Kindly answer the following questions 1-I have taken 2 in infusions of remicade, third loading dose which was to be a month apart after second dose has been delayed due to an infection. I have no relief. I have problems with my insurance company, as they do not believe that the medicine is not affective on me. Are there tests which can indicate the affectivness of remicade 2-Secondly what alternate medicines are avilable, incase remicade does not continue to be affective, 3-Also please let me know if remicade works for me, will I have to stay on it LIFE LONG or at some point on can be off this drug, as I plan to move out of my present country of residence in few years and country I plan to go I would not be able to afford this medicine.
Diagnosis of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome?
I am a 52-year-old female and have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis in the spine. I have hypermobile joints and have always had poor muscle tone. In your opinion, should I be worked up for EDS?
Outcomes of Arava vs Humira for RA
Please compare the outcomes of Arava vs Humira for RA. I am 51, have been on both in the past and need to choose between them.
ANA Negative Lupus
I have had off and on periods of extreme hair loss, joint and muscle pain, fatigue and a skin rash for the past year. My PHP ran some tests thinking lupus, but the ANA came back negative. My sed rate was 32. My RF was also negative. She wants me to see a specialist, but said it is probably not lupus. Can you have a negative ANA and then it turn positive? Is the sed rate indicating something to worry about?
Pregnancy and Methotrexate
I was taking methotrexate 8 pills 1 x a week at 2.5 mg. I began last August and stopped this past March. I want to get pregnant but I have some concerns. I have been reading on the internet that there have been reported cases of birth defects such as spina bifida in women who took methotrexate prior to conception. Is waiting 6 months prior to conception long enough to get the drug out of my system?
Slow healing skin issues while taking Enbrel?
I have been regularly taking 50 mg. shots of enbrel a week for the past seven months. It has worked wonders. However, over the past six weeks I have noticed a flare of psoriasis on my scalp along the hairline and my facial skin has become increasingly sensitive, has broken out in acne and the acne lesions are very, very slow to heal. Could the slow healing be due to the enbrel? Also, should I ask my doctor about cutting back on the dosage to allow healing? Would a 50 mg shot every two weeks be a possibility or does the drug activity in my blood stream make waiting every two weeks counter productive?
