rheumatoid arthritis

[wannabe]

So doc says i may have rheumatoid arthritis. Blood tests came back positive. He says there are some great medications out there to help stop the long term effects.
I'm curious to know who else has rheumatoid arthritis and what side effects you are experiencing from the medication. And how long have you been on the medication?

[Scottmisfits]

I take Naproxen. I have it in my hips. I’ve had days where it could take me 30 minutes to just roll out of bed. I have a 40’ walk to get in my truck that has taken me 15 minutes. Thankfully those flare ups are very rare.
I have had the signs and symptoms for over 20 years but was finally diagnosed almost 7 years ago. No doctors would believe me because I was to young. It wasn’t until I had a scan at the hospital for my appendix that they finally got the ball rolling with the diagnosis and specialist appointments.
That being said, I haven’t noticed side effects with the Naproxen, but again, I don’t take it often. The specialist I saw said take it as you feel you need it as it is basically acetaminophen, only high dosage. The biggest issue that I know of is taking it on an empty stomach can cause issues, ulcers I believe.

Good stretching, possibly physio or chiro appointments. Chiro doesn’t work for everyone but it’s the single biggest reason my dad isn’t in a wheelchair due to his arthritis, albeit a different type, that attacks his spine.

[wannabe]

Scott. I have been taking naproxen as well over the last month to reduce inflammation when at work before the doctor got me blood tests back.
I can't remember what the medication is called that my doc would eventually put me on but it sounds like it will actually fight the disease and i could go into remission. It's not a bandaid fix.
You might want to have another chat with your doctor.

[bobtodrick]

Been on arthrotec https://www.drugs.com/arthrotec.html for 20 years now.
Unlike Aleve it is a prescription drug. Like the OP I have days where I roll out of bed (2nd fl) and look with dread at the stairs.
The generics are pretty inexpensive. The plus is it’s a two part drug...in addition the anti inflammatory properties there is a component that makes it easy on the stomach. After 20 years taking one a day no I’ll effects.

[brazeau]

I was diagnosed with relatively severe rheumatoid arthritis about 10 years ago. They started me on Methotrexate injections (once a week self administered) and Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). After a couple of years injecting myself they switched me over to oral methotrexate, more for convenience than anything else. Within a couple of months of moving over to pill form, it was determined my condition was starting to deteriorate at an accelerated rate so they started me on Leflunomide (Arava) which is an immunosuppressive disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. They kept me on the Plaquenil as well.

Since switching over to the Leflunomide my rheumatoid arthritis progression has slowed down considerably and the pain is moderate at worst, in other words quite manageable. I’ve been fortunate in that I haven’t experienced any side-effects from the drugs to any degree. The biggest concern seems to be yearly monitoring of my eye health as long-term Plaquenil use could cause irreversible damage to the retina of your eye. No issues there to-date knock on wood.

My knees and hands are the most affected. Over the past couple of years though, I've had total knee replacements on both so that took care of those joint pains. Now, if there was such a thing as knuckle replacements, I'd have this thing totally under control.

[amosfella]

Jordan Peterson's daughter seems to have dealt with her rheumatiod with just diet. I don't have rheumatiod, but I did it as well, and healed several pretty bad lingering injuries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPy0kr5xCvk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXPqIDx3_DM

[sk270]

I have been on methotrexate for 10 years. They started me out self-injecting and then switched to oral because it is more convenient. In order to avoid the digestive upset which was the reason for the injectable form, I take a 10 mg tablet at breakfast and another 10 mg tablet at supper, once a week. I take 5 mg of folic acid three times a week to counteract the negative effects of the methotrexate

The pain is hardly noticeable now except after certain forms of exercise. Before my diagnosis and medication I could not straighten my fingers and I could not make a fist or grasp small objects except between thumb and finger tips. It was painful to walk. Now all my fingers are straight until I bend them consciously. X-rays show that joints in my hands and feet have suffered damage but the deterioration has stopped.

I get blood tests every two months to be sure that my liver function is normal.

Well, that's what I'm doing and I am hoping that everything continues as is. Hope this helps.

[Sitting Bull]

Best wishes to all of you. I could not imagine the pain you must have to endure.

[Getzcold]

I have something something similar to RA. I have anklylosins spongitis. AS. I probably spelt it wrong. RA attacks the smaller joints in your body where AS attacks the bigger joints. It took them a long time to diagnose me and I have permanent damage in my spine because of it. They will start you on a antinflamitory drug first if it does not work they will give you the option of going on a biologic. I chose to go on a biologic and has put my condition in remission. Started to effect me badly at 28-29 was diagnosed at 31 and went on a biologic at 32. I’m 39 now and have my quality of life back.


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[marky_mark]

My ex wife’s daughter has RA
She was on methotrexate but it was hard on her stomach
They switched her to Enbrel and it was a night and day result
It’s a once a week injection but I was a game changer

It’s the med that Phil Mickelson is on

[abhunt]

I also have a form of rheumatoid called anklosing spondalitis. I manage the pain and inflamation with Indocid as needed. I find that staying active is the best thing I can do to keep from stiffenning up. Have good days and bad days and only use the meds when I absolutely have to.

[Head Lice]

Originally Posted by amosfella

Jordan Peterson's daughter seems to have dealt with her rheumatiod with just diet.

Get all the sugar out of your diet. Do some research if you didn't know that bread, spuds, etc. all are classed as sugar. Sugar is inflammatory especially with arthritis.

[Lefty-Canuck]

My wife has RA, was on Plaquenil and methotrexate and has been on several different biologics now she has found one that’s working well, Actemera injection once a week.

LC

[Scottmisfits]

Originally Posted by wannabe

Scott. I have been taking naproxen as well over the last month to reduce inflammation when at work before the doctor got me blood tests back.
I can't remember what the medication is called that my doc would eventually put me on but it sounds like it will actually fight the disease and i could go into remission. It's not a bandaid fix.
You might want to have another chat with your doctor.

If you can find out the name of this, I will talk with my doc. It doesn't flare up to much anymore. I have made some dietary changes to help with this, but I have only ever noticed smaller changes. The biggest change is the stretching. But, if I can do something now, at 41, to keep me moving at 60-70-80 years old, assuming I make it that long, why not get a jump on it.

[1shotwade]

I take Vimovo for mine. . Makes it better not fixed but better!!

[DLab]

I've been looking at this thread for a half hour deciding whether to add to it.
If there's one thing I know about it's RA,I was diagnosed with severe A-Typical RA at 31, a 5 % group, I'm 65 now.
The factor in my blood test showed off the scale numbers then, higher than my Doc had ever seen. So, I am well versed in this disease.

IMO with mild to moderate RA most of the drugs therapies mentioned here work well on average,if you're above moderate to severe levels Biologics ARE the way to go if you can get them covered. They are very expensive and AHS won't want to cover that, but it can be done. They will want to move you up the ladder one rung at a time with less costly alternatives, then 10-12 years down the road you have permanent damage.Then there's the endless circle(it seems) of Specialists, Doc appointments., liver tests, eye Retinal tests, etc, etc.

Once you learn to live and work with it realizing you have some limitations and accept them, with proper Meds. you can't fix or cure RA but you can manage it to a certain degree.
They didn't have Biologics back then, that would have made a huge difference for me if they had.They are making incremental advances in therapies ,but they still don't know a lot about what triggers it,why some family members can carry the blood factor their entire lives and not have it activate, but a sibling does.
Rheumatic fever as a child raises the % of chance and it is Genetically passed, 67 Grandchildren in my family , only 2 of us have it.I hope my Son is fortunate enough to have it skip him. I wouldn't wish this Disease on my worst enemy

[pittman]

Lots of good information here on RA from those that have it.

It's definitely a different disease than normal arthritis. Instead or wear and tear causing the joint pain, it's an inflammatory process. The drugs they use are aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease as it can be quit debilitating in the long term.

I'd say get your family doc to refer you to a rheumatologist. They're the experts in RA. They can confirm the diagnosis as it can present in many different ways. The drugs they use to control it are pretty serious, but they only use them because they slow down the disease and improve your quality of life. They'll be best at explaining the risks either way.

Good luck.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by DLab

I've been looking at this thread for a half hour deciding whether to add to it.
If there's one thing I know about it's RA,I was diagnosed with severe A-Typical RA at 31, a 5 % group, I'm 65 now.
The factor in my blood test showed off the scale numbers then, higher than my Doc had ever seen. So, I am well versed in this disease.

IMO with mild to moderate RA most of the drugs therapies mentioned here work well on average,if you're above moderate to severe levels Biologics ARE the way to go if you can get them covered. They are very expensive and AHS won't want to cover that, but it can be done. They will want to move you up the ladder one rung at a time with less costly alternatives, then 10-12 years down the road you have permanent damage.Then there's the endless circle(it seems) of Specialists, Doc appointments., liver tests, eye Retinal tests, etc, etc.

Once you learn to live and work with it realizing you have some limitations and accept them, with proper Meds. you can't fix or cure RA but you can manage it to a certain degree.
They didn't have Biologics back then, that would have made a huge difference for me if they had.They are making incremental advances in therapies ,but they still don't know a lot about what triggers it,why some family members can carry the blood factor their entire lives and not have it activate, but a sibling does.
Rheumatic fever as a child raises the % of chance and it is Genetically passed, 67 Grandchildren in my family , only 2 of us have it.I hope my Son is fortunate enough to have it skip him. I wouldn't wish this Disease on my worst enemy

Very good post.
RA hit me in my early 20's. Now 67. With a good doc and medication it has been quite manageable...allowed me to work full time since I graduated High School missing no more than a handful of days. Retiring next month, and though my knees (especially) are bad I intend on doing most of the things I've enjoyed doing for a good few years at least.
But it's of utmost importance...if you have been diagnosed with RA and don't have a specialist as of yet...get you family doc to set you up an appointment ASAP...the sooner you get a handle on it (meaning not just popping Aleve and other over the counter remedies) the better off you will be long term.

[russelldyck]

I too have been dealing with A.S. since my late teens, finally diagnosed 10 years ago. Was prescribed all manner of drugs to deal with pain and inflammation, been on naproxen for most of those ten years, sometimes it worked but most of the time it did nothing. Fast forward to this past fall and a new rheumatologist that insisted on trying one of the biological drugs and wanted to know which one I wanted to try first. I decided on Humira. I started feeling the better the day after my first injection and a short while later I found myself being able to work more than just a few hours a day, flair ups are almost non existent (I had one about a month ago) but instead of lasting weeks or months it came and went in less than a week and it wasnt even close to being a severe as they had been in the past. I never really knew just how far off I had become until I started Humira, I no longer keep myself awake to the point I pass out at 1 or 2 in the morning only to be awake at 5 in pain from laying in bed, I now go to bed at 10 and I can get a good nights sleep and be up at 6 almost bright eyed and bushy tailed lol.
Now that being said, the damage has been done. No more heavy lifting, No more laying on cement floors all day trying to fix refrigeration equipment (this is what started my last flair up). Watch what I eat, staying away from processed foods, keep surgary and starchy foods down to a bare minimum and eat a lot more meats.

Originally Posted by Getzcold

I have something something similar to RA. I have anklylosins spongitis. AS. I probably spelt it wrong. RA attacks the smaller joints in your body where AS attacks the bigger joints. It took them a long time to diagnose me and I have permanent damage in my spine because of it. They will start you on a antinflamitory drug first if it does not work they will give you the option of going on a biologic. I chose to go on a biologic and has put my condition in remission. Started to effect me badly at 28-29 was diagnosed at 31 and went on a biologic at 32. I’m 39 now and have my quality of life back.


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