SK that sounds like my grandmother, but she also had twisted and knotty hands and mine are starting to look like her's already. I'm glad your meds are working so well and you had a good day with grandchildren! I have three tiny grandaughters and want to be able to be active with them as well. I hope what you are taking now is a miracle for you. It sounds like you are doing great on it. Hope you feel that good tomorrow too!
2trees, Your statement has jolted me into action. I have been putting off findind a good rhuemy because my other one was so difficult, and now I'm going to stop putting this off and get in to a new one and get meds.
2trees said:
My motto is "fear the disease not the meds" I have only pain without humira and MTX . I have spine and all large joint involvement. At first the rheum talked me into taking MTX it worked and rapid (very rapid) disease progression scared me more than the meds. I really feel healthy on these drugs and am a hysterical mess without them . It is definitely a
personal choice though good luck :).
Hi Shawn,
Yes, my grandmother's hands were knotted and gnarled too, I am even having trouble opening and closing zip lock bags, but my real big problem is my back. I cannot even stand up straight sometimes, and my Mom told me this morning that her Great Aunt Molly was so bent over that she could not get her head above waist level. That is not for me! Not if there is a highly celebrated break through treatment out there, especially one that does not involve the torture! I have been through the torture, I swore I would never go back for more! My GP handles my pain for me, no one else!
I surely over did it yesterday, but I had a great day, have not had one of those for a long, long time, but over doing it happens when you spend such a large part of your life not being able to do the things that need to be done! Of course the Grand kids come before the work, but you have to keep the place as clean as you can for them.
SK
Shawn said:
SK that sounds like my grandmother, but she also had twisted and knotty hands and mine are starting to look like her's already. I'm glad your meds are working so well and you had a good day with grandchildren! I have three tiny grandaughters and want to be able to be active with them as well. I hope what you are taking now is a miracle for you. It sounds like you are doing great on it. Hope you feel that good tomorrow too!
It took 9 weeks for me to feel a difference, 12 for me to be amazed with the difference.
Yeah, those drugs are scary. I will hopefully be starting Humira in less than two weeks. I actually haven’t tried any of the DMARDs. I’m 30 years old and my wife and I are planning on having another baby soon. My rhuemetologist said that all of the DMARDs have the side effect of decreasing fertility in men. Some days even with 20mg prednisone, 30mg mobic, 150mg tramadol in me I can’t pick up my six year old son without really significant pain in my hands and wrists. Last year I was deadlifting 365lbs for reps with no pain. Now a full bottle of water hurts. Am I scared of Humira and the other biologics? You bet, but I’m more scared of not treating the disease I have and winding up crippled. Sure, there’s a risk involved with taking them, but I shoot guns as a hobby and there’s always a risk one of them will blow up on me. It doesn’t stop me from shooting them, I just make sure I do everything I can to be safe-I’ll do the same thing when I’m taking Humira. Fear is healthy, it keeps you alive. Just make sure it doesn’t keep you from living. Good luck. I’ll post my initial thoughts on Humira May 31 or June 1.
shawn no need to worry about whining thats what i love about this site....yuc an say whatever you want and you know that others that are reading can relate and its WONDERFUL to have people type into words what you are feeling and know that your not alone.....
trish
Shawn said:
Trish, I was diagnosed in Oct or 2011 and have only been on piroxicam and meloxicam. I am in the same boat as you are. My grand father died of lymphoma, so I am horrified when I hear the Embrel commercials. I am around children all the time, being an art teacher, and can't imagine doing that with a lowered immune system. So far the anti inflammatories really do nothing. I can watch the joints in my fingers changing and swelling daily, and know that the progression in all my joints is happening way too fast. I'm active and have horses and two new baby grandaughters, I can't let this thing progress at this speed. Besides the joints, my skin is itchy all over my body...just tiny little chill bump size bumps, but they inflame red with stress and itch like hell, including my scalp. I should be grateful to not have the obvious silver plaque psoriasis, but this is maddening and sometimes I totally freak out about it. I hate this disease, I have no idea why I picked such a sucky disease! lol. Sorry to whine and be of no help, I am new here too and just spilling my gutts.
Hello everyone:
i have read and reread all the replies and wow my mind keeps changing from moment to moment as to what i think i should do. Here is my update: After two blood tests of my liver functions being in the gray zone, which means my levels are slightly raised and no relief from methotrexate or my pain med meloxicam that my Dr says that the only choice i have is to start Enbrel. My gut tells me to wait to try that as my body seems to be the type that reacts badly to meds no matter what type they are. As an example the drops they put into your eyes to dilate them I can taste them and was told that only 1 out of something like 100,000 people can taste them.... when i take percosit (?spelling) I get manic and stay awake for 36 hours off one pill - get hives from morphine - the list goes on - so when i read the percent of the chances of getting side effects i dont think i fall within the "normal" range i feel like I am at a much higher risk of getting the nastier life changing side effects and afraid that the med wouldnt even help me. so here i sit still scared and confused but i can say that i dont feel alone or that I am crazy anymore and that has to do mostly with this group. All of you have made that possible and i wouldnt know what to do without this group. THANK YOU EVERYONE.........
Trish
Trish, I did my second injection of Humira two days ago. I can now pick up my six year old son without pain or the fear that I’ll drop him. We played catch in the side yard today 
Am I still a little scared that something horrible will happen as a side effect? Sure, but let’s be honest, all manner of horrible things could happen at any time for any reason. It’s hard enough to have a disease like this, don’t live your life in fear too. Good luck to all who read this-live your life, not your fears.