On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 16:46:06 -0000, "Stuart"

I know it's pissing you off Stuart, and if it helps, it has pissed me
off in the past as well [I have RA].
Get used to making a note of what your RD says to you when you visit
him/her? and stick to it, for he/she is the most qualified Health
professional to treat your RA.
GP's are [as we know] qualified doctors who deal with all manner of
things [General Practitioners] and all have varying degrees of
knowledge of RA. Some may have had past patients who have RA and thus
feel qualified to speak from personal experience [the problem is that
experience can sometimes be out of date, so RD knows best].

As far as Flu shots go, yes DMARDS and RA lower your immune system and
I would recommend a yearly Jab in October time. If your GP is unsure
again ask him to speak with the Rheumatology dept and take their
combined advise.

And finally, blood tests. Blood tests Stuart are a ever reoccurring
part of your newly diagnosed RA. Alas, the NHS is not up to, informing
you of this,in any other way than what your RD says. So if he says at
your meeting, have a FBC, LFTs and a CRP once a week or once a month
[or whatever he orders] until you next see me, then you will have to
arrange that with the phlebos or practice nurse [wherever you have
them]. If you don't they unfortunately won't remind you, it's down to
you, but on the plus side, if you do, you'll have lots of blood labs
for you RD to access the progress of your RA on the next visit.
If the vampires want a blood form, then your GP or RD should be able
to provide it. Once you've been doing it a while, you might even be
able to pick up several pre signed ones at your next RD visit to last
you until your next visit!

Good luck

Definitely celebrex is used for both but if they were using it on its own
without a dmard that would not be appropriate for use with RA.  you need
both. Flu shot - definitely called for with any dmard - the sulfasalazine is
a dmard.  My RD think it should be for any person with RA period.  The blood
tests - monthly sounds right for sulfasalazine to start (although it has
been awhile for sulfasalazine for me and every country seems to have its own
standards) and you might find that after awhile they may change how often it
is done - depending on what the tests show.

As for gp/rd - well use your judgement.  If I were a gp and had a patient
only using an anti-inflammatory I might try voltarol however since you are
also using sulfasalazine that can upset the stomach majorily I would
personally lean towards the celebrex.  Since sulfasalazine made my stomach
so bad from experience I would head the food with pill recommendation just
to be careful.

Kelly

celecoxib (Celebrex)

a cox2 nsaid
http://www.arc.org.uk/about_arth/infosheets/6248/6248.htm
for your info Stuart

Stuart,
Hello again. I'm glad to see that you are asking questions. I think
that that is a good thing.
I am also on sulfasalazine at 2000mgs per day, along with Enbrel,
prednisone, methotrexate, ultram for pain, blah blah blah.
Even on all of that, my RD has my blood tested every month. I think
that every week is a bit excessive, unless you have had previous liver
or kidney problems, or other problems where your doc would think that
more frequent monitoring was in order.
If it were me, and the Celebrex was working for me, I would call the
rhuematologist and perhaps ask him to give your GP a call. I think Ari
is right, rheumatologists are much more up to date with available
treatments then GPs are, because they have to be, (imho).
A flu shot is definitely a good idea. Also, if the sulfasalazine
doesn't work or work well enough on it's own your doc may want to add
or change meds to another DMARD or perhaps a biologic and with those
you definitely need to get a flu shot, because they suppress the immune
system so much.
Good luck Stuart, and please let us know how you are doing!
Char

No, that's what the lazy sods in the media would have you believe,
because it's easier for the mouth breathers to understand the term pain
killer because all their tabloid heros have had problems with pain
killers. Celebrex is an antiinflamatory. It stops the inflamation that
is causing the pain, just like an antibiotic stops the infection causing
a sore throat: an antibiotic is not a painkiller. This is a pet peeve of
mine, in case you hadn't guessed :-)

Cheers,

Ari

Stuart-

The docs prescribed the Ultracet and Celbrex and I took the very
minimum I could take and still function.  I knew they were hard on the
body.  I control the pain with Ultram and as little as I can get by
with- nothing else.  Kidneys dictate that- no DMARDS or NSAIDS.  My
creatine clearance came up from 27 to 85--- I believe 88-120 is
considered normal.  If I avoid unnecessary meds and keep the infections
under control... I can hope???

Thank you and best of luck to you, again, too.

L.