at the onset. I can get 27 a month which isn't quite enough for dally headaches, but it is nice to have that many. They have a combination of Sumatriptin and an anti-inflammatory. That is because of the inflammation in the vessels od the head caused by the RA. It is becoming more commonly known by doctors that there is a connection. Some are slower in getting the message. I hope you find something that helps. Migraines are worse than anything else because they knock you off your feet. I can function with just about any other type of pain. Good luck, Bon
Patricia, Thank you for your reply again. It does sound bad. I didn't mean to complain so much. Was having a bad day and it seems like hit and miss and wait with the meds. Some help and some make you sick and are even deadly. It is hard not to take anything because without the meds the pain and deformities would be as bad. I don't know what to do. It just helped to let off a little steam. Usually I am able to handle this and think in many ways it makes one stronger.
Thanks again, Bon
I had heard about treximet and asked about it but I take nsaids twice a day for the RA so I can't take a migraine med with them. I take maxalt which helps too. What I hate about mine is that they wake me up in the night. If I could get to them during onset, it would be so much nicer. I can't believe that you have them so often. I feel terrible for you.
You should be able to take Treximet Jane. I take nsaids too and my doctor said it was fine. I wake up every night with a headache but they go away with that cup of coffee and the treximet or Imitrex. Maxalt is good too. I used to take that. I hope you find something to help. I also have a gel pad that stays cold to the touch and mash my head against it after take the meds and coffee. lol...Anything that helps. The day headaches aren't as easy to get rid of.
Bon
I will ask again. Thanks for the reply. You sound like you have been through enough migraine meds to know. So, I'll tell my GP that I really want to try treximet. Thank you. These headaches are debilitating. I know that you understand.
You hit home with me when you said that you look alright. I get that often as well and people dismiss my pain because they can't see it. If we had it on the outside, things would be different.
My doctor gave me samples of Treximet to see how they worded and they worked well. The first few times I was a little light headed but that went away. I also take a Panlor with it for pain. My neck and back hurt along with the migraines so the 2 pills really work well together. My doc knows I do that and sometimes add a sudafed.
Good luck and feel better soon...it would be wonderful if you could congtrol them at thr onset. Bon
That is right Jane. It is a hidden disease for the most part. Is hard for those who have to park in handicap zones and indure the looks. We just have to explain a little harder how much pain there is and maybe someone will understand. Not for sympathy but to know why we can't do everything.
Take care of yourself, Bon