Psoriatic Arthritis - Alternative To Methotrexate?
My partner has been taking methotrexate for two years but due to the effect of it lowering his immune system he has suffered many infections and problems with wounds healing etc. As a result he has had to take various antibiotics, almost continually, for the past year. He has recently had a severe bout of mouth ulceration which, after research seems to have been caused by the excessive amounts of antibiotics creating a build up of the methotrexate. Does anyone out there know of an effective, natural alternative to methotrexate
View 1 RepliesPsoriatic Arthritis - Knee Replacement
I have had psoriatic arthritis since age 30 and I am now 67. I have the usual patches on the knees and last year in June I had my left knee replacement operation and they were able to do it without cutting through the psoriasis. I have now been on the operating list 8 times for my right knee replacement and it has had to be cancelled but nobody (Surgeon, Dermatology Dept) can clear my knee for me from the psoriasis. I am desparate for the replacement knee as from my knee my right leg goes out to the side about 12" and I am two inches smaller on the right side which aggrevates the arthritis in my spine and gives me terrible pain. I cannot sit most of the time and have to lay on my side. Can anyone help. I am using Dermovate Ointment 0.5 mg clobetasol and going on a sun bed.
View 1 RepliesSulfasalazine :: Methotrexate Not Working - Psoriatic Arthritis
i was diagnosed 2 years ago and since then i have been on methotrexate but since that hasn't worked i have recently been put on sulfasalazine which i take four a day and am still on 6 methotrexate a week. i am hoping this is going to work but since i have been on this i have been having bad side effects such as really bad head aches, dizziness and feeling sick all the time and lack of appetite so hopefully that will die down over the next few months. the only thing that i have found when feeling sick is by having zantac as it helps settle the stomach.
View 1 RepliesPsoriatic Arthritis And Menopause With Anterior Uveitis
Has anybody had the associated anterior uveitis associated with psoriasis and has anybody's psoriasis been made worse with the menopause !
View 1 RepliesAutoimmune Disorders :: Psoriatic Arthritis And Sjogren's
I have psoriatic arthritis and sjogrens. I take methotrexate injections weekly and remicade infusions monthly. I still am having pain and swelling in between all of this. Does anyone else experience a lot of pain?
View 5 RepliesPsoriatic Arthritis :: Normal For My Skin To Be Itchy All The Time
I had Guttate Psoriasis thirteen years ago (just the one time, it went away not to return). Fast forward to two years ago I started getting bad pains in various joints, was told I had Burst is, then an impinged nerve and then gout and so on. At the end of January I woke with a severely swollen painful wrist. A visit to our new gp resulted in referral to the hospital and at last a diagnosis. What I want to know is, is it normal for my skin to be itchy all the time ? I don't have Skin Psoriasis. I'm not sleeping well and it's driving me mad, just bought some E45 itch relief cream which I'll put on before bed.
View 1 RepliesPre Hip Replacement Advice / Tips?
My LTHR had been scheduled for next week. During my pre op session last week the dr remarked that the pains down my left leg may be due to a spine issue, while the groin pain would almost certainly would be due to my bad left hip. He is suggesting that I see his spine colleague before he definitely goes ahead with the hip op.
My question to you hippies: before your hip op did you have pains down your leg(s) including ankle? And (this is the important bit) did the hip op get rid of the leg pains? I am thinking that if your answer is yes to both questions then maybe I should get a second opinion from another surgeon.
Hysterectomy :: Any Experiences? Tips / Advice
Having hysterectomy next tuesday. terrified.have no support at all as a bit of a recluse. i keep being told what i can and can't do after op by different medical staff so a bit confused as well. i'm 66.
View 37 RepliesHip Replacement :: Upcoming THR - Advice / Tips?
I am due to have a LTHR on May 11. Just looking for a support group to join because I'm sure I will have post-op issues that are being or have been discussed here.
I do struggle with anxiety in certain situations and I am concerned about waking up intubated (hope I don't have to), the compression hose (getting them on and off and just the restrictive nature of them), and the risk of being on blood thinners for a month (although I prefer that risk over not taking blood thinners and having a higher risk for blood clots).
I am 47 and have had hip issues since I was in high school - though never diagnosed until two years ago, I had a femoral acetabular impingement that, with diagnosis, could have been repaired years ago and I wouldn't be in this situation now, more than likely. So, I'm frustrated that this has to happen now but the impingement has caused arthritis, which is now end stage bone on bone so I need to get this done to lessen my pain and increase my mobility.
Mirtazapine Withdrawal Tips / Advice?
If anyone could share some of their experiences and perhaps advise on when this nightmare is going to end I'd really appreciate it.
I’m 34, otherwise healthy, started Mirtazapine (in some sense against my instincts) about two years ago due to severe anxiety (no depression at all) and panic attacks. My Doctor prescribed Mirtazapine 30mg, to be tapered upwards from 7.5mg.
I remember the first few days I felt a weird sensation when swallowing (simply felt like uncoordinated swallowing, where the food/drink seemed to be going at the wrong velocity towards its target). However, after a while and increasing dosage this symptom vanished more or less.
Fast forward about a year and a half forward, and (apart from helping my IBS by making me numb) - the drug was totally useless anxiety-wise. I was still feeling very bad. True, I had not gotten many panic attacks, but I found that they were just transposed with a very generalized anxiety which I believe (self-diagnosed) had almost become a phobia: I became afraid of trying new things altogether from fear of having e.g., an allergic reaction (never had any of those ever in my life and never feared them before either). I had quit sports because I could not stand the sensations involving an increase in heart rate or blood flow. Done all of the tests and all is fine with my heart and everything else for that matter. It’s all in the head but the head controls your body and your mind.
The Mirtazapine just made me numb; I could feel less love to my fiancée (now wife!) and cared less about the world in general. Realizing that I had just become more anxious (if less panicky) the Doc upped the dosage to 45mg. What a disaster. More than a month afterwards I was just getting more and more anxious on a daily basis.
Eventually, AMA, I decided that going on Mirtazapine was the biggest mistake of my life. I started tapering, very VERY slowly. I think I went from 45 to 15mg with relative ease, taking more than two weeks at a time to decrease the dosage by 3-4mg at a time. Each time, I would feel great for 2 days, then start developing quite severe cramps and feel lousy for another week or so, then I’d get slightly better. Knowing that I am really ultrasensitive to any change in physiological parameters I tapered from 15mg to 3.75mg in a turtle’s pace: 3.75mg at a time, with more than a month (and even two sometimes) between each taper. I have a PhD in Chemistry so I know what I’m doing. Again, every time, after 2-3 victorious days where I’d feel like I’ve conquered mount Everest, I’d then feel lousy for 4-8 days; but then things would seem to be a bit better. Weirdly, at the lower doses of 7.5mg and 3.75mg I started again experiencing swallowing difficulties; I started choking on water and became very mindful of my swallowing dyscoordination. Still I felt altogether quite alright – and I believed that the remainder would be similar.
How wrong was I. I have come off it completely exactly two weeks ago. Again 2-3 days where I felt fine, then a few more days with cramps. Then, good old panic hit, with terrible anxiety that just keeps getting worse and worse. I feel terrible weakness, zero energy, I have withered due to loss of appetite (since when I eat my stomach just cramps a few hours later; actually not so bad since I had put on some weight during my time on Mirtazapine). I feel completely overwhelmed by the symptoms: every time there is something new. I feel weird tingling sensations and I have strange feelings of pressure in my stomach. I get dizzy a lot and then just feel weak. My muscles are sore without any reason. I was certain that these issues would resolve in a few days; Mirtazapine’s half-life is quite long and I know that receptors can take 2-3 weeks to get re-modulated (actually that’s why they always say that the beneficial effects of Mirtazapine will take around 2-3 weeks to become effective when you go on it). But I did not expect this gradual and horrible worsening of symptoms over the last 14 days. I have had to start treatment with Benzo’s (as needed, I try to avoid them but sometimes there’s just no way around it) and they seem to help in some instances, whereas in others they only seem to do a moderate/poor job at managing the symptoms. For the first time in my life yesterday I suffered from ED. Never happened to me before and despite a very supporting and loving wife, I felt that was yet another crushing blow. The weird thing is that all these things are not getting me depressed – just really anxious.
I can only hope that things will start to get better. I have no idea when these things would begin to get back on track. Doctors seem to be quite oblivious to my suffering, not really believing that withdrawal could be so powerful yet not finding ANYTHING else wrong. The situation is really frustrating.
One thing is clear to me: I’m never, EVER going back on this horrendous drug. It was a huge mistake beginning with it, and for all of you who need these kind of drugs: ask your GP or Psychiatrist what are the withdrawal difficulties expected for the medication. I know I sure wish I had asked it.
Having My First Colonoscopy - Experience / Tips / Advice?
Chances are you are having your first colonoscopy too like me. I have decided to stop reading everyones stories about their colonoscopy experiences and to write about mine, mainly to stop myself freaking out. So hear goes, today I went to the hospital to collect my bowel prep, 'moviprep' pretty sure someone with a great sense of humour decided to call it that, good old bowel prep or perhaps 'bog hugger' might be more apt. Somehow I don't think a movie with the popcorn will ever be the same for me now. Anyway, spoke to a lovely nurse, who explained how to take the stuff, what I couldn't eat etc and about the procedure, and she didn't sugar coat it. So as I have to be at the hospital for 7.30am on Wednesday, I am allowed breakfast tomorrow before 9am. I can drink clear fluids all day. I have decided to stock up on energy drinks to take throughout the day, nurse said it was ok. I then start the moviprep between 5pm and 7pm, I have to mix a and b sachet in a litre of fluid and drink it, and drink 500ml of clear fluid after. Then I wait or maybe hug the loo, will let you know, loo permitting. Then the leaflet says rest for 2 hours, not sure if their interpretation of rest is the same as mine lol. Anyhow between 9pm and 11pm I have to mix another two sachets in 1 litre of water along with 500ml clear fluid to wash it down. It then says at 11pm or when you stop going to the toilet you can go to bed. MMMh. Well the nurse said as she went through the leaflet with me, "you might find you actually don't stop going to the loo". She then asked me if I had any worries. I said I was worried that I might poop my pants on the way to the hospital, (sorry a bit graphic, but do we all not feel that way). She did say some people do do, and suggested I wear a sanitary pad or the like. I also said I was worried it would hurt, whilst she didn't say it would or wouldn't, she said it could be very uncomfortable and for a few days afterwards too, but it affects everyone differently and that things settle once you get back eating and using the toilet normally again.
I am going to drink plenty of water and have a light diet of toast and eggs for lunch and some plain white rice and chicken tonight as although I wasn't advised to it seems it is better to avoid foods with any fibre in them. Probably have egg and toast for breakfast in the morning, then I am going to keep really busy till 5pm 'D' (for diarrhoea) Day as I am calling it.
I sincerely hope that I am sounding upbeat and chilled about this whole experience, that's my aim. In reality I am scared senseless, (poo less!!! - hopefully I will be by 11pm tomorrow night ha ha).
Because like everyone else not only is there the worry of the procedure there is the worry of what might be found.
Omeprazole :: Weaning Off Tips And Advice?
I need help in weaning of Omeprazole. I have been a 20Mg a day user since 2002 and the last 5 years have been hell. I am now at the point that I really need to get off this drug, whatever my GP is saying. Does anyone have any tips and suggestions on how they got off the pills. The daily symptoms I'm having is terrible.
View 31 RepliesPenis Circumcision Booked - Any Before/after Tips Or Advice?
I'm getting circumcised in 2 weeks time. Spare the 'don't do it' because I won't change my mind - sorry! haha. I'm 33 so have thought long and hard enough about it. Unless your in the same position, it's rather hard to understand but I have always felt like I should have been circumcised at birth.
What I was hoping for was to gain some before and after tips from those who have also had it done.
BEFORE
My doc said to not take any fish oil for a few days beforehand because this will increase the blood flow.
Can anyone comment of things which also should not or even should be taken which can decrease the blood flow? I regularly take vitamins, would it be best to cut these out also?
AFTER
Self dissolving stitches are used but I have read to take these out after 10 days to limit 'train track' scarring from appearing.
If there is any excess bleeding, cold compression should be used for 10 minutes every hour to stop.
Wear jocks to have the penis position upwards towards your heart to promote recovery.
Can anyone comment if it's a good idea to use anti scaring creams afterwards? I read Mederma and Vit-E Serum is quite good. Would you use anything directly after surgery, or only when the stitches are out?
So for those who have had it done, any tips or advice to help with a more successful recovery would AWESOME!
Hip Replacement :: A Right Choice? Experience / Tips / Advice?
I've pondered my own need for a hip replacement. I'm sports mad and always have been, playing competitive squash for 20 years (probably the cause of my hip degeneration), followed by many years of rowing and subsequently cycling - which I still do with a passion. I was diagnosed with arthritis about 6 years ago (at 52) and have lived with it since then. Mine's been odd - I've never had the excruciating pain that most people seem to complain of - pain, yes - but bearable. My main issue has been with a gradual loss of range of movement. At this stage, I can barely tie a shoe on my right foot, putting a sock on is a nightmare - and cutting toe nails on that foot is pretty much impossible. But in the absence of severe pain and being still able to cycle with relatively little discomfort, I've never really known what to do about getting it fixed. That being said, I did decide to do something about it this year - and it looks as if I may actually be going in to get it done next week!! As I'm sure most of you did pre-op, I'm feeling pretty apprehensive - and still questioning whether I'm doing the right thing, even though I know I'm having many more 'bad days' and that the constant lack of a full quality of life is getting me down. So I guess I'm curious as to whether anyone has been in a similar position - and whether all you experienced hippies think I'm doing the right thing.
View 41 RepliesMirtazapine Withdrawal - Tapering Off Tips / Advice?
I started withdrawing from Mirtazapine back in Jan of this year, from 7.5mg. I got the liquid version and tapered down by 0.5ml (.75mg) initially every week, but had to stop that and start by dropping a day a week as I got withdrawals etc. I have been doing very well and was able to drop back to dropping it over 4-5 weeks. I got down to 0.1.5ml and the withdrawals kicked in, nausea, anxiety, sleep problems, cramps, etc etc. I stayed where I was for a few weeks but as things didn't really improve I continued to drop down to 0.1ml. During this time I have had some ok days and some awful days. Yesterday and today have been awful, dreadful low mood, very tired, anxiety and horrid nausea again.
My question is, initially I was going to go down to 0.5ml then taper off that to nothing, but the thought of another 3 months before being off it completely terrifies me. I am thinking about starting to taper off 1 night a week, over the next 7 weeks at the 0.1ml, but wonder if the withdrawals will be worse than ever!
id appreciate some advice. I have done the taper so ridiculously slowly, that I am now just fed up with the whole thing, and want to get back to normal again.
i was initially put on it as in Feb last year I had the flu, and was left with anxiety, my GP then prescribed Propranolol which gave me insomnia, and so it went on from there! The Mirt only made me sleep in the first week on being on it. I started it in June 2013, so been on it just over a year and have been withdrawing from it since Jan this year.
Rectocele And Cystocele Repair - Advice / Tips?
I'm due to have Rectocele and cystocele repair. I had my last consultation with my surgeon back in August 2015 had my pre op assessment in September. I was told I would be in for surgery around December and I'm still waiting, I spoke to someone at the gynae waiting list team today and they said I'm not even on the list yet as they are so far behind. I completely understand that they are busy and their are woman out there a lot worse then me it's just that walking and lifting is becoming a real pain and I'm sick of taking co dydramol which blocks me up when I already struggle to go to the toilet for a bm.
Sorry for ranting I just wondered if anybody had any advice as I'm starting feel like I'm moaning all the time to my husband.
Hysterectomy Scheduled - Any Advice / Tips / Experience?
Well my date for my hysterectomy is in two days ( Wednesday) I'm absolutely petrified, I'm not sleeping and I feel so nervous.
Any advice from any of you lovely ladies would be so much appreciated right now. Because at this point in time I feel like running in the opposite direction.
Hallux Valgus (Bunions) Scheduled - Tips / Advice?
So, I have my date! June! Excited and nervous all at the same time, I'm reading lots lately about swelling, pain and being off your feet longer than you thought. This IS a difficult surgery, and I know it's not going to be easy. Trying to put some positive vibes out, and remembering why you did this, is anyone brave enough to show off their tootsies? Maybe before and after? A lot to ask I know.
View 53 RepliesCyst /fibroid Removal Scheduled - Advice / Tips?
I am going in tomorrow to have my cyst and fibroid removed.could anyone tell me what happens once you get there.i have to go for 11 am an have been told I should go down by 2pm.
View 31 Replies