21!

[Alondra_Avilez]

Hey guys! I was diagnosed with RA when I was 19! I am 21 now and have been taking methotrexate once a week and folic acid everyday. I am in constant pain. Does anyone have home remedies that work? Thanks in advance!

[sylvi]

I hope you don't take folic acid on the day you take your mtx darling.I was told not to take it on mtx days.xxxxx

[Moomin8]

Hi- I take it you have been for regular check-ups with your rheumatologist? They may have to adjust your drugs, or at least advise you on what to take for pain etc?

[oldtimer]

Sounds as if you need a review of your management plan if you are still in a lot of pain.

Keep a record of your symptoms and photograph any swollen joints - this made a big difference to the attitude of the medical staff who I think had not believed me before as the joint always seemed to be less swollen and red when I was at the clinic!

[Hidden]

Hello and welcome! I wonder if you need a review of your disease activity; are you still getting stiffness when you awake and are your joints red, hot and swollen? It may be that you need different disease modifying treatments. You may also need better pain relief. It may be a combination of both.

[Alondra_Avilez in reply to Hidden]

Yes, I am extremely stiff in the mornings and my fingers are the worst

[nomoreheels]

Hiya Alondra & welcome. It does sound as though you're not well enough controlled. Sometimes we need an increase in dose or just the one DMARD isn't enough to ease inflammation & why we're often also prescribed a combination, an NSAID or even another DMARD or two. I've always been prescribed an NSAID though I've had a few different ones over the years as they've become less helpful as have some DMARDs. Inflammation doesn't necessarily have to be seen to be romping away & it's that which causes eventual damage if under medicated so do talk to your Rheumy about how things are now. Blood tests don't aways reflect disease activity either. I'm currently taking MTX subcut, leflunomide & etoricoxib plus deflazacort (an oral steroid) & folic acid every day except the day I inject.

You're quite fortunate to have not needed to try different meds in your two years since being diagnosed, many of us do. MTX was my second after hydroxychloroquine stopped working but I've also tried sulfasalazine too.

Stiffness on rising is quite common, it's for how long for your Rheumy will be interested in so I'd note down how long it is each morning over a few weeks either now or before your next appointment &, if you want to, take an average.

I hope you enjoy being here sharing experiences, you may find some of themhelp & you may wish to share yours too, knowledge is power!

[Matilda7]

I've fought RA for almost 40 years and mostly, until fairly recently, without the help of drugs, instead using complementary therapies, yoga, Pilates and diet. Unfortunately I have now needed to go onto Humira, but am still keeping as fit and active as possible.

I started having acupuncture regularly in 1986 when I was pregnant with my first child and have used it ever since. There are 2 different types, 5 element and TCM, traditional Chinese medicine. I find that TCM works much better for me....so worth trying more than one practitioner if the first one doesn't seem to help. And always try to go to someone who has been recommended by someone you trust.

I also see a McTimoney chiropractor regularly. It's a very gentle type of chiropractic.

Do you have high CRP and ESR? They might well respond to diet changes. There was an interesting 'food hospital' programme a few years back on Channel 4 which looked at this and lots of us have found that changing our eating habits can help. Culprits are often meat, wheat, sugar and dairy, but it varies from person to person. Eating less processed foods and more organic is also worth trying.

It's something you have to experiment with and find out for yourself what helps. It's helped me which is why I suggest it. The first thing I dropped was meat...only meant to do it for 2 weeks to see if it made any difference, and never ate it again and that was in 1982! Sugar also is a problem for me...I vary in how strict I am depending on how my joints are. My wrists swell up within 24 hours if I eat bread and jam as I did recently on a French holiday!

Are you able to swim? It's a gentle way to keep joints mobile. Have you tried yoga ever? Good for calming the nerves and helps with relaxation....

And fish oils are the one thing with an evidence base for helping with RA and worth trying. Hope some of this helps!

If you feel like talking to someone the NRAS have a good helpline: 0800 298 7650.

Hope it all goes well!

[Simba1992]

Good advice and something you would hope everyone feeling hopeless would look into and try. This way also psychologically you woul feel better and have a lower stresslevel when you feel you can actively do something to ease your situation. So many on this forum are batteling with a feeling of hopelessness when the meds dont seem to work or the side effects too hard to handle.