Now the folks here can offer a bit more help.  Remember we're not
doctors and the name of the group includes the
word "support."   That's a shoulder to cry on, share our chocolates,
brags about our kids and grandkids, post jokes,
share our successes and failures, direct readers to medical sources
such as the Arthritis Foundation, Totally Hip,
KickAS (ankylosing spondylitis), and government sites.

There is no such thing as a "cure."  DMARDS - disease modifying drugs
- can "slow" the advance of arthritis, but nothing
can "repair" damage already caused by it.  Nothing short of a joint
replacement, and many of the folks in this group have
had one or more.  I've met a 29-year-old lady who had 3 total joint
replacements.

This is a warning in case any doctor tells you "you're too young."
They are living in the stone age or beyond.  No one
is "too young" to improve the quality of their life by replacing
damaged joints which contribute to pain and reduce their
range of motion (ROM).   Original parts used in joint replacement had
an expected life of 5 or 6 years and doctors did
not want patients to undergo surgery 4, 5, 6 times.  Today's spage-age
materials -- thanks to NASA - have a live
expectency of perhaps 20 (maybe 25) years.  A person age 40 would
never need more than 2 surgeries, if that.

NSAIDS - or non-steroid anti-inflamatory drugs - are designed to ease
inflammation and pain, but do not stop the
progress of the disease (although reducing inflammation will tend to
prevent some future damage).

... At least a toad can eat what bugs him.

I am 37 years old and have been diagnosed with PA (psoriatic arthritis)
since I was 27.  It took a long time to get diagnosed (4 years) and a
longer time to find a medication that actually helped.  I tried all the
NSAIDs and got very discouraged.  I didn't want to go on DMARDs because
I was afraid of the side-effects.  I got to the point where walking was
difficult and it really scared me, so I agreed to go on a biologic
(Remicade).  Still a little scared of side-effects, but the risk of not
do anything seems greater at this point than the risks associated with
the drug.

I feel a lot better.  It doesn't repair joints that are already gone,
but it eases the symptoms and in my case, totally got rid of all my
skin symptoms by the third infusion.  I can do small things now that I
wasn't able to before.   I have new hope, and am not as scared as I
once was.  I realize it may not be for everyone, and I understand from
other patients with whom I attend clinic that sometimes it can just
stop working.  But for now, I am basking in the relief.

Good luck.

K

The Info I neglected - Female, 51, diagnosed recently after long round
of missed diagnoses by family doctor for years, finally by Rheumy and
confirmed by another doctor. Generally good health otherwise. First
round of medication (DMARDS?)  horrible experience, felt as bad as one
could. Second almost as bad as the first. There must be something else
out there. These drugs to "cure" the disease are as bad as the disease
is. Simply discouraged and wanting more hopeful information.