Bob, that "sitting bone" pain sure sounds like it's bursitis or
sacroiliitis.  Ask your doc about it.  Seems to me, nerve treatment and
inflammation treatments could be very different.  My bursitis and SI
were the bane of my existence, until I was prescribed with Enbrel.  That
stuff has turned my life around.  

Interesting, in that you have a lousy cough.  I developed a miserable
cough yesterday.  A deep, unproductive, burn-in-my-chest kind of cough.  
I'm hoping it resolves rather quickly.  I don't want to go off Enbrel.  
I'm flaring too much with my everything tendinitis right now.  :-(

Sure hope you feel better.

Hi Bob,,,  You and I have been fighting the same problem but I have not cut
Enbrel completely out, only extended the time between shots to double the
time.   The lungs are slowly getting better and my RA is holding as is.
That would not be the case if I stopped Enbrel all together.   I found that
more exercise as the weather improves has helped.
Harv

Bob - read my Overdue Update for the full story of my
cold/bronchitis/sinus infection and now I'm going on 4 weeks of IV
antibiotics. I've been off Enbrel since January 3rd!  My RA is
definately letting me know it's still lingering in my body.  I can't
help but wonder what the abx will do.  Kinda makes me think of all
those on abx therapy for their RA and wonder.....or maybe I should call
it wishfull thinking.

As far as the pain in your "sitting bone"  - I had a bout with that a
few years ago. It took 10 months of PT and three different diagosis to
get it right but Diane hit it on the head with SI or sacroiliitis.
First it was called bursitis, then it was called sacroilitits or SI.
After treatment for that I had significant improvement but by then I
also had a major spasm in a muscle called the psoas  muscle.  When I
had that spasm released by a very good physical therapist, it ended my
ten months of pain.  If you google "psoas" images you will get an idea
of where this muscle is. Spasm in it can cause sciati type pain as
well.  About a year ago, Arthrits Today had a short article with some
exercises to help ease SI pain. I don't know if they archive them
online or not. But maybe you have old issues!  I'll look tomorrow and
see if I can find it. I believe I saved it. If so, I will scan it and
send it to you in email. Too late to look now.

DianeW

In Arthritis Today March-April 2004 issue - I found the online archives
with a table of contents and it looks like this issue might be the one
with the exercises in it. There was no online link.  DianeW

There's been A LOT of that going around in northern Michigan, even among
normally healthy people.  It takes them forever to get well and they have the
cold symptoms and fatigue all along.  It may well just be the nature of the
bug you've got, hopefully, so it will all get better when the virus finally
decides to go on its merry way.

Ouch.  thank goodness you at least had a good time!  The pain afterwards is a
little easier to bear when it's in response to a fun time rather than a dull
time.

feel better soon.

Just got back from my RA doc.  He put me back on the Enbrel/MTX combo.  He
said that some studies have shown that the combo does a good job of slowing
the progression of RA.  He said that the symptomatic improvement shown by
the combo as opposed to just MTX is not dramatic but the difference in
joint damage over time is pretty dramatic.  He wants me on the combo for
the long term benefits.

He diagnosed my hip and sciatic pain as just that.  A neurological problem
caused by some stenosis and a narrow sciatic notch in my pelvis.  He did
some neurological reaction tests and found a slight weakening on my left
leg as a result of the problem.  I am now scheduled to start some physical
therapy for it tomorrow and I am pleased about that.