• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center

Show Search
Hide Search
  • Disease Information
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Gout
    • Osteoporosis
  • Patient Corner
    • Drug Information Sheets
    • Managing Your Arthritis
    • RheumTV – Patient Education Video Library
  • Our Research
    • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
    • Current Research Studies
    • The Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education Fund
  • About Us
    • Appointment Information
    • Contact Us
    • Our Faculty
    • Our Staff
    • Rheumatology Specialty Centers
  • Donate
Home / Ask the Expert / When should a patient seek a clinic like JH?

When should a patient seek a clinic like JH?

April 26, 2007 By Arthritis Center

Question

My wife has been in treatment for supposed Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis for 10 years. It has affected her back, shoulders, neck, and spine. Though she has joint pain in her hands and knees, and several of her fingers have begun to deform, that pain is mild compared to the other. She has gone through the standard set of single and combination medications, Prednizone, Methotrexate, Remicade w/Methotrexate, Humira w/Methotrexate, and is now through the fifth infusion of Orencia. Her SED rate was 46 when she started the Orencia, and the day of her latest infusion around the 25th of Sept., it was 55. The combination of Remicade with Methotrexate worked the best, but after a while, the dosage had to be continually increased until the onset of Lupus symptoms forced her off the Remicade. She is in so much pain most of the time that she can’t stand up in one place for more than a few minutes before she starts to shake, get nasuated, and has to sit or lie down. The fatigue is chronic, and the combination of Predizone at different times and the nausea causing her to only want ‘bready’ foods or potatoes has caused severe weight gain. The latest suggestion from the Rheumatologist is to go through a couple more Orencia infusions to see if it starts working, and if not, they want to put her on Enbrel. I think it’s time to have a more in-depth study, which I’m sure our medical plan would pay for, but we don’t know where to go or how to do it. Thanks for any help you could provide.

Answer

If your wife is not doing well, then it might be worthwhile to get a second opinion. Often times a fresh look can dome up with new ideas, not matter how good your present rheumatologist may be. See the section on how to make an appointment.

Arthritis Center

Founded in 1998, the Arthritis Center at Johns Hopkins is dedicated to providing quality education to patients and healthcare providers alike.

Primary Sidebar

Ask The Expert Topics

  • Alternative Therapies
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Associated With Other Illnesses
  • Bursitis and Tendinitis
  • Corticosteroids
  • Diet and Exercise
  • Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
  • Enteropathic Arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • General Arthritis
  • Gout, Pseudogout, Other
  • Infectious Arthritis
  • Myositis
  • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Reactive Arthritis
  • Regional Pain: Back and Neck
  • Rehabilitation
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Surgical Therapy
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  • Systemic Sclerosis
  • Vasculitis
RheumTV Logo

Rheum.TV is an informational platform created to educate patients living with a rheumatic disease. With over 100 disease education videos produced by the team at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology.

Visit Rheum.TV

Footer

Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

  • Johns Hopkins Rheumatology
  • Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
  • Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center
  • Johns Hopkins Myositis Center
  • Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center
  • Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Syndrome Center
  • Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Johns Hopkins Medicine

© 2023 Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center
Patient Privacy