arthritis meds and cancer
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.
Forum Discussion
- 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.
- Ah ok, good luck on your journey to find the right med to help you!
- i dont know how long ive had Ra and osteo but it explains pain etc over the years, was only formerly diagnosed this year
- 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. - 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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 - 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. - Some RA medication is designed to suppress the immune system so it makes sense they are cautious with a cancer diagnosis.
