Travel anxiety ra or just me now !

[Skolfield]

Hi all has anyone experienced travel anxiety or sickness since being diagnosed ? I’ve always been a great traveller love visiting new places but since my ra journey started two years ago I feel like I’m being ridiculous worrying about long journeys and flying I now get cold sweats sickness cramps I’ve just returned from Corfu it was awful I was shaking and I’m now worrying about the actual traveling hours before I go which makes it worse stresses me out and upsets my tummy even more I can feel it bubbling then I get so angry with myself for being like it I’m on methotrexate injections and Sulfasalazine so is it my meds or my mind argh !!

[Hidden]

Oh I am sorry you had a rotten journey. Maybe you felt anxious or queasy from meds when travelling early on with RA and since then you are fearing it will happen again ,when actually you are OK now. Try being kind to yourself, not angry. Maybe instead of 'what if... thoughts, fill you mind with encouraging thoughts, find some self soothing strategies and calm your breathing.

[Nsmith13]

I agree it's so traumatic when you get diagnosed and all the different meds pain and fatigue everything else just seems to get blown out of proportion and really knocks your confidence mine has really been affected totally exausted at the thought of some situations now that I never gave a second thought abt before

[AgedCrone]

If your really think the anxiety is only caused when you are about to travel,why not speak to your medics & ask if they think taking a MILD tranquilliser for a week or so before your trip might help?

Sometimes with RA we over think things & the first things we blame are our meds........but I would guess they rarely - if ever - react just before a holiday.

Don't let this spoil you travelling........maybe you could try booking at the last minute...then you'd be so busy packing & planning you wouldn't have time to stress over the coming trip so much?

Bon voyage on your next trip.

[2169]

Hi Skolfield,

Sorry you feel this way, don't let RA beat you, I would say it's more your mind, I've been on methotrexate and sulfasalizine before and I can't say it made me feel like that. I'm now on a biological drug but I have found aloe Vera drink better than anything for RA, it's completely eradicated my pain. But RA can get you down especially if you have a lot of pain, you need to fight it in your mind. I have since been diagnosed with leukemia but I'm fighting that also, in my mind, I think once you can get to that point nothing can beat you, even having a heart attack in July didn't beat me. You can beat this thing don't let it ruin things you've enjoyed before.

Wish you well.

[Skolfield in reply to 2169]

Well done you for being so brave and strong through all that thank you and stay tough 💪🏻x

[AgedCrone in reply to 2169]

That's a fine attitude Lydia.....it's the way I try to deal with all these rotten diseases that decide to visit me. They are transient , & although it maybe different we still have a life to enjoy. My cousin has recently beaten NHL with this outlook too.

I succeeded a bit too well recently..... I filled in an important health form & forgot to include I'd had breast cancer! The nurse taking the history couldn't understand why it wasn't at the forefront of my thoughts.

But it's past, over, gone......which is what I'd love my RD to be...& when it has It will be forgotten too.

I wish you 100% success in booting out the Leukemia......and look forward to hearing that good news very soon.

[Biscuitman]

Hi Skolfield

I can sympathise with you as I'm going through the same feelings with the inability to cope with things I would have generally taken in my stride before the RA.

In January 2017 i was booking a holiday to Australia to visit my son and during this process I suddenly couldn't cope and the good wife had to take over. It just felt overwhelming and the feelings of anger were also a part of it. At the time I was on Methotrexate and subsequently came off it in July 2017 because of other side effects and moved onto Sulfasalazine. The original side effects have gone but the stress and inability to cope as well as the anger about seemingly trivial things has remained to some extent.

So perhaps it is the RA that affects some people in that way.

I thought originally that I was losing the plot but having heard your story perhaps we're not the only ones.

[Skolfield in reply to Biscuitman]

That’s the good thing about this site is that you realise others are going through some of the same things and your not going mad ! Some days I have ridiculous anger over really silly things then of corse turn it on myself good luck out there and best wishes to you and your family x

[nablur]

I get ridiculous anxiety lately and I have to remind myself it’s part of this too.

You’re not alone. Xoxo