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Rheumatoid ArthritisArrow
Disease duration 16-20 years
Melissa - Interview 50  

Melissa - Interview 50

Age at Interview: 22
Sex: Female
Age at Diagnosis: 5
Background: Melissa lives with her parents and would like to do a writing course. She uses the Internet a lot emailing and talking to her friends abroad. Ethnic background/nationality: White British.
Brief outline:Melissa was first diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and later with rheumatoid arthritis. She was on Methotrexate for about eight years. She has been on two Anti-TNF treatments: etanercepts (Enbrel) and adalimumab (Humira) and expects to be started on influximab soon.

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She is more concern about the side effects of methotrexate than the anti-TNF drugs. Besides she will try anything to alleviate her condition.

 



OK. Do you have any concerns about taking it?

Its no because with the anti-TNF medications they're not… I mean I've taken the, the two already. I know all the side effects and to me the side effects of the anti-TNF aren't as bad as what you can get with say obviously methotrexate. And so with me side effects are this big thing, like if I see something on the side effects list that says like a sickness and stuff. I'm going to get that, that's just me. I get it into my head, “I'm going to get that.” And obviously I'm probably worried like I could take methotrexate again now and I might not get any side effects, like I did before. So I research a lot. But I'm not really concerned about it because obviously I'm at the stage now, where I will try anything, just to see if it works, because anything is better, than being in pain constantly. So obviously if it doesn't work, then there'll be other options. But I will just, I mean I'm not going to be stubborn and say, 'No, I'm not trying to because I've research and this it says blah, blah, blah on the you know, information packs or whatever.' I will try it at the moment just because anything is better than like I am now.
Rheumatoid arthritis
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