I tried to reply again last night, but a database error ate it!

My rheumy is so convinced that pregnancy will give me relief that he's been encouraging me to get pregnant ASAP since I started seeing him. He at times suggested I arrange to have an "accident", and now here we are with IVF.

Lucy, I found a list of sarcoidosis symptoms that was grouped under the different body systems. I could say yes to some of the joint and muscle symptoms, and yes to some of the liver symptoms, but that's it. The liver problems I've had in the past appear to have resolved now - after 5 years of abnormal LFTs, I had a completely normal one at the last time my rheumy sent me for tests. He's trying to hold off on the testing with all the other tests we're doing for IVF now. I'll certainly ask if he has thought of it when I see him again, but I think it's unlikely.

My rheumy seems quite content to follow the line that while we don't know what it is, we do know what it isn't, and we know what it's doing. Looking at the treatments for sarcoidosis - plaquenil and methotrexate are on the list. My rheumy is using salazopyrin for me for the simple fact that plaquenil didn't work and I refuse point blank to go anywhere near methotrexate until after we've had children. The treatments seem fairly similar anyway. The other thing my rheumy also likes to ask me is does it really matter if we can't put a name to it when we've found a treatment that is mostly workign? I suspect that with the current flares, he's going to be even more eager for me to get our first child out of the way so he can medicate the hell out of me with methotrexate if it is still necessary after pregnancy.

The pain is so bad tonight that I was nearly in tears until the panadeine started to take effect... I really think prednisone is my only option at this stage. While it's not guaranteed to be safe, it certainly appears safer than my other options.

BW