Fibromyalgia: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Nearly Half of Giant Cell Arteritis Patients on Actemra for a Year Stay in Remission After Stopping It

“Giant cell arteritis requires ongoing management, but it does not necessarily require continuous treatment.” In 2017, tocilizumab (Actemra), a biologic drug that inhibits interleukin-6 (IL-6), was FDA-approved for giant cell arteritis — an inflammation of the lining of the arteries. At the time there was sufficient research showing that tocilizumab was better than prednisone (a steroid) for helping many patients reach remission in GCA. Yet it was unclear whether those who had reached remission should…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A New Way to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

Some people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) take a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) and/or a biologic and reach remission. Others try drug after drug after drug and never find one that’s effective — or that treats their symptoms without causing intolerable side effects. At the same time, other patients with active disease refuse to take the most powerful and effective medications on the market or can’t take them because of their medical history or personal risk…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

More Than 75% of Arthritis Patients Don’t Get Hepatitis Screening Before Starting a Biologic

Screening is important because silent hepatitis B and C infections can spring to life when you start biologics or new synthetic DMARDs. Before you start taking a biologic drug or one of the new targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), several screening tests are recommended. These include tests to see whether you have hepatitis B or C in your body that isn’t causing symptoms but might be reactivated after you start these powerful immune-suppressing drugs.…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

Nearly 40% of Fibromyalgia Patients May Have a History of Being Abused

A new study adds support to the theory that psychological stress might increase the risk of fibromyalgia and make symptoms worse. No one knows what causes fibromyalgia but some experts believe that stress may be a common trigger, especially in people who are susceptible to this chronic pain condition for physiological reasons. Now a new study adds support to the theory that psychological stress might increase the risk as well as lead to worse symptoms…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis Risk Factors and Causes You Need to Know About

Osteoarthritis is the most common and well-known type of arthritis. It’s largely a wear-and-tear form of arthritis that happens as a result of damage to or overuse of a joint, usually over a long period of time. About 30 million Americans have osteoarthritis. You can also have osteoarthritis at the same time as other kinds of arthritis that are inflammation- or immune-related, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis. How Osteoarthritis Affects…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

Could the Weather Affect Lupus Symptoms? New Study Suggests Warm, Humid Weather Does

As the temperature increased, so did the risk of rash, joint inflammation, kidney problems, and other lupus symptoms. Shifts in weather patterns have long been associated with a variety of health ailments, from seasonal allergies to migraine and joint pain. Now a new study suggests that changes in the outdoor environment may make people who have lupus more susceptible to flare-ups of specific symptoms. The study, presented at the 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

Have Asthma or COPD? You Could Have a Higher Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Researchers hope that identifying the link between respiratory issues and RA will result in better ways to prevent or screen for rheumatoid arthritis in people with lung disease. You may have already heard that people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to develop the serious lung disease chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which makes it increasingly difficult to breathe. In 2017, Harvard researchers examined data from the huge Nurses’ Health Study and found that…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

Good News for Pregnant Women with Arthritis: Most Babies Exposed to Biologics in Utero Don’t Get Serious Infections

Although biologics cross the placenta, research shows they lead to few infections in babies after they’re born. The prospect of pregnancy can be daunting for women with inflammatory arthritis. Not only can disease flares occur, but a host of medications — including the commonly prescribed methotrexate — are off-limits because of concerns about birth defects and complications. There’s also a worrisome information gap on the effects of many medications during pregnancy, since pregnant women are…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

Arthritis

Here’s More Data That Suggests We Shouldn’t Use Opioids to Treat Osteoarthritis Pain

Surprisingly, stronger opioids were the worst at relieving pain in a new multi-study analysis. Despite concerns about safety and addiction, lots of people with osteoarthritis (OA) take opioids to address their chronic pain. A recent study in Sweden, for example, revealed that one in four patients with OA had been prescribed an opioid in the previous year — despite the fact that the drugs aren’t on the list of recommended treatments except in extreme circumstances…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0

22% of U.S. Patients with Arthritis Have ‘High-Impact’ Chronic Pain — Here’s What That Means

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that arthritis might be a leading cause of chronic pain in the U.S. Chronic pain can occur for many reasons: migraines, reproductive-related health issues (such as endometriosis or fibroids), advanced cancer, an injury, and so on. But if you had to place a bet on the root cause for the most chronic pain patients, arthritis would be a pretty good guess. That’s the…

by chronicwoman•03/31/202108/23/2025•0