I, too, suffer from RA and now have kidney disease which means they have to take me off my meds for it. I have been on a research study on a new type of Vioxx that has been a miracle for me but my nephrologist told me that I have to make a choice between my kidney (I have only one that is functioning only at 38%) and my quality of life. It is a hard choice. Basically, do I live in pain or die of kidney disease.