RA

[Whitegate]

Can RA sometimes o away naturally ?

[Hidden]

I think you would be very lucky if it did.. pre diagnosis I had days where I was bed ridden then suddenly I would lead a normal life for months on end then the normal times got shorter hence diagnosis.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Gosh that would be best gift ever waking up and RA gone. I think it is more remission and the right meds makes RA retreat but always there.

[Pippy25 in reply to Hidden]

It would be the best gift ever x

[bunnycaramel in reply to Hidden]

It was a bit like this for me. At times I couldn't use my hands then it was OK fir a while. HP thought I had carpal tunnel. Wish it had been. I'm not sure if RA can go away but you can go into remissionx

[bubblyalex]

If only I think is rather the answer.

[Green230461]

I was told it could burn itself out but that was twenty years ago and it didn’t I’m afraid.

[helixhelix]

It is rare. Some people have reactive arthritis misdiagnosed as RA, and that goes away. Most common with younger men. There is also palindromic arthritis which is very like RA except it comes and goes - and sometimes turns into RA, and sometimes goes for many years.

When I was first diagnosed it was initially called non-erosive, non-persistent RA....but when it hadn’t vanished in 2 years and I started getting erosions it was changed to erosive and persistent!

[Neonkittie17 in reply to helixhelix]

The rheumy thought I had got reactive arthritis as it was so weird the way it presented itself and wouldn’t show in the blood tears for ages, but it was fully blown R.A. after a year.

[Marionfromhappydays in reply to Neonkittie17]

Same with me

[Brychni in reply to Marionfromhappydays]

Hi M 0 do you get positive blood tests now? x

[Marionfromhappydays in reply to Brychni]

Sorry totally didn't read that properly 😅 I meant mine would.pop up and go (in my hands) and then boom one day everywhere and wouldn't go.

Still neg in blood as far as I know. Hope you are ok x

[Brychni in reply to Marionfromhappydays]

Hi M - really bad in neck and top of spine. Really, really, really awful. Every morning when I stand up my neck muscles go into a sort of spasm and stick out like hard strings. weird and frightening. Just now starting to get fed up with feeling like I shouldn't bother the GP or rheumatology. MTX doesn't seem to be doing anything as my knees, elbows and occasionally wrists are also really bad. I've noticed they are all quite weak. Are you still waiting for next step medication?

[Mmrr]

There are rare occurrences of just about all known diseases going into remission. But , misdiagnosis is much more common, The British Medical Journal (2012), reported that 10 - 20 % of people are misdiagnosed across the board.

RA is estimated to be misdiagnosed in around 13 - 15 % of presenting cases.

[helixhelix in reply to Mmrr]

Mainly among the Sunday food warriors I feel 😀

[Mmrr in reply to helixhelix]

An older man I know was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis by a rheumatologist, treated with MTX for a year, felt better, stopped taking it after 1 year. 5 years on no reoccurrance of his symptoms which were mainly stiff painful arms / shoulders and fatigue. No skin issues, ever. No other joint involvement. Bloods always normal. Discharged by rheumatology. One man I know, but ...

He can't understand why 4 years on I'm not cured.

But yes, I take your point 😉

[helixhelix in reply to Mmrr]

My lodger had reactive arthritis in his 30’s. Said it was the worst 18months of his life....took methotrexate, and has never had a recurrence since.

Being a very nice man it has left him with huge empathy for those with RA.

[bubblyalex in reply to helixhelix]

I wonder who you could mean 🤔🙄 ... lol 😆

[Brushwork]

It can go into remission for long periods, especially in the early years. But... Not really, go away completely, it’s a chronic disease and therefore a lifetime.

[RheumST]

Yes, I had a version 15 or so years ago and after short Prednisone, and about a year of hydroxychloroquine, it went away.

A slightly different version of Rheum hit me Jan 2019, but after longer duration of Prednisone, and then with methotrexate weekly injection added, I gradually quit Prednisone and some joint stuff came back, so Sulfasalazine was added to the methotrex, for about 3 months, then I quit the sulfasalazine). Methotrexate is still going, the joint pain is pretty much gone. So I expect I will soon be weaned off the methotrexate in a couple of months.

[RheumST in reply to RheumST]

I need to add that I do a lot of exercises both strength and cardio (walk 3 floors up and down 5x every other day, alternating with the strength stuff (weights). I don't eat much meat and my weight is very good and I have an incredibly wonderful wife who gives me great massages whenever I have had pain. I have some sciatica, but I've had that on and off for more than 20 years, so I tolerate it well and it often goes away. So I'm in great shape at close to 75 years. I'm very LUCKY !

[Whitegate in reply to RheumST]

Thanks. RA was diagnosed (creatine up to 27) when I was 79 and now at 82 I have no symptoms. Is it due to the 15mg weekly Methotrexate or has it gone away, I wonder. Ta again.

[Hidden in reply to Whitegate]

Probably due to the MTX. Enjoy your good fortune and keep on taking the tablets unless your consultant tells you to stop. More likely s/he might let you cut down. Best wishes.

[Boxerlady]

I had a short attack of what I now think was probably reactive arthritis about 30 years ago. My GP said that my immune system was attacking my joints (very painful and stiff right hand and both knees) after a nasty virus but that it would go; gave me a short course of tablets which I think were probably Prednisone and it disappeared after a few weeks. Then two years ago (after what felt like post-viral fatigue) it reappeared in both hands and is now full-blown RA. I feel very lucky as I can cope with it better now - partly because I'm 60 and also because we have so many effective medications available to us.

[Whitegate in reply to Boxerlady]

Thanks. RA was diagnosed in summer 2017 (creatine up to 27) and I have now no symptoms. My question is the weekly 15 mg Methotrexate keeping me clear or has the cause gone..thanks again.

[cropredy]

Hi Whitegate, I don't think it can go away because there is no cure as yet🙏I understand that it can go into remission though, it did with my Brother for some years but it did return sadly.

Take care, stay safe.

Ray

[Whitegate in reply to cropredy]

Thanks, Ray

[Plumcrumble]

A doctor once told me that sometimes it can burn itself out, 40 years later I'm still waiting 😁