Cheltenham racecourse - small world hey! We will have to meet up sometime! We've had some of the best fun at the racecourse over the last couple of years at Wychwood Music festival :)

Dear Zoe,

I have not been on the forum yesterday but just read your post in horror!

Firstly, I am SO sorry you have been treated in this appalling manner and I would advise firstly to never return to the Drs you have been treated by thus far; I am sorry, but to advise you to come of MTX and carry on with morphine is both unprofessional and neglectful.

A second opinion is most definitely needed- like the other lovely ladies have suggested, ring NRAS for some advice and also tell your GP you're not satisfied with this treatment and you'd like another opinion. As patients we are perfectly within our rights to have as many opinions as we feel we need!

From what you have described it sounds to me as if you DO have RA! RA is a mysterious disease in many ways, and not all GPs know much about it however a rheumatologist should do. I am not sure how long you have been on MTX but it needs a good few months to work properly with a tritrating dose, beginning at 7.5mg and usually going up t about 15mg to 25mg (max dose for RA).

A steroid jab is usually administered before /when beginning MTX pr other DMARDS to help receive the benefit of the drug as the lower the CRP the better chance the drug has to work in the body.

I have had RA nearly all my life and so know it to be a very erratic and unpredictable illness. The best marker for active inflammation is definitely the CRP, the ESR is good but it shows overall inflammation in the body, so when one has a cold or infection this will rise. Normal CRP level is 0-8. Rheumatologists when faced with obvious swellings and hot joints will not be surprised if the CRP reading is 40+, but the patient will probably be feeling rather ill.

MTX is the number one med used for treating RA nowadays- over the years this has changed many times. There are many other meds out there to try and one has to sometimes try a few to see which their body will be agreeable to and help the rheumatoid.

I really hope you receive the help you deserve and please know we are all here to support you as much as we can. You're never be alone again!

Much love,
Amanda

Hi Zoe

I live in Stratford and am treated under Warwick/Stratford hospitals. I was diagnosed with RA 10 years ago but have probably had it all my life; I've been seen by various consultants since I was 18 months old and was finally diagnosed when I was 22 due to the level of joint damage in my hands. I only moved to Stratford 5 years ago so the lack of diagnosis wasn't due to local hospitals. However, having been under 3 different hospitals since I was diagnosed I've seen vast differences in the level of treatment offered.

I've been on mtx of 6 years but the consultant has recommended I have a couple of months break as I've started to develop side effects over the last 6-9 months. I've only been off it for 2.5 weeks and I'm ok at the moment but I was only on 7.5mg.

My advise would be to keep pestering the doctors both the GP and Rheumy. If necessary ask to see a different consultant. When I was a kid several doctors had my mother down as neurotic but she was proved right in the end! You know your body best and you need to get the doctors to listen to you.

If you want a chat, I'm happy to do that by email or to meet up.

Sian

Hi, I have only just caught up with this post. I am appalled at your treatment or lack of! I really hope you have managed to sort something out by now.

Take care

Deb x