So sorry to be here.

[MickeyJoints]

Like everyone else I guess, I don't want the criteria for membership to join here. I've had diagnosed RA for only a year or so, but I'm already sick of it. Well, I'll be mooching about learning

[Titchyj]

Welcome to this very knowledgeable and friendly site. So sorry you have the criteria too, you will find loads of helpful people, we are all different, but suffer the same pains. I'm sure you will get along fine and this is a good place to vent your feelings when need be and ask questions or just lurk in the back ground for a while.

Jan

[MickeyJoints in reply to Titchyj]

Thanks Jan,

Thanks for the welcome.

I feel like I have lots of questions I need to ask but I realise some of them are going to be personal to my condition and my response to the disease. But I have learnt a lot from people's comments in forums so will be lurking at the least.

I've been on hydrochloroquine for 3 months to no avail. Symptoms are exacerbating. I would never have appreciated how attention-grabbing the pains are! We have dogs - beagles - (looking at your photo, you have a border collie...) and it's awful going out for a walk knowing that my feet will be on fire when I get back. Oyvey...

Thankfully seeing the consultant on Friday so I'm hoping he will change my meds up to the next level.

Michael

[Titchyj in reply to MickeyJoints]

Hi Michael, I have suffered with pain and swelling in my hands and feet for approx 2 years, bloods are negative so sero negative rheumatoid arthritis was tentatively diagnosed, rheumy is still not convinced, hence MRI scan with dye contrast this afternoon.

Unfortunately we lost our collie of 15 years last November, but just can't change the picture, miss him so much.

I was started on NSAID, couldn't tolerate due to asthma, can't take strong pain meds only paracetamol. Mtx in tablet form caused problems so now on injections, 12 weeks, no relief as of yet, also tried sulfasalazine to no avail so now on Hydroxychloraquine 400mg per day. Have other health probs too, so take a lot of meds.

I hope your appointment goes well and you can get some answers.

Good luck

Jan

[MickeyJoints in reply to Titchyj]

Hi Jan, good luck with the MRI. I've had an IVP for dye marking of my kidney stones previously so I hope you only have to drink the fluid dye, rather than intravenously. Mind you, the latter was over quickly.

I've not found any pain relief to be brilliantly effective. I've got tramadol for chronic back pain which I use infrequently for that, but of recent months I've been using it for RA pain. It seems to help a bit.

Opening the window at night to have cool air over my exposed feet works nicely at 2:30am - after it's woken me up!

Always a loss to have a dog leave your life. Sorry to hear he's gone to the big fields. All ours are under 5 so we have some time with them yet. Beagles and a pomeranian (he's a dog - just little!)

Thanks,

[sylvi]

Welcome to our site we all understand how your feeling and me in particular at the moment. Ask anything you like darling and someone will answer you.xxxx

[MickeyJoints in reply to sylvi]

Hi sylvi,

Thanks for the welcome. It's heartening to know others are in the same boat and my symptoms are somewhat typical to others'. Reading forums of other's experiences helps with, 'yea, that's what I've got!' and also 'my god, that sounds much tougher than what I've got...' to help gain some measure of perspective.

Hope you're able to manage your symptoms today. Mine are the worst I've had so far - there, I've said it. Wretched today!

I've grimaced / flinched horribly at times with the pain but I'm getting close to shedding tears with it. Just needs to have the lid off soon I think.

Thanks!

[popsmith1874 in reply to MickeyJoints]

Welcome to the site we are all in this together,it's also good to talk to people who understand what we are going through because a lot of people dont

[MickeyJoints in reply to popsmith1874]

Hi popsmith,

Absolutely right about other's not understanding! So hard to convey just what's going on - and I'm a beginner. I don't have swollen joints or other visible signs. A bit like tinnitus and deafness (but that's for another forum) so hard to have others understand what it's like.

Cheers,

[lainee]

Hi welcome and totally understand about the Fed up of it feeling. Just ask your questions when you feel you can. I am sure someone will be there to help. Xx

[EmmaS-NRAS NRAS]

Hi MickeyJoints,

Welcome to the site, I hope you find it supportive. As you are fairly recently diagnosed, you may find our 'newly diagnosed' publication helpful and might answer some of your more general questions.

nras.org.uk/publications/ne...

NRAS also has a helpline number - 0800 298 7650 - (manned 9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) if you need them at any time.

Best wishes,

Emma

[MickeyJoints in reply to EmmaS-NRAS]

Thanks for the welcome, Emma. and the link to the publication.

I'm just at that stage of seeking all the info I can. I've found the NRAS site the most useful for clear and clutter-free information about RA. I'd not realised there were implications around gum disease, for instance, which goes hand in hand with RA. This auto-immune business has devious and far reaching complications.

Time to start to live a bit more cleanly!

Many thanks.

[carotopgal]

Welcome to the group! I'm also pretty much a newby. I was diagnosed about a year ago. I'm still wrapping my head around it as well. But I've found this site to be so encouraging and informative! The people here are understanding and so helpful and so very nice. It's great to have somewhere to go where others "get" what's happening to you.

[MickeyJoints]

Hi, and thanks, carotopgal.

I guess we all have sympathy for others as we know what it's like! Hard to explain to those without the condition.

I used to be a nurse (20+years ago) and when RA patients needed care I couldn't quite understand what was happening, but I understood to treat them gently and that they were in bad pain. NOW, I get it completely.

[Fra22-57]

The thing is with RA you just can't get away from it .When I was diagnosed I sobbed and had to give up work.It made me so angry which didn't help with stress level.I find it a lonely disease until I joined forums to talk to others about it.When pain gets too bad I use ibroprofen gel and co codamol.I also am on pregabalin which is great for pain.

[MickeyJoints in reply to Fra22-57]

Hi Fra22-57,

Yes, getting to realise the depth and constancy of having a constant companion. Forever. I'm getting close to sobbing, I must say. Having a very bad week with it at the moment. "When I haven't got pain, I don't think about it. When I have pain I don't want it." said a child I knew of...

I work from home but have a contract starting on Thursday which is on site. With any luck they might cancel/postpone - they're moved dates twice already - so I might get a chance to ride through this flare-up.

Interesting about the gel. I've tried it but been unconvinced that it's worked. I think I might give it another application now. Pregabalin I've not heard of. I'll look it up.

Cheers,

[Hidden]

Welcome to the group that nobody wants to be full fledged member. I've had RD for over 2 years, but was diagnoised last November. I guess it's just the cards we are delt in life......This group we all begrudgingly joined has turned out very positive for me and I know in time it will be for you as well.

Take care

Sue

[MickeyJoints in reply to Hidden]

Hi Sue,

Thanks for the welcome. I have an urge to ask everyone about how they have pain, what it feels like, how they feel about it, how long it lasts and lots of other questions...

I'm beginning to understand that it's an individual response and while there may be commonalities, at the core, you're on your own with it. Places like this are very helpful - why would we be here otherwise? - to help understand the range of sensations and to get an idea of how a normal range is quite wide. I'm starting to dribble here...

I'm looking forward to the support and returning it when I've learnt enough. And perversely, I feel relieved to be here.

Thank you.

[Hidden in reply to MickeyJoints]

I had extreme foot pain back in the summer of 2013. My shoe size went from a size 8 to size 12 in a matter of weeks.

I bought a product called "correct toes",,, ( very expensive $100 US +shipping and handling to Canada) and they helped me out a lot until the swelling in my toes grew bigger. I then bought a product ($10 Canadian) called "toe stretchers" at my local drug store. The cheap toe stretchers allowed me to continue working. I still had pain, but the producted didn't strangle my swelling toes.

I've been on Hydroxychloroquine since Nov 2014, it has helped my feet go down to a size 10.

Takecare

Sue