Being a Spoonie You may not know it but if you are a patient with a chronic illness, you may be a spoonie. In 2010 Christine Miserandino wrote a post called The Spoon Theory. In the post, Christine describes explaining to her best friend what it really feels like to live with Lupus. She asks her friend to hold 12 spoons and tells her that the spoons are...
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In a nutshell This study compared methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) and tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Jakvinus) in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Some background Methotrexate is currently the preferred initial treatment for patients with RA. However, some concern exists around the...
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In a nutshell This paper studied the effectiveness of Leining in treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Methotrexate (Trexall, Rheumatrex) is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. However, not all patients have an optimal response to methotrexate. Abatacept (Orencia) is an effective and...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This paper evaluates the effect of tocilizumab (Actemra) compared with other biologic therapies in improving anemia in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Some background Anemia (low number of red blood cells and hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of blood) is a complication in rheumatoid...
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In a nutshell This paper studies the effect of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes on methotrexate (Trexall) treatment. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disorder involving the immune system. Natural killer cells are part of the immune system and have been reported to contribute to rheumatoid arthritis....
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In a nutshell This paper studies how patients with rheumatoid arthritis are affected by morning stiffness in their work. Some background Even with treatment advancements, morning stiffness remains a problem for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Many patients cannot work because of joint stiffness, pain and swelling, with this frequently...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This paper studies whether a loss of hand bone mineral density (BMD, the amount of calcium and other minerals in an area of bone) in the first 6 months of treatment increases the risk of bone erosions at 12 months for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in its earlier stages is...
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In a nutshell This paper studied optimization of biologic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Some background Biologics are a new and popular treatment for RA. Biologics work by blocking certain processes in the immune system. However, even though the drugs are effective, patients in remission (disappearance of symptoms) often...
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In a nutshell This paper studied how physical activity is related to fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Some background Fatigue is common among RA patients, with decreased levels of physical activity being reported in these patients. It was suggested that physical exercise can help treat fatigue, as people with...
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In a nutshell This study examined whether a combination of methotrexate and tumor-necrosis factor inhibitors was more effective in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis than methotrexate alone. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic (long-term) disease, therefore the focus of treatment is to prevent joint damage and slow the progression of...
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In a nutshell This study examined the safety and efficacy of a tocilizumab (Actemra) injection in rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the body’s immune system begins attacking healthy tissue in the same way it attacks bacteria or viruses. The main treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is...
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How do you share information with your doctor? This is a tough question. If you have had a bad experience or if you have been afraid to even broach something new with your doctor, this is the post for you. We asked two patient activists how they talk to their physicians and they provided us with tips that can help when sharing information. From Patient...
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