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I've been off and on meds for almost 6 years. First I was so scared of what RA would do to me I took whatever they'd give me... Bextra, then Celebrex, and MTX, Remicade. I was horrified of the side effects but more scared of going without medication. Then I started having problems with elevated liver enzymes and went off ALL meds cold turkey for about 3 months. I was miserable!! I could barely hold an easy part time desk job. So I went the natural route... I got some relief from symptoms with vitamins/supplements/diet/exercise but it wasn't stopping the progression of my disease. So back to Celebrex and I managed to get by a couple years just on that (lack of money and health insurance limited my options). Now because I have extreme fatigue, can't pick up a gallon of milk, or open doors etc I know my RA is on the war path again. Soooo I went back on meds. You just have to make sure you're armed with knowledge about the medications and potential side effects and then decide if its worth it or not to take them. I'm 26... for me, meds with some quality of life is worth the risk of side effects!