Hi all. I went for my app. at clinic yesterday, just over three months after 2nd infusion of rtx. I went armed with my list of questions. It was a very good consultation.I did not feel at all rushed. Initially it was with the nurse, but after I spoke to the doctor too. Although there is a slight improvement with rtx, it is not enough, according to my esr and das score. It was suggested that I start a new treatment called Orencia. Anyone else on it? Apparently although it has been around for sometime, it has only fairly recently been approved by nice. It seems that it has been tried fairly successfully in Manchester and seems to have many of the same side effects as all the others of its type. Anyway they are applying for funding for me. The main disadvantage for me is that it means 3 infusions, 2 weeks apart and then every month afterwards. because the hospital is over an hour away, but if it works .......
I asked about mtx inj. and yes they are more effective, because none of it is wasted as in tablets, which makes sense. They are keen for me to try inj. particularly as tab. seem to give me a funny tum the next day.At the moment Iam taking 22.5mg but in inj. this effects as 25mg. I spoke about complementary med. including mangosteen juice, and the nurse said to clear anything I was comtemplating taking with the pharmacy i.e.Boots etc. Steroids was another queery, ideally treatments should work alone but sometimes low dose steroids are nessessary too. I also had ex-rays done of my knees again but await the result of these.
And to think in the early days when I was first referred to see the rheumy doc. I was told by one G.P. that once I was on the treatment it would be as if I did not have R.A. at all. I'm still waiting!!!!!!! I was also told by my chiropodist, when she was treating me for an ulcer which had developed between my toes because of R.A. that she had been listening to a talk given by my former rheumy doc. who said that soon there would be no deformity from R.A. Lets hope that this may be so for our future generations if it is too late for some of us. My gran had R.A. and I dread to think what it was like in her generation times, at least we can hope for improvement.
Thanks for reading this, Zena x.
