I read an interesting article on the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society Web site about a study on rheumatoid arthritis and depression.
“When someone is depressed, they feel down most of the time and no longer look forward to events or enjoy things. It is also common for someone experiencing depression to turn away support from other people and feel bad about themselves for no apparent reason. In the worst scenario, depressed people feel that life is no longer worth living and may harm themselves.”
The study was done by the Rheumatology Unit at the Dudley Group of Hospitals and the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. According to the study, more than 10 percent of the people with RA reported high depression.
Depression can be a big problem for people dealing with RA. It can be hard to be upbeat when you have painful flare-ups or medications aren’t helping you. I know I had some down moments when I was first diagnosed and having the most problems with my RA. The article also offers some good advice for those suffering from depression:
“Depression is not something to be ashamed of. Asking for help is one of the first steps out of depression. There are many things that can help you when you feel depressed. Antidepressant medicines can lift the worst feelings but are not a permanent solution. Cognitive behavioural therapy (or CBT) is a psychological therapy that can help address the way you feel and how you think about the future when you are experiencing depression. Cognitive behavioural therapy usually involves around six to 10 weekly sessions that can be delivered to groups, one-on-one or even over the internet. It is now recommended that antidepressant medicines and cognitive behavioural therapy are combined to combat depression (as described in national guidelines detailed in the links section). If you feel you are depressed, then it is worth mentioning this to your general practitioner, your rheumatologist or your rheumatology nurses so they can help you overcome these feelings and enjoy your life. If you have been taking antidepressants for a while without any cognitive behavioural therapy and do not yet feel completely better then ask for an update. Some form of therapy may now be available for you locally. Exercise is also recommended (within your ability range). Regular exercise can improve your mood and strengthen your muscles, including the most important muscle, your heart.”
Until next time,
S.P.
An article today in Reuters announced that Humira has been approved for the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
“Abbott said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved use of the medicine, its best-selling product, to treat patients four years of age and older with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Patients will receive injections once every two weeks.”
I’ve gotten a lot of relief from using Humira, so I am excited that it may help those diagnosed with JRA as well. According to the article, there are about 50,000 Americans, so that means there are a lot of kids that can benefit from using a biologic. I think this is great since biologics such as Humira help to prevent erosion of the joints caused by the disease. When you get the disease at such a young age, you have a lot of time for erosion to occur. To get a jump start on preventing any erosion is great.
Until next time,
S.P.
So I read an amusing article today, and I just had to share it with you, my loyal readers. An article in the Wimbledon Guardian about a 67-year-old English man who was growing cannabis for his rheumatoid arthritis. The man said that smoking pot helped relieve his joint pain.
Interestingly enough, this man’s actions backup research that was done in 2005 in the UK. According to an article in Medical News Today,
“The researchers found that in comparison with the placebo, patients who had taken the CBM had statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep, inflammation (measured by a Disease Activity Score involving 28 joints - DAS 28) and intensity of pain (measured by the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire SF-MPQ). “
The study also showed few adverse side effects, and the only one mentioned in the article was dizziness. As for the chances of people abusing pot, the article said:
“Dr. Robson said that fears that the CBM could be abused by patients hoping to get a ‘high’ were probably unfounded. “It seems that in practice this is a very rare event. More than 1,000-patient years of treatment with Sativex in clinical trials have been accumulated and to date there has not been a single documented case of abuse. The fact is that the motivation of medicinal users of cannabis-based medicine is entirely different from recreational users: the former simply want symptom relief and the ability to go about their normal lives, and for them intoxication would be a distinct disadvantage; for the latter, smoking marijuana is infinitely more intoxicating than Sativex and is still easily available.”
I can’t say I have ever been a recreational drug user, and the idea of being high doesn’t really attract me, but if it means easing the pain I feel during flair-ups, I’d be willing to try it. I know many people have to live in a lot worse pain than I do, so I think it would be wonderful for them to get relief.
Until next time,
S.P.
*It is important to note that marijuana doesn’t prevent erosion. It only treats the pain, not the disease. That is why it is important to get on medications such as methotrexate or a biologic to deal with the disease and keep yourself out of a wheelchair.
