mental health

[Tiverland]

Had RA since 2019 .now a pretty active 70 yr old female. Pain management is pretty good now. But recently find myself crying for no real reason. Could this be related to RA.

[AgedCrone]

I find the older you get, the more you cry at trivia..I can be reading a book I am not particularly enjoying & if something sad happens in it, I find tears welling up……it,s really annoying.

[Tiverland in reply to AgedCrone]

Thank you for your reply. It’s so true what you said

[Bookworm55 in reply to AgedCrone]

Agree! I’ve never been a crier but now….!

[Fruitandnutcase]

It possibly could - I find I don’t tend to cry although I’ve started watching Call the Midwife recently and that makes me cry at times, mainly because I taught in a very poor area at around the time they are in now and I can relate to how awful life was for some of those people.

I think I am far more grumpy and intolerant though than I used to be and I’m far more likely to cuss than to cry! That could be because my body aches a lot even though my RA is probably well controlled - in my case I think it’s just life in general and man’s inability to learn from past mistakes

[Tiverland in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

👍

[Bookworm55 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I’m the same. I think I’ve become more sympathetic in some circumstances and more grumpy and intolerant in others. The ‘state of the world’ seems to be the common factor!

[whitedog]

Hi

I'm not sure if changes in emotions are an age thing or an RA thing or, in my case, a feeling of utter despair at the way the world has seemingly lost its marbles. People I used to feel aligned with seem to have lost the ability or willingness to engage. Or engage their brain cells.

I don't cry much - I was much more emotional when I was younger. If anything I tend to withdraw and silently stew. Unless it's animal related. That usually gets me.

I noticed on my recent reports from rheumatology that they include 'depression' on my list of ailments, though I haven't been treated for depression for many years. They must think it's still relevant?

[Tiverland in reply to whitedog]

This helps. I have the same feelings. Thank you

[wilbertjellyfish]

Inflammation can definitely lead to depression....but I cry too and I'm only 47. Still might be worth mentioning to the GP just in case they can help. It's ok to cry but when something is different for you best to not ignore it.

[Tiverland in reply to wilbertjellyfish]

Thank you. I have spoken to GP and actually cried whilst I was there. Felt so silly. She offered medication for depression which I refused but checked I had a support system in place. My hubby is very good. Thanks for your reply

[SunshineSmiles1 in reply to Tiverland]

Well done for not accepting medication as the first option. These are powerful and life changing drugs that can have very unpleasant side effects. There is some evidence to show that they can be helpful for some people with depression - but not everyone. Look into counselling, mindfulness, socialisation with friends if you can (sounds odd - but there is a wealth of evidence that demonstrates that socialisation helps improve mood, outlook, pain perception and much more). It is such a shame that doctors can't or won't look more deeply into a person's situation - and opt for the drug route first - it is medically indefensible really! Exercise is also another option for you - if you can. Just 30 minutes walking per day (it doesn't have to be done all at once) has been shown in trials to improve mood and outlook. I also think that RA takes it toll emotionally - and when we have been living with it for such a long time, something has to give. Be gentle with yourself, acknowledge that you are living with one of the toughest conditions and that you can take steps to improve things - gently and slowly. Sending you a huge hug - I hope this is of some use to you xx

[Tiverland in reply to SunshineSmiles1]

Thank you very much for those words of kindness. Much appreciated 😁

[wilbertjellyfish in reply to Tiverland]

I've cried many times, I avoid ringing the Dr's if I think I'll cry.... which isn't good. It's perfectly normal given the situation. Glad you're hubby is good.

[whitedog in reply to Tiverland]

Thirty years ago I was in London and my whole life was a tangled mess. I didn't even recognise how stressed I was until I registered with a GP (hadn't had one in years) and broke down on first visit.

Ultimately, after much therapy, I came to understand that the problem wasn't me - it was my situation and that I was giving time and energy to toxic people so I moved back north and re-built.

There are so many now, labelling and pointing fingers at others. Regurgitating ignorant and incoherent nonsense. Supporting ideologies over reality thanks to propaganda they've been fed by those in elite positions. The NHS are no exception.

But the tide is turning. And I'm quite enjoying calling these people out because I'm in a stronger position with nothing to lose. And there are more of us on the side of common sense.

I say to anyone, don't be afraid of your emotions. Follow your guts. Look for the truth.

[Runrig01]

I have adrenal insufficiency, due to long term steroids. My body produces zero cortisol, because my adrenals have atrophied. One of the symptoms that tells me my cortisol is low, is suddenly crying at the slightest thing. Cortisol is an essential hormone that is used by most cells, and is needed to sustain life. It’s normally linked with nausea and lightheadedness, as Wells’s a low BP. If you’ve used steroids recently, then it would be worth getting an 8-9am blood cortisol done. There can be medical reasons for changes in tolerance to stress 🤗

[Tiverland]

thank you

[Lhasalover]

Hi,

I'm a little younger than 70, so perhaps I have this to come! However I find myself getting low when I don't supplement with quality vitamins and minerals. People tend to think because they are eating a balanced diet they are getting enough vits/minerals in their diet. Unfortunately this isn't now the case due to intensive farming methods, non rotation of crops (resulting in the soil being depleted of certain minerals) and crops not even being grow in soil anymore, why salad and tomatoes don't taste of anything!

For example magnesium assists over 300 body functions and it is required so you can produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and mental health. Magnesium is also a co-factor in the production of melatonin, another hormone that helps with mood and sleep.

So just being lacking in this one mineral can have a substantial impact for some people.

If you opt to give supplementation a go, I'd try for 12 weeks before assessing whether you feel any different. It's fairly cheap to supplement and there's not a lot to lose. If you think this is something that may be of interest I'd go for quality ones and use Future You Cambridge or Primal living.

Good luck, hope it helps! x

[Tiverland in reply to Lhasalover]

Thank you

[RAGuy]

I am sorry to hear this is happening to you considering how well you seem to be doing with your RA.

I have had problems like this myself a couple of times. In my case it was was caused by the treatment I was prescribed. Once with MTX and once with my pain drug Pregabalin. I think it is worth a look at your meds, just to be certain they are not the cause.

Best wishes

[Tiverland in reply to RAGuy]

Thank you

[Chockyuk]

😔 sometimes we know why we are crying and sometimes we don’t. Has anything happened you haven’t fully resolved, maybe it’s just coming out now?

I went through a really tough phase for a good few years (RA and non RA related) and stayed generally stoic, then when the non RA bit finally passed I found myself spontaneously bursting into tears at every given opportunity.

There’s nearly always something underlying.

Hope you feel better emotionally soon 💕

[Tiverland in reply to Chockyuk]

Thank you very much for your reply. I think you may be right. ( hard one to sort), but the more I think about it the more I believe you could be right. Thank you

[Ascidian]

Many, many years ago, I was prescribed mefloquine (now rarely, if ever, prescribed) as a malaria prophylaxis. It had all sorts of pyschiatric effects for me. Whilst taking it, I had bizarre and vivid nightmares and a couple of hallucinations. But for several months afterwards I also cried really easily - I cried when a chef winked at me, and I cried when asked to choose between apple juice and orange juice. So perhaps check if any of your meds can cause emothional effects...

[Tiverland in reply to Ascidian]

Thank you. I think your right, a side effect of methotrexate But this medication works extremely well for my RA

[Ascidian in reply to Tiverland]

Such a difficult choice! Methotrexate works well for me, too, so I wouldn't want to stop unless side effects were REALLY bad

[Anne_57]

I attended the virtual NRAS session on the Wren Project just week. Might be worth looking at the listening service they offer?? wrenproject.org. I have days when I'm low and others when I get very angry about the impact of RA on my life.