My symptoms include severe joint pain (in back,ribs, toes, feet, ankles, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrist, fingers, knees, spine, nose, collarbone and cheekbones) moderate muscle pain, severe fatigue, memory problems, concentration problems, headaches, major sleep problems, tingling in right hand, pain doing everything even laying down, sitting, walking, breathing, and talking, and I just found out after 2-3 years that I have Lyme disease and that I was misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia and arthritis, I don’t have any swelling/inflammation that I noticed and I don’t have paralysis of my face or a rash. I just started Doxycycline HYC (Vibramycin) today and I’m going to be taking 200MG everyday for at least two months or more, I’m just wondering on average how long will it take to feel completely pain free if the treatment is successful. I haven’t felt pain free since I was 12 and I’m 15 years old now, I’m so happy this is curable, so so so SO HAPPY and that I wasn’t lazy I have a disease! Thanks everyone!

So for the past week my mom and dad have been giving each other the silent treatment and my step dad has been sleeping on the living room… i know they have their arguments and my dad claims to be tired of life and just wants to quit his job and move back to mexico and build a lil ranch and just retire.. he is about 43 years old i think… my mom cant work since she has arthritis. They were going to divorce twice before but decided to stay together for my lil sister (14). My sister is a big brat who pretty much gets what she wants. She is the cause for the problems that my parents have with each other. My step dad is more liberal and letting her get away with a lot of things in which in return my sister favors him as a better parent. My mother raised both me and my brother pretty much on her own and was more strict but i mean i kinda thank her for it now since she raised good kids(don’t smoke, drink in occasions, no drugs) anyway if they do get a divorce which in my own opinion would kinda be for the best because i personally cant stand my sister disrespecting my mom and my step dad not stepping in.. my brother is also self centered and doesn’t care about no one but himself and what is going on in his own life… what would be the best thing to do in my situation?? im 21 by the way and planning on moving out but not till i finish college…

I injured my ankle in the middle of October. I was simply walking, tripped and thought that I just rolled my ankle and foot. I believed that it was nothing serious as did many people around me, it did not swell very big and hardly even bruised at all. I was strongly encouraged to rest it, take Advil, elevate it and rotate heat and cold on it. I did this until the past week it was finally getting to the point where I could no longer stand it. The pain seems to be spreading up my leg and becoming more intense. I finally chose to see a doctor. I went to a smaller clinic at first because I knew they gave discounts for self pay patients.

This doctor looked at my ankle and foot pretty extensively. He mentioned that I most likely tore ligaments in my ankle and was very concerned about my Akiles tendon because as he showed my boyfriend it was hardly responding on my hurt ankle when compared to my other ankle. He strongly encouraged me to go to another doctors office who did in house x-rays so that it would not cost as much, yet he strongly believed that x-rays were needed to properly diagnose me as he said. He also said that I would need a walking boot at the least so that I would finally give my ankle a break and time to truly heal. He also stated that my foot was injured as well.

I then went to my old family doctor because I knew that they did x-rays in house and that the doctors looked at them themselves instead of sending them out. By the time that I saw this doctor I had already waited 2 hours in their waiting room so now I am really starting to wonder about a lot of what she said. As soon as she walked into the room before even looking at me said that x-rays were not going to tell us a thing and they were completely pointless. She then looked at my foot, and I will admit she looked more at my foot than the first doctor did. However when I tried to explain that I had constant pain in the back of my ankle and up my calf she just said that I did not. If I mentioned anything that the first doctor said she would just put her hands in the air and wave them around. She said that my foot was hurt where all of the bones connect together and that now I have severe arthritis in my foot. About my third time asking what to do for the pain in the back of my ankle she finally responded with well your foot is small so the pain has to go somewhere. It seemed very strange to me, but I had a migraine and was very hopeful that she was right and nothing was wrong. Her treatment recommendation was to keep doing everything that I had been doing from the beginning (advil every 4 hours, which I will admit I was not extremely strict with then but have been since, heating my ankle and foot when they hurt) and to stop using cold on my foot because I need to get new blood flowing into my foot. All of this did, and still do make sense. However, as I explain to her if I put heat on my foot it is swelling quite large and makes it EXTREMELY painful and difficult to walk on. I asked her about the boot that the other doctor recommended and she said their expensive. I do not have insurance so it was nice that she was concerned, but she did not say it would not help. She said to try doing this treatment for 10 more days and unless I am surprisingly better come back. I have since left a message for her asking if she understands this is what I have been doing the entire time and asking if the boot would help because that was not clear to me. She only works part time though so I am not sure when I will hear back from her again.

To explain I get pain in the back of my ankle pretty much at all times. When I try to stand or walk it hurts throughout my ankle and on the bottom of my foot towards the heel but on the outside. It is very hard to move my toes (the second doctor said this was not a concern but I was not sure) and it is painful when I do move them. Not extreme pain but very uncomfortable. The swelling in my foot goes throughout all of it and even around the whole back part of my foot, sometimes even up to the middle of my calf. It swells daily, even if I try to elevate it often, but when I wake up it usually is not swollen. I work from home so I do try to walk as little as possible, but when I do walk it is very difficult. As I explained the the doctors when they move my foot and ankle around for the most part it was not severe pain, but it was uncomfortable and it is very stiff and hard to move on my own. I am not sure what else you need to know, but if anyone has any idea which doctor I should listen to please let me know! I just know I finally went to the doctors and paid so much money because I was wanting to end the pain not be told to do the same then for another week (after 6) then come in to pay another office visit and then “talk about some other things to try” as the second doctor said. I do understand I should have went in right away but I didn’t because I didn’t want to pay over $100 to be told to heat and take advil l

What started off several months ago as just fatigue and tiredness in his legs which would go away while sitting or sleeping, has now turned into severe pain in his legs (from his waist down to his ankles) which is constantly with him. It is bearable pain when sitting or laying down but quickly becomes unbearable when standing or walking. This major change happened approx. 10 weeks ago and the only thing that we can figure to explain this change was a missed step coming down the stairs which resulted in a loss of balance and awkward recovery that twisted the back and seemed to hurt something internal to the spine area. Have since had an X-ray and MRI which continues to show the formerly diagnosed spondylolisthesis. This diagnosis has now been discounted by Dr. Quigley (Spine specialist) as the source of the severe pain in the legs. Dr. Quigley feels that “spondy..” is not the likely source of the pain and that further testing is required to make a more accurate diagnosis. While we wait to figure out the root cause of the issue, dad’s pain seems to be uncontrollable resulting in him being extremely restless.

In order to control the pain have tried the following since 3/19/10:
- 3 epidural shots in the back with the last one administered on 5/1/10. There was no relief at all from these shots
- Oxycodone (10 – 325mg) – 1 tablet every 6 hours (Hit or Miss Relief)
- Fentanyl 25mcg Pain Patch – replace every 72 hours – Prescription given on 4/1/10 to replace ineffective Oxycodone. Once again Hit or Miss relief. – Lyrica (50mg) – prescribed on 4/6/10 by Dr. Loev

Overall medical history:

- No history of vascular/muscular pain in the past
- No history of arthritis
- No history of heart disease or diabetes
- No medicines taken on a regular basis

Chronology of treatment (prior to onset of excruciating pain):
- Primary care physician Dr. Anoma Bandara referred dad to a vascular specialist Dr. Robert Fox (Jan 2010)

- Dr. Fox did a sonogram and found no vascular issues and requested MRI’s of the spine (results and images on CD) and referred dad to see Dr. Quigley (Orthopedic surgeon) – completed in Feb 2010

- Meanwhile Dr. Bandara reviewed the MRI report and referred dad to see Dr. Zachary Levine a neuro surgeon from the Brain and Spine institute

- Dr. Levine asked for an X-Ray to be done (results and images on CD) and recommended against any kind of surgery based on Dad’s age and instead recommended physical therapy. – completed in Feb. 2010

-In order to pursue possible parallel diagnosis of the issue also saw Dr. Quigley (spine specialist) who prescribed some steroids to attack possible inflammation in the spine area and possibly relieve the pain. He diagnosed the condition as “Isthmic Spondylolisthesis”. After a weeks worth of taking the medicine there was no improvement. Dr. Quigley then recommended injections directly in the spine to possibly provide relief.

Since the conditions worsened: 3/19/10 to present

- 3 epidural shots to the back
- Medications listed above all prescribed after the onset of the intense pain
- Another X-Ray and MRI of the back which still shows the spondylolisthesis at L5-S1
- Met with Dr. Quigley (spine specialist) again and he no longer feels that the pain in the legs is caused by the spondylolisthesis seen in the back based on the fact that there has been no relief from the 3 epidural shots that were administered.
- Also performed the following tests
– full body bone scan (showed no problems)
– nerve conduction study and EMG (showed some erratic nerve issues at the L5-S1 vertebrae which confimred what was seen in the MRI)
– An array of blood work (everything was fine)
-Saw a different vascular surgeon and repeated the ultrasound test which showed no vascular problems
-Saw a rheumatologist who also confirmed that there were no signs of arthritis
-Saw a different neurosurgeon who asked us to pursue with a neurologist to determine the source of the pain.
-Currently waiting to see a neurologist for follow up
-Currently undergoing physical therapy to basically stretch the muscles and provide some heat
-Also currently undergoing aqua therapy in a pool to help get the legs moving
-Have also had 4 appointments with a licensed acupuncturist
-None of the above therapies have provided any relief and the conditions with the leg pain are still the same

I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the summer of 2007. I was 17 at the time and I knew I’d be getting countless “poisons” pumped into me for treatment, and obviously it’s logical to assume there would be many side effects from it ( there was ); this brings me to say only recently have I began to research the drugs I was taking for the illness.

I started to research because I was having quite a hard time with hair loss, I know hair loss is pretty much guaranteed because when I was in the height of treatment I lost about 70% of it and the rest was left as a weird fuzz.

Take note that the height or “harshest” time of treatment was at the end of 2008, beginning of 2009 (when I lost most of my hair).

So anyways, almost a year later my hair pretty much filled back in except it has stayed pretty thin on the temple areas and top and resembles the classic male-pattern baldness, except all I have is the receding hair line and thinness on top (hair in the in shape of a V), there is no thinning or spots elsewhere on my head (vertex, crown) as I would expect with heredity-acquired baldness.

*Forgot to mention all the males on both sides of my family have full heads of hair

This made me look into the chemotherapy-agents I was taking at home, I thought they might be making me progressively thinner.

I am ordered to take as of now, once-a-week, x23 5mg pills of methotrexate. This drug, as I found, is very commonly used for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and also used for cancer patients as an immunosuppressive agent; which as you could assume, would be the main part of treatment with an excessive amount of white blood cells with leukemia.

My problem is this, after reading many reports and submissions from various places around the net on methotrexate (askapatient, RA-forums, etc) it not only became clear that some of these people were experiencing the progressive thinning as I was,

but that they were taking a -considerably- lower dose than me.

I somewhat expected this, as anyone might see the correlation between an immune system suppression drug and its needed dose escalation.

After doing the math, I’ve found that I am currently taking orally, 57.5 mg of methotrexate per week. With FDA guidelines saying not to exceed 30mg a week, I just wonder…..I know “guidelines” aren’t followed religiously with a lot of medications, but almost doubling the guideline recommended? Really?

So after all of this background information, my question(s):

Can anybody in the medical field tell me-

if there is a maximum life dose of methotrexate, and the effects if it is exceeded?

From http://www.drugs.com/dosage/methotrexate.html#Usual_Adult_Dose_for_Acute_Lymphoblastic_Leukemia :

“Usual Adult Dose for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Maintenance (during remission): 15 mg/m2 IM or orally twice a week.”

What does this equate to (assuming the dose amount is correlated with weight) for a person weighing on average 180 lbs?

Sorry for the long read…

I know I should bring this up with the doctor, but I have a feeling he will shrug it off, it just makes me really wonder if they really know what they are doing, even by the FDA standards of MTX’s maximum weekly dosage of 30mg’s, taking 57.5mg is 191% over the norm.

More surprisingly, to find this out that with this particular medication folinic acid can be (and should be, as recommended in many clinical studies) given following methotrexate treatment to substantially reduce the side effects (while proven to not hinder the immunosuppressive function) why this was not given or even mentioned…
No, I have never had a bone marrow transplant at all.

But I am most definitely going to ask the doctor when my appointment comes around. Seems a little unnecessary to me, and I also forgot to mention the countless intrathecal injections of MTX I’ve had an are still having on a monthly basis.

in taiwan i did acupuncture treatment and took herbal medicine for my insomnia. it helped me calm down. it didnt necessarily help me sleep any better, now im back in america and taking a higher dosage of herbal medicine for sleep, the thing about this type of treatment is that its safe, but slow. its not dangerous and quick like taking drugs for sleep. the doctor told me that treatment has to be consistent and that it may take 2-3 months or half a year to show recovery signs and its true, herbs take longer to treat illnesses and conditions. what do you think? have u done acupuncture and found it beneficial for your health? the doctor would insert 10-15 needles each time for helping me with my sleep and there was also a massage therapist. usually you lay there with the needles inside you for 20 minutes but since i have severe insomnia, sometimes i laid there for 30minutes or 35minutes

p.s. i also heard a lady tell me that she also did acupuncture and took herbal medicine to treat her arthritis and it took her a year and a half of consistent treatment for her to get well.

I have been to many Drs and they agree on a lot of diagnosis and treatments. There is thyroid, stomach, muscle and joint pain (not rheumatoid arthritis), fluid retention and swelling of hands and feet.

Allergies, Asthma and indicators of Auto-Immune trouble (not HIV.)

I have had a mammogram and started my annuals a few years ago.

Do you get anything about if there is a common underlying cause? or a course of treatment not suggested by my Drs? Something my Drs may not think isnot mainstream enough or just they didn’t think of something?

I get this dream/vision (I do see it when I am awake too) that I am like a plant or something, like part of the earth.

My name is Marie, I am 19.
Thank you.
Insomnia too.

in taiwan i did acupuncture treatment and took herbal medicine for my insomnia. it helped me calm down. it didnt necessarily help me sleep any better, now im back in america and taking a higher dosage of herbal medicine for sleep, the thing about this type of treatment is that its safe, but slow. its not dangerous and quick like taking drugs for sleep. the doctor told me that treatment has to be consistent and that it may take 2-3 months or half a year to show recovery signs and its true, herbs take longer to treat illnesses and conditions. what do you think? have u done acupuncture and found it beneficial for your health? the doctor would insert 10-15 needles each time for helping me with my sleep and there was also a massage therapist. usually you lay there with the needles inside you for 20 minutes but since i have severe insomnia, sometimes i laid there for 30minutes or 35minutes

p.s. i also heard a lady tell me that she also did acupuncture and took herbal medicine to treat her arthritis and it took her a year and a half of consistent treatment for her to get well. and lately, i’ve slept somewhat better!! i dunno if its cause of the herbal medicine or some other reason. but i had serious insomnia for 2yrs.

my son had septiceamia after birth and his left hip is destroyed. at 23 now, can his jt be replaced?
my son was a cesarian baby. he developed septiceamia and his rt shoulder and left hip jt got destructed due to septic arthritis. his left femoral bone has gone 2inches up and have joined with d pelvic bone on its own. due to the ht difference his left knee has bent and the under muscles are tight. now the doctors say that the main problem is with his knee, but unless and until the hip jt is corrected the knee may again bend after 5 to 7 yrs. the doctors have suggested for a hip replacement surgery. will it be succesful? will he be able to walk properly life long? he is 23 yrs old now and persuing law degree. what are the ifs and buts? some say jt replacement should not be done at this age. he is also verry much depressed. please advise me. thank you.

My 11th Month old Puppy has dip dysplasia and the Vets have ruled out a TPO as he shows signs of arthritis. I need help deciding on what course of treatment to use. Adequan (which is a monthly shot) or a supplement pill like Springtime Joint Health Chewables which contains Glucosamine HCL and Chondroitin sulfate. Also if I go with the supplement does anybody have any recomendations? Please help
He was from the pound but thanks for the heads up.
I have explored the surgical options. He has about 30 % of the ball in the hip. Not very good. He is a lab and will most likely be a 90lb skinny dog. The surgery where they just remove the hip joint and create a fake joint is recommended for dogs under 45 pounds. I have spoke with a vet and he said that he has done it on larger dogs with success but it should be a last resort. Thank You for the help.