hi everyone my name is Terri and I’m 31, last year I started with Symptoms of RA and it’s taken a while for doctors to finally diagnose me, I have been on naproxen and codeine for months! I’m starting treatment of methotrexate soon! My RA is quite serve I have constant pain and swelling in my hands, feet, shoulders and now my knees, this is causing me to struggle getting up and down the stairs, I.v had to take time out from work as I work 12 hour night shifts and it’s become unbareable on my feet and knees. The last few days I have been feeling exstreamly tired I have slept for days my doctor has been in touch and said I have anemia and he rebooked me in for more blood test and a Urine sample I’m not quite sure why tho, do you think this could be a on going problem because of my RA? it’s left me feeling very down and depressed I feel like my body is way older than it is I’m struggling with everyday tasks I can’t go in work just yet and I love my job I can’t drive my car, I can’t even have a bath as I can’t bend my knees properly it’s very frustrating! I feel poorly constantly nobody around me has this illness so I dont Have anyone who can relate to me or help with advice, In 12 months I have gone from the odd sore wrists to being in chronic pain day in day out I have nodules on my elbows and fingers to! it doesn’t feel like flare up because it doesn’t go away I’m constantly in pain with swollen joints! I rest for days on end and it doesn’t get any better I’m scared treatment won’t help me.
Thanks for reading
Xx
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Terrib86
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I'm sorry your suffering like this HOWEVER let me tell you assure you the treatment for RD Rheumatoid Disease has moved mountains since I was diagnosed 25 years ago. You need to stop beating yourself up. You need to find a new " normal ". You start first by explaining to your family what this disease is and what it does to your body. Explain a flare up or the horrendous fatigue that comes with RD. But a flare up comes at the start of the disease or when it's managed by drugs. So at the moment your dealing with full blown RD. It started with odd flare ups in different joints, they came and went, but gradually they stayed and covered more parts of your body. However trust me it's trial and error, but eventually they will find a drug that controls your immune system with just the odd flare up. But your " normal has to be reset " . You have to accept that you will never get back to " normal " and you will make yourself worse by trying. So find a new normal. Get lever taps, an electric tin opener, a stick with a loop to close your windows. In other words stop trying to be a super hero. I promise it will get better but you will have to accept a new normal. Take care please contact me anytime.
Dear shazbat That was a very well written letter. I have had R/Athritus for ten years I wish I met you then, I find your reply so positive and true . Thank you for sharing Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth thank you for that lovely reply. It breaks my heart hearing the despair especially from young people. I spent wasted years trying to get back to " normal". So now I concentrate on enjoying what I can and having an 100% input into my treatment. I hope our experiences help people. You take care
You are young. Your body is healthy. Any damage done can be reversed.
You have fallen ill with this horrible disease in a Golden Age of technological advancements.
RA seems to be very complex, but we already know what causes it. When we know the cause of something, we can always reverse engineer a solution. RA will be cured within the next 5 - 10 years. It's really not that complex of a Disease. Quantum computing and the advent of Singularity will solve these problems for us.
We are close to cracking the code. Almost all modern diseases will be curable in the next 5 - 10 years. Google Singularity and Quantum computing and you will understand why.
Until the day comes when these issues are fixed and available to the public, you need to do your best to preserve your health and your joints so that you can fully benefit from these advancements in healthcare and treatment when they occur.
Right now you are suffering in a way that is unnecessary. My advice will not get rid of your pain, but it will substantially reduce it. Particularly around your large joints like your knees and your swelling should completely dissapear within 8 weeks.
Avoid Sugar, Gluten and Dairy. It's very hard but if you go cold turkey on these foods you will feel 60% - 70% better within a couple of months. When you start your medication, alongside these changes you should feel very minimal pain. There's a good chance you could go into total medical induced remission.
Please read the following books. They will help you understand Rheumatoid Arthritis more and they will also give you the information you need to start healing your body and reversing your Disease:
Jump head first into all of this information and you will come out the other end with an incredible amount of power over how you feel on a daily basis.
You may not be able to completely get rid of your pain. But you'll feel a gigantic improvement and you'll be back in a place where you can return to work and function normally.
A combination of Diet, Stress Reduction and Methotrexate can work wonders.
Good luck and don't panic. You're only 31 years old and the future is very bright.
Oh my darling it is a terrible feeling when you can't do the job you like. I had to give up my mobile catering because of RA, so i know how your feeling. If the rheumys think you need this extra drug you want to take it. You have a great mum if she is trying to read up on your disease. Parents don't like when their children are ill and they will do what they can to find a cure for their baby. xxxx
Hello and welcome, and sorry you have had to find us.
By the time I was diagnosed I was housebound and virtually bedbound. I could hardly do anything - walk more than 20 metres, wash, dress, cut up food etc etc. I was terrified that my life as I knew it would be over and I couldn't believe that I could get back to normal. My hands were so swollen that I couldn't see how that could be reversed.
But I did! Thanks to the drugs I regained my mobility, and stopped being in permanent pain. I now live 95% normally. It's been 7 years now and I'm fine.
I tried lifestyle changes, and then tried to reduce the drugs, but that didn't work for me. However I still stick to a good diet (eat, not too much and mainly plants), exercise daily and make sure I get proper sleep.
Hi im the same Terry as this answer from Helix. Mtx might be your saviour ! It will take a couple of months but it is gold standard treatment ! Keep talking on here !
Hi Terri
I am sorry you are enduring such pain and emotional upheaval.
The rule for surviving full blown RA, and subsequent flares, is rest. Try to be kind to yourself!
When you feel up to it, you might want to begin searching the net for ways to survive and understand what is happening in your body.
And also search for ways to help your body cope by boosting health.
You will find your own path through this and survive.
It used to be known as the anaemia of chronic disease but it's now known as the anaemia of chronic inflammation: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemi...
There are all sorts of interesting physiological reasons why chronic inflammation (as with RA) ends up influencing the liver, the transport of iron in the blood, and leaves you with anaemia. If you've been taking Naproxen for a while then it's not unusual to have some anaemia from that.
Your GP is benchmarking you with blood tests and urine samples as you'll need regular monitoring tests while on MTX.
Best wishes that MTX works for you! It might take a few weeks because if there's one thing IA teaches us, it's that we can't hurry anything along - these treatments have their own timescale in which they build up and become efficacious.
Have you discussed prednisone with your GP or rheumatologist to help you over this constant swelling until the MTX starts working?
Welcome, and sorry for how rough you feel. I wasn't diagnosed until after I retired, and have great admiration for those who (eventually) get back to work. It must be so scary at such a young age to be landed with life long diagnosis. Having said that, I couldn't drive, couldn't hardly get myself dressed, couldn't walk up the road or carry anything......etc....etc..
Now back to something approaching normal, including lots of grandchild care, gardening etc, most of the time - in fact more than a lot of people my age do.
It takes time, but try to stick with a positive vibe, - and lots of research is going on which will hopefully change the whole understanding of the disease process very soon!
Once you get the right drugs into you it will get better. I know at this minute in time you cannot imagine anything else but the pain and tiredness. You need to hang in there and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Get to your doctor to get some pain killers to help you on your way. The biggest thing I found was you have to rest and not try to get everything done at once. I had 3months off work as like you had no idea what the heck was wrong with me, like you could not move without pain and the tiderness was unreal!I went back to work full time and am nearly in remission. It's been 3years now. When you get your medication it will be trial and error until you get the right combination. We are always here for support. Take care
Echo what the others have said ... You will get better and not be locked in this pain. Methotrexate will work but it does take a little time. It is never as fast as we would like. Hang in there. X
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