Conflicting Advice
So I'm getting conflicting sets of advice from my regular physician and my rheumatologist.
My rheumy wants to put me on Humira. In fact, I was supposed to start today. I went for a second opinion from my family physician and got one. She said that in her opinion is was the wrong time of year (cold and flu season) to start a trial of Humira and advised me to wait until spring.
In the mean time she prescribed me Celebrex which is working GREAT. My pah level as I write this is a zero. But I'm concerned about being on an NSAID long term.
I don't know which drug to be more concerned about or not concerned about, the biologic or the NSAID? I'm consulting with a second rheumatologist to help me try and sort through what to do but it's going to take me weeks to get in. In the mean time I'm faced with having to go back to my other rheumy and tell her that I've decided to wait on the biologic. She can be a bit curt so I'm not sure how she'll react to that. (Cleveland Clinic has great docs but they can be a little prickly about having their advice questioned.)
I know the folks that run the site here can't dispense medical advice but does anyone else have any advice they might be able to give? I want to make sure I'm treating my PsA properly but the conflicting advice isn't helping.
I’ve been fighting psa for about 25 to 30 years,also ankylosis spondylitis. I was on Enbrel for the last 12yrs and it helped me quit a lot. I tried Humira for a couple months but had to stop because I had bad reactions to it. I’m also on pain meds. I’ve been on cosentex for the last five months and it’s helped a lot more with my inflammation,but not to much with my back pain. My pain level never goes below about 5.
If you can control your pain and inflammation with Celebrex I wouldn’t go for biologics. But as for me it’s the best help I’ve had. I hope this info helps.Side note: I also get a flu shot every fall.
Thanks for the advice, Curtis.
There's an expression I've heard - fear the disease, not the medicine. And I think I've reached that point. Been dealing with a PsA diagnosis for about 4 years now - that's when it got really bad. But I suspect I've had it longer. Little things I couldn't explain in my late 30s and early 40s make more sense now.
I'm at a point now where I'm less afraid of the biologic and more afraid of what the inflammation is doing to my body. I miss the man I used to be. And if Humira can get me back to being that man, if I can live my 50s the way I lived my early 40s, or close to it, then the biologic would be a godsend.
Yes, the risks concern me. But honest, right now, the PsA concerns me more. As does being on Celebrex long-terms since I've recently developed high blood pressure.
Hi Sean!
I think you should definitely be able to explain to your Rheumatologist what your concerns are. Maybe instead of phrasing it in the context of "my PCP thinks you're wrong" you could instead say "My PCP has put me on Celebrex and my pain level is a 0. If my pain is 0 could that mean there is no further damage/inflammation happening?"It's been my experience with Rheumys that they'll escalate therapies as necessary. If the Celebrex is managing your inflammation and no further joint damage is occurring, well that's the goal! Just be honest about your concerns and your relief and ask for the Rheumy's feedback with a genuine ear.
Let us know how you make out!
-Victoria, Community Moderator
I think taking a biologic can help with stopping further damage I don’t think it will reverse any.
