DMARDs for Arthritis Q & A

I have been having pains and swelling in my joints since may. Saw my family doctor and she diagnosed it as arthritis but it did not respond to anything she did. Saw a rheamotologist on Tuesday, he says it is rheumatoid arthritis. He put me on hydroxychloroquine 200 mg, methotrexate 2.5 mg, prednisone 5 mg, and folic acid 1 mg. My question is as i am only 30 years old and work with 14 toddlers mon-fri I was wondering when I may feel some relief and be able to move without so much pain. Thanks for any information.

Since my RA diagnosis (2/6/2004), I have been treated with prednisone (10mg/day), minocycline (200mg/day), methotrexate (for 90 days, discontinued for intolerance), Arava for 5 weeks (discontinued for intestinal and bowel intolerance); and finally Humira (one dose so far). I have a significant bloom of itchy rash on my upper and lower body. My Internist and my Rheumatologist say this is a drug reaction and will resolve itself. Is it possible for a reaction like this to cause severe hives in one’s partner simply by contact while sleeping?

I am a 36 yr old female w/Still’s Disease, diagnosed 1995 at the University of Kentucky. I have had several flares in my lifetime and been on different meds each time. I am currently on Prednisone, having terrible side-effects, and my white count is getting higher along w/my sed rate and C2 reactive protein level. My doc thinks that we should consider Remicade as a course of treatment. I have found two studies on this, both with encouraging results, but was told by a different doc a few years ago that Remicade was not known to help Still’s. Can you tell me about this and what I might expect? In the past, Prednisone, Plaquenil, various NSAIDs and Methotrexate have been used for my treatment, with varying results.

I am a 45 year old female who was diagnosed with RA 8 years ago. My rheumatologist has never ordered x-rays and I am becoming concerned since my elbow and ring finger have sustained permanent deformities. Fluid was removed from my knee this year and I still have some residual swelling. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist in a few weeks and I’m not sure if it would be appropiate for me to ask for x-rays. I have been on plaquenil since the RA was diagnosed and prednisone for 1 1/2 years after the onset and this year for several months. I am becoming very concerned about joint erosion. Can the baselining to determine erosion be accomplished through the physical exam and laboratory tests alone? When do rheumatologists utilize x-rays.

I was on Methotrexate for over 6 months wihout much relief and asked for differant drugs. I had to have a ct scan and pulmonary nodules were found in the left lung. My Dr. wanted to wait 3 months and repeat the scan when nodules were found in the right lung as well. Now she wants to wait and maybe have me go to a infection control Dr. I also developed some bleeding from my kidneys. I stopped taking the methotrexate and after 2 weeks the bleeding stopped. Is it possible that the pulmonary nodules will disapper?

My son has had AS for 12 years and has been on Enbrel for approx one year with excellent results. However, he recently had a bout of uveitis in his right eye which is now being treated with steroid and dilating drops. My question is twofold; firstly does Enbrel have any impact (positive or negative) on uveitis and are there any new treatments that are effective in controlling uveitis?