[Hellstryker]

My mom was recently diagnosed with RA. I normally wouldn't post about this, but you see, the doctor prescribed her somthing called Darveset, which is apparently no more effective than aspirin, and prescribed her no DMARDs. She is not concerned in the least, knows nothing about the disease, and gladly carries on with her life. To make matters worse a "friend" (AKA a opium addicted moron who gives the most ****ed over advice on the face of the planet) told her she's basicly fine. WHAT THE ****?

[Herra Tohtori]

...told her she's basicly fine. WHAT THE ****?

I concur.



Doesn't especially shout "fine" to me...


None of the autoimmune disorders are something to trifle with, they will affect life at some fashion or other... some more than others. However, about medication - human mind can have a lot of influence over the effect of any drug, and the placebo effect shouldn't be disregarded; if you mother things the medication reduces pain and in general helps, it might actually do so.

Additionally, there could be acceptable medical reasons as to why she wasn't prescribed DMARDs - her disease might not be developed far enough for the benefits to be worth the side effects (most DMARDs have adverse effects from toxicity to various body parts), for example. Then again it could be a crappy doctor, but I dunno... I suppose finding out as much as possible about the disease from credible sources (no druggies for advice is highly suggested), then discuss about it with the doctor. If you know about the disease, it's easier for the doctor to explain why they're doing what they're prescribing at a given moment.

[colecampbell666]

Man, my grandfather had to get a knee replacement due to rheumatoid. This is a debilitating disease, he couldn't move for a year before his operation. Now he's quite elevated from his former  state. I'd get a second opinion.

[vyper]

I'd shove the doctor off a bridge.

[Hellstryker]

So would I, i'm still trying to get it sorted out...

[Flipside]

Depends how severe it is, there's varying degrees of arthritis, from the sort that gives you muscle twinges on cold morning to ones that can cripple you with constant pain.

At the moment, there isn't a vast amount that can be done, it's really business as normal until the situation develops into something that can be treated, there's certainly no point operating on someone until they need an operation, Doctors would often consider that an unnecessary procedure, and therefore an unnecessary risk. Doctors are held directly responsible for anything that goes wrong in an operating theatre, particularly in the US, and that's creating a generation of Doctors and Surgeons who are becoming more and more unwilling to operate unless they absolutely have to.

[Mars]

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease, as such it's fairly unpredictable and almost certainly not fully curable. It could well be that the best thing the doctor can do for her is put her on pain killers. It's progressive, so it will get worse over time, but how quickly that happens is not a set thing.

Stay calm, but tell her to get checked for other autoimmune diseases. They do tend to come in packs.