Gluten-free

Hi, Jake. I just read your post. If Emily was still awake I'd have her write something. We miss all of you guys.

We've been having a tough go of things lately. Emily went back on Cyclosporine a few weeks ago. This time it hasn't been helping at all, in fact the disease is progressing as rapidly as ever. Her scalp is almost always bleeding in one spot or another. We filled a new prescription (thinking maybe the one we were using was ineffective because it's a few months old). This time we got the generic brand. It's horrible. Even though the old brand was "yucky," Emily still took it without any trouble. Today she was in tears before I ever got the medicine ready. She says that this generic one burns her throat on the way down. Our doctor is out of the country right now. We hoped to be able to talk to him about other options.

I talked to his assistant about MTX. She assured me that there is a pill form. Can any of you tell me (if you know) any advantages/disadvantages to shots over pills?

And while I'm posting questions: Christine, you mentioned the gluten-free diet. Was that helpful at all? You also mentioned that Carly was showing signs of psoriatic arthritis. Do you know if the arthritis can cause permanent damage? Emily has been showing signs. I don't know how long I should wait to see if the medication is effective, or if we need to demand a more effective treatment option immediately.