RA & Your Medical Team: Trust Your Instincts!

Well, here we go again!  I saw my rheumy last Friday…almost a week ago.  I left that appointment more confused than when I arrived.

My rheumy has always been open and direct, and very helpful.  Maybe she was having an off day.

Previously she told me that since I am sero-negative, she uses my CRP to gauge my disease activity.  She also told me that my labs are never super high, but they are higher than “normal”.

Previously, my CRP was 7+.  I tried and failed Humira.  I moved on to Orencia, and my CRP was reduced to a .9!  What a fantastic turn around.

I have been in a flare for two months, and quite frankly, I am getting tired of it.  My CRP is a 10 now, and I am concerned that Orencia is losing its effectiveness.

My rheumy asked why I thought Orencia was failing.  I explained that all of my joints are tender, my fatigue has increased and my CRP is 10.

She just brushed all of that off.  Her take is this:  RA flare, Fibro flare, and severe osteoarthritis in my back. 

Her solution:  Cymbalta, which I cannot take because it raises my bp.  Her second solution:  Celebrex.  I explained to her that it raises my bp.  She wasn’t impressed.

Came home, took Celebrex, which helps a whole lot. Tried it for four days, and watched my blood pressure steadily climb to a dangerous level before I called my PCP.

Thank goodness for good PCP’s.  Dr D called me back and said no more NSAIDS.  She had reviewed my chart and saw that I was maxed out on three of the four bp meds I take.

Moral of this story:  If you feel as though your doctor…any doctor…is not taking you seriously, do not just blindly accept his or her proclamations.  If you have a nagging feeling in your tummy about a treatment option you have been offered, trust your instincts.

You may need to get a second opinion.  If you are lucky enough to have a good PCP, as I do now, you can check with him/her. 

I have come to realize that specialists only focus on their specialty. They don’t treat the whole person, as they should.  That attitude is a dangerous one for those of us who have more than one serious medical condition.

My blood pressure was over 100 on the bottom, when I called my PCP.  And that was in spite of taking my prescribed bp meds.  That is a dangerous thing.  Bottom line:  You are the most important person on your medical team.  Never doubt yourself!