Inflammatory arthritis symptoms and conditions

Reading all this horrifies me since I have been on Remicade for almost 4 years for Crohn's and a still unidentified Inflammatory arthritis of some kind. I will pray for you all. But, on another note and by no means an attempt to diminish the severity of each account in this blog, I have had no such side effects and for the most part have had great success until recently. My Crohn's is and has been in complete remission since the beginning of the infusions. However, I have had increasing inflammatory issues in joints between infusions. I get 5 vials and they give me Solumedrol in the IV. I ended up in the ER last night because my joints were all frozen up and it was just unbearable. They gave me Solumedrol and Morphine, and I am 75% better today. The frequency and severity of the arthritis issues has gotten increasingly worse over the last 6-8 months. I get infusions every 8 weeks, and start to have severe joint pain after about 4 weeks. All that being said, it is appearing like Remicade is still working brilliantly for Crohn's but is having little to no effect on the inflammatory arthritis. The steroid they give during the infusion is what I think is doing the job for the joint pain since I was a 10 last night in the ER, and I am 3 this morning pain wise after getting the steroid. My case is unique and frustrating to the Rheumy b/c my sed rates and RA factures and C-Reactives are all relatively normal when I am in tremendous pain. So, they just ran alternate tests the other day to look into things like Myeloma and so on. I don't believe that Remicade has done any of this. I believe that Remicade's benefits for MOST people greatly outweigh the risks, especially when you are incapacitated with Crohn's etc. But in my case, it just does not seem to be working for my joint inflammation.

I have been on Fosamax since 2003. In 2004 my left hip starting hurting so bad it would wake me up during the night. I had dislocated my left hip in 1994 so we put the pain down to complications from the accident. The x-rays were fine however so she sent me to a Rheumatologist to see if something else was going on. He told me I had Inflammatory Arthritis (even tho there were no markers in my blood) and put me on Plaquenil. After 6 months, the Plaquenil had done nothing but the Rheumy wanted me to stay on, and truthfully, I was afraid if I went off, the pain would become worse. Next came wrist pain so severe at times I couldn't lift a glass without wincing.To make a long story short, the joint pain has continued to migrate throughout my body. My thumb joints (where they join the palm) are so painful I can't undo jars or bottles, the small bones in my fingers ache all the time. I also get shooting pains in the long bones of my left leg and both arms. Back to the Rheumatologist last week. He said the Plaquenil was not working so he gave me an RX for Methotrexate 20 Mg once per week. This drug is one of the first-line chemo drugs for Cancer and it's effects on the body can be devastating. I have been crying since last Wednesday and had just decided yesterday to start taking this medication. I sat down at the computer to just test the drugs I am currently taking and one by one entered the drug name with "and joint pain". Plaquenil came up with only good things such as "less joint pain" etc. Mobicox also came up with good things. I entered Fosamax "and joint pain" and the top 15 hits were unbelievable. It was my problem in each and every article. I am dumbfounded. I have been seeking Dr.s help with my pain for 4 years, a GP, a Rheumatologist (2 actually) and an Orthopod, not one of these people ever mentioned a problem with Fosamax! What is going on. I am NOT going to be starting the Methotrexate and I feel I have been given dangerous medications over the past four years which I should not have been taking. I was a Personal Trainer and aerobics instructor for 12 years - now I can barely get through a yoga class without modifying the stretches because the pain is so severe.

Thank goodness for this site. I have made an appointment with my GP but I am stopping the Fosamax today (it was my day to take it). I pray I can regain some of the pain-free movement I used to have. In closing, I do have to say that I have regained some bone mass on Fosamax but...was it worth it? Was there another way I could have done this? Who knows. How long does it take for the pain to lessen after dropping Fosamax?

My husband went on Lisinopril in Feb 07, his bp went down and was regulated his headaches almost left but then he had sinus surgery in mar or apr. He has now developed muscle twitching and now the "doctors" say he has Motor Neuron Disease.... I refuse to believe after reading everyone's side affects that this 41 year old with no family history of this other than 1/2 siblings with high bp that he has this disease. He has experienced neck stiffness like it is broken (had MRI) no broken bones or slipped disc, he has had the chills, hw has vision blurred issues, heaviness in his legs, left side of his body more prominent than the right, he has crazy dreams and thoughts, he feels like he is dying, he doesn't however have any coughs, he has anxiety which they put him on anti depressant. After reading others comment I researched this med, it was developed by venom in a poisonous Brazilian snake. My husband as a child would get bitten by wasps, fire ants etc.. they would rush him to ER for meds and he used to take shots if stung, swells up like a balloon. So in my theory this med has the snake bite affects and I believe this has caused him to have this neuron disease but I can't prove it. His muscles twitch all the time. I believe this drug has been slowly poisoning him to a eventually paralysis to death. I have begged the doctor to take him off. He has but now he is on Atenolol, which is not much better but has no snake venom or ACE inhibitors. Please people email me. I am desperate we need to band together.
Thanks you Joann

I have been on prednisone for twelve days, due to my Inflammatory Arthritis. I started on 15 mg of pred for 4 days, then 10 mg, and down to 5 mg. Today is my last day of prednisone, although my doctor told me that I could continue to take 5 mg, if I'd like. I have had mild anxiety and diarrhea, which I think is caused by the anxiety. My joints have felt great and the inflammation has gone down. The only drawback that I am had has been the anxiety and headaches. I'd take it again, but I do not like the anxious feeling that I am experiencing.