Need help please

I understand anxiety, or even fear, when facing decisions about immunosuppressant medications. It’s true they can be life changing - in both positive and negative ways. When choosing whether to treat RA, I believe it is important to realize there is a cost to our bodies of not treating. RA can significantly affect joints and organs. It’s important to ask our doctors, what will happen if we don’t treat? Personally, I have been on several oral conventional DMARDs and a variety of biologics. For me personally, oral DMARDs have caused the most uncomfortable day to day side effects. After several trials, we have found a biologic that has helped dampen down my daily RA symptoms. I take it and hydroxychloroquine. I am not in remission, but am improving finally. Infection is definitely a concern on any immunosuppressant - DMARD or biologic. Again, personally, I have experienced less infections as my RA gets under control and off of certain DMARDs. This is one of those areas that is highly unique to individuals. I Hope for you to find support and comfort in deciding on your treatment plan and much more comfort from your RA symptoms very soon, Jo

Hi . Your concerns and confusion over the decision to treat your RA is understandable. First, I have to echo in saying that every case is unique and the decision has to come down to the individual. I know this can sound like a little bit of a copout, but is also the truth. One of our contributors referred to it as the risk to risk ratio - weighing the risk of particular treatments against the risk of the potential damage from RA.
I do want to tell you about my wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here). She was diagnosed at age two, 45 years ago - before modern treatments with the damage to show for it. She has used a wheelchair since her teens. Now, her case is particularly virulent, but we have had the conversation with her rheumatologist on more than one occasion about the hope that children diagnosed today will not get the same level of damage. Of course, some cases are not near so aggressive, which illustrates the point about individual decision making. That said, how an autoimmune condition will impact a body is often unknown and unseen (such as impacts on organs).
It is important to have this open conversation with your doctor and to make sure your concerns are being heard. Whatever you decide, please know that this community is here for you and please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing and to ask additional questions. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)

I have been on Orencia infusions for almost 15 years. I have that in conjunction with methotrexate and my RA stays under control. I have minor pains, particularly in the morning or if I am fatigued but I deal with that with the Tylenol.

Yes