arthritis meds and cancer

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tisme
tisme Member Posts: 148 ✭
edited August 2019 in General discussion
I have rheumatoid and osteo arthritis, I was wondering if anyone else did??  My rheumatologist is wary of me taking medications for arthritis because of the breast cancer.
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  • Kattykit
    Kattykit Member Posts: 252 ✭
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    @tisme , I have widespread osteoarthritis as well as metastatic cancer and still take my celebrex everyday with my oncologists blessing.
  • tisme
    tisme Member Posts: 148 ✭
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    she wants me to try hydroxychloroquine,  ( planequil ) ive had an agonising week with arthritis , but i worry ,   every ache etc
  • primek
    primek Member Posts: 5,392 ✭
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    Some RA medication is designed to suppress the immune system so it makes sense they are cautious with a cancer diagnosis.
  • Scaredycat
    Scaredycat Member Posts: 61 ✭
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    I have both rheumatoid & osteo but I’m not on any arthritis meds atm & am not flaring up so I’m not helpful re your current situation but am wondering if pain killers &/or a short course of steroids might be enough for now to get it to settle?

    on another note, my rheumatologist was positive (read a little excited🙄) re chemo as apparently it can cure the rheumatoid arthritis in some cases. It has no effect on the osteo though.

  • CarmelS
    CarmelS Member Posts: 268 ✭
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    Hi tisme. I have  osteo & an inflammatory thing (auto immune)like rhuematoid I had chemo, radiation etc in 2011. I have been on Meloxicam & Plaquenil for years now....... oncologist had no problems with it, rhuematologist just tries to keep me pain free & moving.(not terribly successful sometimes!!)
    Good luck
    Carmel
  • tisme
    tisme Member Posts: 148 ✭
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    i know , ive never been in so much pain as i am right now ,  i went berserk yesterday cleaning my room and god ive reeeally hurt today from the lumbar spine down to my feet. my breast is still sore , it had eased off but started off again . gp reckons its the nerves n such , the scar is a big one

  • JennyD78
    JennyD78 Member Posts: 69 ✭
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    I have rheumatoid and my rheumatologist won't let me go back on biologics (Actemra was working for me pre-cancer) until i'm 5 years post cancer treatment.  I'm on 20mg Arava at the moment but it's doing nothing.  I see him again in a week and he'll start me on triple therapy (sulfasalazine, methotrexate and plaquenil).  None of those medications worked for me individually so I'm hopeful that all together they'll do something because I don't know if I can go another 4 years with the daily pain I'm in now.
  • tisme
    tisme Member Posts: 148 ✭
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    ive never hurt so much as i do now , im on 200mg hydroxychloroquine , got off to a nasty start , havent had migraines like that in ages. everything hurts

  • JennyD78
    JennyD78 Member Posts: 69 ✭
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    Sucks doesn't it @tisme?  I just spent 6 weeks on prednisone because I was on an overseas trip and there was no way I was going to let the RA ruin that.  I've stopped taking it now and everything's gone to poop very quickly.  Nothing I experienced during my cancer trip was as bad as my RA is. 

    How long have you had it for?  I've had it for a decade now.
  • tisme
    tisme Member Posts: 148 ✭
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    i dont know how long ive had Ra and osteo but it explains pain etc over the years, was only formerly diagnosed this year

  • JennyD78
    JennyD78 Member Posts: 69 ✭
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    Ah ok, good luck on your journey to find the right med to help you! 
  • June1952
    June1952 Member Posts: 1,830 ✭
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    I refused Tamoxifen with the oncologist's approval due to my severe osteoarthritis. I did have a scare recently but all is OK.  I still take minimal but regular Panadeine (via a prescription) for the pain but try not to take anti-inflammatory medications as much as possible due to the other long-term side-effects.  I do have acupuncture for the pain if I need to and that is working well.  I am now almost 5 years NED.  Hope this helps someone.

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