The impact of the disease , including pains , stiffness , depression etc.
Its a hindrance to daily life and will like to get a solution for this .
Could anyone please suggest ? Diet ? Some activities particular to person from the disease i am ?
And is possible could i reduce it for the future?
Hi Rohan, I am 43 and was diagnosed in Feb. I took it really hard, crying all the time and feeling really sorry for myself and thinking I was going to die tomorrow lol. I am currently on anti depressants, and they definately help me. I have since joined a support group in Northampton, which really helps being able to mix/talk to people who are the same as us !! This website is a life line, being able to ask questions and share experiences, there always seem to be others worse off than myself, but sometimes it's good to have a rant to get it off your chest.
I try to live my life the same as before (not always possible I know) but you have to learn to limit yourself and not over do things. Don't let the Doctors/Consultants fob you off, get a rheumy nurse aswell, they are always good for any advice. Since Feb they have tried me on a couple of different drugs, but it takes time to find the right ones. So, try to go with the flow, its a rollercoaster ride and try to keep pain free (I have steriod injections) and try to think positive. Make the most of the good days and rest up on the bad days.
Take care
Alison
x
I was also 47 when diagnosed last year. Some of the main points I wish I'd known:
inflamed joints need to be taken care of and rested as much as possible, the point of the drugs is to bring the inflammation under control and let you get on with life.
This disease affects us all differently, and it's impossible to know how it's going to affect you at the time you're diagnosed. So you might find the first drug/dose they try is effective straight away, or it can take months and a variety of drugs to see what's going to work for you.
Occupational Therapy (via your GP & Social Services) provides an amazing service, so as soon as you feel you need a bit more help ask your GP.
It'll change your life to some extent, so watch out for low mood and chat to your GP about it.
Friends and family might find it hard to understand how you feel because you won't look ill, even if you feel rotten. This site will help you, and NRAS has material which might help your friends and family understand. Their lives could be changed because of this too, and it's not always easy to adjust.
Planning ahead with everything is helpful, remember to include plenty of recovery/down time.
Reconsider what needs doing, like ironing fewer items, shopping less often, lifting less etc.
Use online grocery shopping, let someone else do the lifting and walking for you so you can use that energy doing something else.
Make sure you still do the things you really enjoy, even if you have to rest before and after - life's still about living!
I hope you find a treatment that works quickly for you and it all works out well for you.
Hi there, from what you've said it sounds like you are still undecided about whether to take drug treatment for your RA. It is a difficult decision, as the drugs are powerful, and nobody should put pressure on you if you really don't want to. But please think very hard about this as the drugs can be hugely effective and at 47 you have a lot of life yet to live. And once your joints get damaged then it's harder to deal with them apart from lots of surgery. All the research suggest that using an aggressive drug treatment early is the most effective way to treat this, and with luck you can then reduce the drugs later. I am thankful all the time that I was diagnosed after these drugs became available as the stories of people who have had to live without them are really frightening.
But I try to help myself too, and find that exercise is very important - simple things like walking and swimming. And I eat a healthy diet now with lots of fruit and vegetables, which seems to help keep me active. Good luck. polly
Hi Im 42 and was in a right pickle when I got diagnosed with RA 10 weeks ago ....usually really a get up run round like a maniac person, I work in a school full time and am as bad as the kids! My 2 girls are like all kids mad so ..........I thought how I am going to cope ?!!! Well I am 
like all on here good days n bad days, the methotrexate seems to be working for me and I dont seem to have too many side effects for me the worst thing is the fatigue but I listen to my body and respect it ....just half an hour sit down can really help! I still have wine but very limited, i try to swim at least once a week and think about all the people worse off than me , I found out yesterday an old school friend of mine 43 lost his fight to MS ... he has 3 kids.
I guess we are lucky there are so many drugs around for us now, you will get your head round it all honestly and I cant tell you how supportive the people on this site are just amazing ..youll make lovely friends ...it is all such a shock but with medication and justa sensible diet ( you know every thing in moderation and lots of fruit n veg etc) you will feel stronger and more determined not to let this disease change your life completelty .... thinking of you Claire x
Hello Rohan.
I am so sorry about your RA diagnosis and glad you have found this forum - it is a great place for support and understanding.
But - and sorry if this sounds harsh - if you have RA you have no choice but to take the meds if you want to have any chance of minimising irreversable joint damage. I have had RA for 17 years now and it is only thanks to the meds that I still have only relatively limited joint damage - without them I know I would be far, far worse than I am now. I am sure that anything you can do to minimise the stress (like the yoga you mentioned) and to keep as healthy as you can through a healthy diet will help you to cope but in terms of managing the disease itself, the drugs really are, much as we might hate it, the only option.
As Polly says, it has to be your decision ultimately but I would hate for you to end up like other people I have come accross where they have chosen not to take the meds and have regretted it hugely when it was too late.
It worries me that perhaps your rheumatologist hasn't fully explained the implications of your RA diagnosis to you, so I would really urge you to discuss things further with him/her before you make a final decision on the meds.
Thinking of you.
Tillyx
Hello again Rohan
Didn't know you were in India! I really do hope you can get some good advice very soon.
Thinking of you.
Tillyx
Do you have Psoriatic Arthritis, could give me pointers for information on living with the condition apart from the medical side? Thanks
Is anyone on the weekly injections for Methotrexate? If so, could you contact me please and tell me what it does?Negative to Positive!
Has anyone been on any diets that help reduce inflammation/ fasting?NSAIDS, other pain killers as cause of diverticular disease?
