If you are seeing a rheumatologist to "treat" your psoriatic arthritis, you are at risk to possibly die from the flu or other viral infections. Your immune system is has a "one track mind"; therefore, it can only take on one invader at a time.
While being "treated" by a rheumatologist for two years from 2007-2009, I was prescribed Methotrexate which is one of the oldest cancer drugs on the... market. It is believed by western medicine (who prescribe drugs to alleviate symptoms rather than find the cause of the illness) to be "safe" in low doses to turn off the symptoms of PA and other autoimmune diseases.
While being "treated" by a rheumatologist for two years from 2007-2009, I was prescribed Methotrexate which is one of the oldest cancer drugs on the... market. It is believed by western medicine (who prescribe drugs to alleviate symptoms rather than find the cause of the illness) to be "safe" in low doses to turn off the symptoms of PA and other autoimmune diseases.
Upon every monthly visit to my doctor's office, I was asked the same questions as to whether my hands or feet were being affected with pain or inflammation. On my way out the door, blood had to be drawn to check for liver enzyme elevation, which indicated that the liver is being trashed by the drug.
For the first year I felt great! About the beginning of the second year, I felt like I was coming down with the flu. When I reported this to my doctor, he encouraged me to get a flu shot. I am antivaccine and let him know that I ate good fresh food and had never been seriously affected by the flu any more than anyone else my age. We all know that the flu tends to kill the very young, very old, and, we must point out, the immunosupressed. However, my doctor neglected to tell me that the Methotrexate was setting me up to die from the flu and since I worked in an office, I would be likely to get it no matter what my diet or lifestyle was like.
So "patient" beware, arm yourself with all the knowledge you can gather from the web. You have to become your own advocate when it comes to your health and well-being. We are all responsible for the outcome if we ignorantly just do what the doctor says.
I did the research and learned that I was placing my health and possibly my life in jeopardy by taking Methotrexate and removed myself from the "care" of rheumatology. I went back to the internet and began the next part of the quest to reclaim my health.
Be better today than you were yesterday in any way you can.
For the first year I felt great! About the beginning of the second year, I felt like I was coming down with the flu. When I reported this to my doctor, he encouraged me to get a flu shot. I am antivaccine and let him know that I ate good fresh food and had never been seriously affected by the flu any more than anyone else my age. We all know that the flu tends to kill the very young, very old, and, we must point out, the immunosupressed. However, my doctor neglected to tell me that the Methotrexate was setting me up to die from the flu and since I worked in an office, I would be likely to get it no matter what my diet or lifestyle was like.
So "patient" beware, arm yourself with all the knowledge you can gather from the web. You have to become your own advocate when it comes to your health and well-being. We are all responsible for the outcome if we ignorantly just do what the doctor says.
I did the research and learned that I was placing my health and possibly my life in jeopardy by taking Methotrexate and removed myself from the "care" of rheumatology. I went back to the internet and began the next part of the quest to reclaim my health.
Be better today than you were yesterday in any way you can.
