has anyone else been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after having fibromyalgia for many years. Any tips for surviving both together?

[aberc]

[Hidden]

Yes indeed not me personally but I know someone on here who has both will see if I can get her to answer you I have osteo arthritis and fibro

VG x

[aberc in reply to Hidden]

thanks, aberc

[ladymoth]

Hi Aberc,

Yes, I have both, and manage pretty well so long as both conditions don't flare up at once - which of course they tend to do! I daresay you are under the care of a rheumatologist, and they are pretty good at keeping RA under control with various medications and treatments. To be honest, they tend to take you more seriously if you have RA, as Fibro still doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Like all chronic pain conditions, individuals vary enormously in their reaction to RA, so you will probably manage to work out what suits you best, and will hopefully become an 'expert patient'

Best wishes

Moffy x

[aberc in reply to ladymoth]

Hi Moffy, You are so right. The RA is a recent thing and the attention was immediate, whereas the fibro has only ever been treated privately, ignored by docs at local surgery and no treatment offered.

[Hidden]

Hi, I have both, but they are both recent diagnosis. They are getting the RA under control with methotrexate, but they haven't given me much to help get the fibro under control yet, other than 'rest and learn to pace yourself'. I'm not sure i can offer any tips for surviving both though, I'm still learning myself. But you're not on your own x

[Susanne35Cat]

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for 8 1/2 years and Fibro for a couple of years.

Both of mine are active and not well controlled.

I spend most days laying around dozing off from the illnesses and medications.

The only thing I try to cling onto is that other people have it worse than me, though it can get me down, especially after a night of no or very little sleep, lots of pain, etc.

At the moment, I don't know what I'd do without the anti-depressants and pain killers,they take at least the edge off, though not the pain completely.

[aberc in reply to Susanne35Cat]

hi susanne, this all sounds very familiar. I do manage to sleep sometimes at night , however, because I was prescribed 1/2 a clomazapam (clonazapam?)tablet nightly in order to give me REM sleep, which apparently, (according to some experts on fibromyalgia) is very important. These pills do seem to have helped. Maybe its worth talking to your doc about them. Nevertheless, any attempt to live a normal routine means I fall asleep at the drop of a hat, Getting that all important exercise takes so much will power.I have recently discovered "strollers", walking aids with seats, and I get about with one of these. I look like an old bat but who cares. What I really want is a red shiny turbo charged affair that could whizz me around the shops..No hope there though.

Good luck with it all and talk to someone about sleeping at night. It makes such a difference, aberc