Good question! I just stopped taking Celebrex voluntarily, after several years, because I'm tired of stomach pain and worrying about ulcers. I have not had ulcers, but I have reflux, and a lot of other digestive issues common to RA. One of my sisters (who has polymyalgia rheumatica, not RA) ended up throwing up blood - she was taking both prednisone and Aleve - where was her doctor's brain ??? Aleve is the worst for stomach bleeding because it's a COX-1 inhibitor rather than COX-2 which is less risky.
When you say, "any more NSAIDS", does that mean you are taking some and feel you need more? Or you are not taking anything at all?
I do take some Tylenol, and on occasion have also taken Percocet (Tylenol with codeine) if things are out of control. I can't take too much of anything however, or I regret the side effects.
My main med for RA is Enbrel, and I've taken that for 4+ years. I have gotten somewhat back into meditation and also started Tai Chi. That may not help you enough by itself.
After a couple of years of this, I am becoming resigned to the fact, that I can accommodate some pain, but after a certain point, risk is necessary. That point can vary, depending on exactly what is happening, and how many demands are placed on my body (by me or other circumstances - there are choices we do make, some help, some hurt!)
Keep in touch, and let us know what's happening. Are you waiting for some test results? What exactly are your symptoms?
and by the way - WELCOME!
Ellen
She (my pcp) doesn't want me taking nsaids at all. Im diabetic and she's worried they'll ruin my kidneys and raise my blood pressure. I didn't realize how much they were helping me until i stopped them. I was taking celebrex, naprosyn and ibuprophen, kind of alternating, to not get too much of one, but she wants me off all of them. Tylenol does absolutely nothing. Ultram takes it down to about half. Lately, I've been feeling it in my hands, feet, back, knees, back of my knees and back of my thighs. I don't know what's wrong with me yet. My RF came back negative today. I've got a feeling something is still brewing but hasn't gotten bad enough to diagnose. All I know is Im in lots of pain and I don't want to get on the narcotics train because that one is too hard to get off. I guess I just have to bite the bullet as long as the pain is bearable. But it does drain me something awful.