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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/9/2010
Posts: 73
Location: Surrey
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Hi everyone... I'm Ellie, another "newby".
I have had RA for over 30 years but only found out about NRAS during the last year...and what a great site it is.
I'm not having a good RA year this year. I've been on MTX for over 4 years but because of intolerance to the tablets, have been injecting for the last 18 months. However, this seems to have affected my immune system considerably as I have had three chest infections since May and because I was advised by Rhuematology to stop MTX whilst taking antibiotics, I am now having to cope with one of the longest and painful flare ups ever.
However, on the plus side I have a wonderful husband who is a mountain of support and a great Specialist Nurse who is going to give me a steroid injection either today or tomorrow so I should have the pain and stiffness under control very soon.
I think that being able to interact with people on this site who are also living with this awful condition will be of great comfort into the future.
I look forward to sharing experiences and advice.
Best wishes...
Ellie
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 1,524 Location: W. Yorkshire
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Hello Ellie and welcome to the forum no one wants be on! I'm 59, diagnosed for 2 years and currently on Humira and MTX, I also have type 1 diabetes. So glad you have support around you-it's so important!  YES I'VE CHANGED, PAIN DOES THAT TO PEOPLE.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/8/2010 Posts: 914
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Hi Ellie, I'm Lorna, I am married to my husband Ken for 28 years and we have 3 lovely daughters. I have had RA for 3 years, I was very ill in the beginning but having been on the triple therapy I keep well now. Glad you have found the forum we are all here to help. look forward to your postings. Lorna 
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/25/2010 Posts: 1,289 Location: Buckinghamshire
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hi Ellie,
welcome to the Forum ... sorry to hear you've been suffering for 30 years and are in a bad flare right now.
i was diagnosed in June and currently on 20mg Methotrexate and although it's helped slightly not enough so i go for a review at the end of the month.
i'm 57 married with a grown up Daughter.
keep posting you will get lots of support and information,
Suzanne x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/9/2010
Posts: 73
Location: Surrey
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Thank you very much for your warm welcomes - such responses cheers you up straight away.
Julie...
I have never heard of Humira - would like to know more, please?
Lorna...
Can you tell me more about "triple therapy", please?
Suzanne...
Sorry to hear that MTX does not appear to be working very well but I'm sure something will be found that suits you - it's all trial and error to begin with in my experience.
Once again, thank you for your kind responses.
Best wishes...
Ellie
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,157 Location: Huddersfield
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Hi Ellie,
Welcome to the forum. You'll get lots of friendly support and advice on here.
I'm, 61, have had RA for almost 10 years and take mtx and humira (which is an anti-tnf drug).
So glad you have good support at home, that is something we all need .Hope the steroid injection works well for you.
Looking forward to getting to know you.
Doreen xx
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/9/2010
Posts: 73
Location: Surrey
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Dear Doreen... Thank you for your post and BTW I love your avatar - just wish my feet could do that again!  Best wishes... Ellie
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 1,749 Location: Somerset
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Hello Ellie
Welcome to the forum although sorry that you have RA and going through
a bad time at the moment.
I hope you get depo inject tomorrow - I had one 4 weeks ago and I am
certainly less painful/
I am Rose from Somerset aged 56 diagnosed 2 yrs ago and still trying
to get medication right - failed on 3 DMARDS and should be starting on a
TNF before Christmas.
Keep posting
Rose
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/9/2010
Posts: 73
Location: Surrey
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Hello Rose...
Thank you for your welcome post. I am 60 and, as I said in my intro, I have had RA for over 30 years and for most of that time I have to say that, with the help of medication and care of loved ones, it has been manageable.
Right now it's being a real pain but I am getting my steroid injection Friday, so all should be a lot easier soon.
Best wishes...
Ellie
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 1,524 Location: W. Yorkshire
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ellie50 wrote:Thank you very much for your warm welcomes - such responses cheers you up straight away.
Julie...
I have never heard of Humira - would like to know more, please?
Lorna...
Can you tell me more about "triple therapy", please?
Suzanne...
Sorry to hear that MTX does not appear to be working very well but I'm sure something will be found that suits you - it's all trial and error to begin with in my experience.
Once again, thank you for your kind responses.
Best wishes...
Ellie
Hi again Ellie, HUMIRA is used in adults to reduce the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, like joint pain and swelling. It may also help prevent further damage to your bones and joints, and improve your ability to perform daily activities. HUMIRA is a prescription medication taken by injection. It can be used alone or with methotrexate or with certain other medications. I'd already tried MTX on it's own and then hydroxychloraquine (sp?!) with not much success. YES I'VE CHANGED, PAIN DOES THAT TO PEOPLE.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/9/2010
Posts: 73
Location: Surrey
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Thank you Julie...
I think I had better update myself regarding what is available on the current market and perhaps discuss the options with my Consultant at my next appointment.
I expect I'll find all I need to know on this website but thank you for telling me about H.
Best wishes...
Ellie
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 1,749 Location: Somerset
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Ellie
Good luck for your injection - It doesn't hurt and you should begin to feel a difference after about a week.
Rose
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/1/2010
Posts: 255
Location: hampshire
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Hi Ellie
Welcome to the forum. I'm Sue(58), a teacher with 3 grownup children, the youngest in her last year at uni. I was diagnosed this time last year although I now think I had had it for a while. I'm on mtx and hydrox but am proving very sensitive to mtx (just had a rant on the RA forum about that!) I have it fairly mildly compared to many on here but it can still be a struggle sometimes. This forum has been a godsend.
Take care
Sue
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,689 Location: Durham
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Hello Ellie, and welcome to the forum - lots of empathy and info on here. I was diagnosed in Jan 2006, on the same day as my oldest grandson`s first birthday! I`ve been on various DMARDs/combinations of DMARDs etc, and for the last three years I have been taking humira, same as Doreen and Julie, and it has made an enormous difference to my quality of life. Keep posting, Kathleen x
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/8/2010 Posts: 914
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Hi Ellie, You asked about the triple therapy, I was started on all three of my drugs at once plus painkillers and stomach protectors at the time of diagnoses. I was on MTX, Hydroxachloroquine, and Sulphasalazine ans Folic Acid, the stomach protector was Omeprazole and the pain killer was melexocam, plus paracetamol. Three years on I have no pain and I never thought I would be pain free again at the start of all this. The Triple therapy is what we in Scotland are put on at the time of diagnoses to aggressively treat RA in the hope of remission. In my case it appears to have worked lets hope it stays that way. Hope this is a help to you. Lorna x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/9/2010
Posts: 73
Location: Surrey
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Hi Lorna...
Thank you for describing "triple therapy" - what an amazing collection of medication all at once but it worked for you ... brilliant.
I think my next appointment with my Consultant at the beginning of December is going to be more interesting that usual and I'm going to need a little more than the standard 10 minutes this time!
Since joining this website I feel I am on a very valuable learning curve which is going to help support me and my husband now and into the future.
Just being able to talk to the members like they are my friends about RA and all its implications is so comforting.
Thank you again Lorna for your post.
Kind regards...
Ellie
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 2,237 Location: nr Southampton
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Hello and Welcome from me Ellie! I felt sure I had replied yesterday but the gremlins obviously got in there....! I am Jenni, 34, married, 3 children who are 15, 13 and 3. I have had ra since I was 20 so a long while now. My gran is in her 80s and sadly has had it since her mid teens. Triple therapy, as mentioned above is one of the most effective treatments for the RA- some research showing it is even better than the anti-tnfs (humira is an example of an anti-tnf). There is a great article on here for people seeking modern RA treatment advice http://www.nras.org.uk/a...pital_consultation.aspx
several of us are on facebook, by all means "friend" me and I can introduce you to everyone. Welcome again Jenni xx how to be a velvet bulldoser
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 2,237 Location: nr Southampton
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should have said I am Jenni B-l on there! how to be a velvet bulldoser
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