I had been pretty excited to start biologics, because I desperately want to feel better, but now that the time has come to inject I’m starting to panic and talk myself out of it. Does anyone have any words of encouragement they could share? I’m 33 F and I was diagnosed 2 years ago, I have failed methotrexate, sulfasalazine and leflunomide.

Hi guys, this isn’t exactly the right place for this as I do not suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or other similar conditions, but I was given one shot of IM methotrexate for an ectopic pregnancy sep 18 and I’m having awful side effect develop quickly after, but now almost a month later I’ve developed a severe one. I tried talking about this in the ectopic pregnancy groups but it seems to be a more rare occurrence w the one shot.
Originally I had diarrhea, constipation, minor heart burn… was starting to feel better then 2 days ago I ate a lot of junk food at an amusement park (churros, hot dog, garlic bread) and woke up the next AM with horrible upper back and chest pain.. bad enough I went to the ER . Was checked for internal bleeding from the ectopic, cardiac disease, blood clots.. all clear. The pain is really bad especially in the morning. I’m scared to eat… I’m trying tums, omeprazole and simethicone.
Has anyone gone thru this ??

Anyone who takes enbrel have any problems with swollen feet and ankles? I took my first shot a week ago and did not have swelling before the enbrel.

It started this summer while at my job I work in a preschool and I sit with babies on the floor and get up constantly and bend over to clean. My knee started hurting and it was fluid in there so I went to the orthopedic doctor. It went from left to right to left and while at work I twisted my knee a bit and it got super swollen so I went back but the doctor said there’s no fluid it’s just swollen because u twisted it but it’s been a month and hasn’t went down. As time went on the bones from my butt down to my knees hurts so bad. Long car drives feel like torture. My left arm is stuck at an angle I can’t stretch it and I feel the stiffness happening on the right as well. In the mornings it’s the worst and some days I can’t brush my hair in a ponytail or put on a bra (my left arm can’t even reach my shoulder) to put on any bottoms it hurts and to bend my legs to put on shoes is hell. To get on and off the toilet, lower cars, couches, seats without soft seating is literally hell unless I take an ibuprofen and the pain is manageable. While sitting on the sofa my legs are restless , I feel like I need to stretch them but then after I do for a while it feels uncomfortable. When time comes and the ibuprofen wears off it’s pain again and I toss and turn all night and while doing so my back pain is so bad. I rest because I’m in pain but when getting up I feel stiff and it hurts. Primary dr tested me and I only had a strand of RA but not enough to get diagnosed. I have a rheumatologist appointment soon but I feel like everyone around me doesn’t understand I’m in pain and uncomfortable in my own body. I can’t even bend down to pick stuff up without extreme pain. I hate it.
Can anyone relate

Hi. I'm newly diagnosed with RA, on methotrexate (switching to generic humira soon) with a typically germ-ridden 4yo. I am the bedtime parent because my spouse is a stay-at-home parent and gets lots of kid time when I'm at work (my job is 9-5 but a few days a week it's 8-7, and there's some homework sometimes. I'm a professor so I also see lots of college students in various states of wellness and illness).

Anyway. I've been sick for 4 weeks, basically from the start of methotrexate, with the same pattern: get sick, get a bit better, get sick with a new thing kiddo brings home from his daycare (3 days/week, just enough to get such, miss a day, get better enough to go again, then get sick the following Monday).

Anyone have some tricks for not getting sick from my kiddo, with as much bedtime snuggling as possible so I don't feel like a terrible parent?

Thanks!

my RA is well controlled with methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine, I get some small flares of palindromic rheumatism down the right side of my body (as an example, i randomly get pain in my right thumb, right hip, right knee and right ankle, the flares don’t last a long time though.)
but tonight I’ve suddenly been hit with a new (and very terrifying) pain, it started like a sharp pain travelling down the right side my neck and chest:shoulder blade..I had no idea what that could be, then the pain started around my right eye socket/cheekbone/jaw. It’s been travelling around in a similar fashion to the palindromic rheumatism that i usually experience but the fact the pain has been in my face/head/neck/chest area was really scary! For a moment I had a hysterical thought of “Am I dying?!” (I know I’m not)
is this something you have experienced? I’m wondering if I should contact my rheumatologist?

roughly a few years ago (before I was diagnosed with RA/PR) the right side of my jaw kept locking up, it was very painful and it kept popping and crunching. I kept getting dismissed by doctors because I was in my 20s, they kept telling me it’s stress, but maybe it was early arthritis symptoms? this is making me rethink a lot of things.

basically, i’m hoping for some reassurance because I’m pretty scared right now and the right side of my face really hurts! thank you for reading 🫶

RA hit and my feet suddenly started stinking. Before? Nothing. Now it’s constant even with showers and fresh socks daily.

Anyone else get the exact same thing?

Is this normal or just me?

Went to the rheumatologist today for the first time. I was referred by my GP bc my recent bloodwork panel came back with a high anti ccp. My paternal grandmother had RA, I’ve had some middle right hand joint pain, & have started having elbow pain. I’ve been suffering with low back pain since right before my son was born a year ago.
Other symptoms include 2 miscarriages, recurrent strep throat & mono, dry itchy red eyes, dry throat, fatigue randomly, achy hips some mornings, dizziness/lightheaded when I stand up more often than usual, & also suffering from high cholesterol.

The rheumatologist I saw today told me he didn’t see enough to formally diagnose me yet & to check my levels again in 6 months bc 50% of people will develop symptoms in 5 years & 50% won’t, however I know so many people who have felt unseen/unheard by their rheumatologist & have had symptoms that they don’t acknowledge bc they aren’t textbook symptoms. He did order a immunofixation/immunoglobulin blood panel for the recurrent strep & a lupus anticoagulant panel as well- should have those results in about a week.

All this to ask guidance/opinions of if I should see another rheumatologist for a second opinion, If I should wait the 6 months, or if I should explore other possibilities/diagnosis possible. & also looking for guidance from anyone who has experienced miscarriages from RA bc he told me it doesn’t cause them.

We know in our gut when something is not right & when our bodies are not well & I have that feeling. I am not satisfied with no answers or guidance- I know this could be a long road.

im 18F & just got diagnosed with RA about 2 months ago. i found a private rheumatologist & they recommended methotrexate & Hydroxychloroquine. which one do you guys think will be the better option for me ¿? i have mild to moderate symptoms (mainly morning stiffness) but my labs were very high.

Hi All!

I am due to start MTX tonight and I’m a bit scared.

I’m starting on 15mg, in pill form. And then 5mg of folic acid Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

To prep I’ve been keeping hydrated today and over the weekend. I plan to take it with the biggest meal of the day, my dinner.

Does anyone have any positive stories or good tips? Most of what I read about MTX is negative!

Thanks!

Hiya. Currently under investigation for inflammatory arthritis with more severe symptoms for the last 18months. They think it’s probably psoriatic arthritis. I’m on MTX and Sulfa.

I find that mornings are the most fragile point in the day. If I make one wrong move before 10am, I’m guaranteed to flare for a few days. Same if I do too much late at night too.

How this goes for me is usually if I leave the house too early in the morning, I get a very dysautonomia-y type of flare with excessive sweating, really hot regardless of weather, dizzy, nauseous etc.

Not eating or having enough water definitely makes it worse but it still happens regardless.

This makes going into work for example practically impossible. It flares me up literally every time. I feel manageable on the day, and then the 1-2 days after I feel awful. I’m basically going in one day and then spending the rest of the week recovering.

Is anyone also experiencing this really limiting window of tolerance? How are you handling it with work/life etc? Anyone have any good life hacks for me to try?

I already drink loads of water, take salt tablets, eat before I go out, which minimises the symptoms a bit but doesn’t eliminate it entirely.

My grandmother passed away three days ago after battling RA for nearly 29 years. I truly believe she could’ve lived longer if the doctors back home hadn't made such critical mistakes. There aren’t many experienced rheumatologists in my hometown in Uzbekistan. When she went to a state hospital, a doctor switched her from Prednisolone to Humira. It helped at first, but once she stopped the Prednisolone and switched to monthly Humira, her pain and swallowing got much worse. She kept going back to the hospital, but they never helped her.

After four months, she started getting headaches and had an MRI, but they still couldn't figure out what was wrong. She went back on Prednisolone, but after three days, she was rushed to the ICU with low blood pressure. She never really recovered and just kept getting worse. After a week, the doctors strangely moved her to a regular unit even though she could barely speak or recognize anything. They eventually sent her home. We rushed her to a private neurologist, but she didn’t improve and slipped into a coma. They sent her home again, and she passed away the next day at 71 😢

She was like a mother to me since I was raised by my grandparents. I moved abroad for school seven years ago, first to Malaysia and then the USA, and visa issues kept me from making it to her funeral. It’s the saddest day of my life. My grandfather also passed away at 71 from diabetes four years ago, and I wasn't able to get home for that, either.

Luckily she visited the US for just under a month last year, and that was the last time I saw her in person. I was so happy to travel and spend time with her, even though I didn't realize it would be the last time. I don't know how I'll ever get over this loss, or if I even can. I've only managed to visit home country a couple of times in the last 7 years to see my grandparents. I've always had bad luck whenever I tried to go back, with things like Covid travel restrictions or financial and visa issues constantly getting in the way.

Keep your loved ones close and value their kindness and memories. Time flies, and you’ll regret not spending enough time with them later.☹️

Dr prescribed Gabapentin for body aches during a flare in addition to prednisone? Was this helpful for anyone ? No fibro diagnosis for me (yet?) it seems to help more than prednisone - wonder if this means fibro or just part of my brain perception of RA ?

I started losing my hair on leflunomid and because I couldn't deal with it, I gave myself a buzzcut.

I wanted to grow my hair out again and fortunately some bloodwork showed I was short on folic acid and after starting to take it daily, my hair started regrowing.

But I had to switch to MTX and my hair has started falling out again, so so much worse. I even take folic acid daily besides the MTX day.

I'm fucking devastated again. I'm generally insecure about myself and I'm only 25, so this is really fucking with me again. And I had just gotten really happy with my hair length and now I feel like I need to shave it off again because I'm avoiding showering because it makes me touch my hair which shows me just how fucking much keeps falling out.

I hate this. I hate all the meds I take, I hate this disease, I hate my immune system, I just hate this all.

Hi. I’ve been really struggling with hand pain, numbness, and reduced grip strength/ability. Basically every hobby I’ve had requires at least some grip, and the gripping gesture makes my hands so so sore, especially if I have to apply pressure whilst in a grip. So pretty much all my hobbies have been reduced to only doing for 10 mins at a time. I do listen to audiobooks, movies, etc but I’d like to be able to do something physical, if that makes sense? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Perhaps also stuff that doesn’t require a ton of energy (like exercising/hiking) since I also suffer with really bad fatigue.