Up until this year, I've pretty much been blessed with pretty good health - nothing serious and nothing that couldn't be fixed.
The pain in my feet and knees started suddenly - one morning in January 2007. Since I'm getting close to 50 and starting to go through menopause, I just passed it off as probably something normal and just part of the package of getting older. The pain wasn't too bad and I continued to ignore it January through the most of May. By the end of May, I was starting to feel worse and one day, I woke to a twinge in my right shoulder. By the end of the day, the pain in my arm was pretty bad and by midnight, it was throbbing enough to bring me to tears. I went to the doctor the next day who suggested it might be RA and took blood. A few days later, she called me to tell me my blood tests were abnormal and referred me to a rheumatologist. He took more blood and by the time I went back two weeks later, he confirmed that there was no doubt I had RA with some slight bone erosion in the joints of my feet.
By then, I was in so much pain in the morning, mostly in my feet and knees, and now I could barely hold a pencil in my hands to write my name; I was downright depressed because I've always been able to take care of myself and I suddenly saw this slipping away pretty darn fast. I could barely walk for hours in the morning and I could no longer get on my knees or haunches at all - I got up and down like I was a hundred years old. Putting on shoes became a very painful thing and I had to start wearing tennis shoes to work.
The doctor put me on prednisone, methotrexate and folic acid. That was a little more than a week ago and by now, I can't believe how my normal self I feel. The pain is practically non-existent and I became ecstatic.
Of course, I signed up here and at an RA Yahoo board and I was feeling very optimistic that the horror of this was over. However, after reading so many posts at these places by people with RA, it's pretty much got me scared.
I need to call the rhuematologist tomorrow as he wants me to wean off the prednisone. I'm supposed to stay on the methotrexate until I see him again in September (he has me going to my regular doctor for blood tests every 2 weeks during that time).
So - this is going to come back, isn't it? It's funny how I was petrified to take the prednisone because I saw what it did to my mother's physical appearance, and now I find myself terrified to be taken off it.
Was I being stupid and naive to think so quickly (and desperately) that I was "fixed"?
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Is it going to come back??
- By jjpritchard
- Posted July 9, 2007 at 7:05 pm · 4 replies
- In Just diagnosed
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Explore topics in this discussion:
Exercise Arthritis Chronic pain Pain Menopause Prednisone Osteoarthritis Methotrexate Folic acid
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- By Kalthia
- Posted July 10, 2007 at 6:55 am
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I have remissions of my arthritis that can last for years. I have Reiters, which is different than RA. Ask your doc about remissions.
The prednisone shocks your system and can help immediately with the pain, which is why you feel so much better. Follow the directions on coming off the prednisone. They will wean you slowly off. The methotrexate should keep things stable for you.
Ask lots of questions, keep your stomach safe (these drugs are hard on your stomach), most of all keep MOVING. Find a way to exercise that does not impact your joints, including some weight lifting. This will keep your bones as healthy as possible. Swimming is great, low impact and it's cardio.
Good luck!
- By jjpritchard
- Posted July 10, 2007 at 8:19 am
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Thank you for the kind words, encouragement, and advice, Kalthia. I can't help but feel a little guilty whining about this when I read how much worse others have this, but I am scared. I guess because the diagnosis is so new and my relief was practically instantaneous after taking my prednisone, I almost convinced myself that "whew - that's over with".
I am dreading calling my rheumatologist today about coming off the prednisone. I have a cat rescue fund-raising event I'm working this weekend that will be a bit physically demanding and I'm terrified I'll be hurting again. Thankfully, my husband and two other volunteers will be there to help, but still..... I hate the idea of not being able to hold up my end of things.
By the way - I see you are in the Fairfax area of Virginia. I believe that's fairly close to the cat rescue organization that I volunteer for - Siamese Cat Rescue Center in Locust Dale VA!
Again - thanks for the kind words. And now, I will work up the courage to phone my doctor.... :-)
- By Robbi
- Posted July 10, 2007 at 10:27 pm
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Hi! Sorry to hear about your ordeal. I went through a similar initiation, with flares and remissions of increasing intensity. I eventually had a hip replacement and I've got some pretty nasty looking joints. But you need to know some things about RA:
- Prednisone is a wonder drug. It will make you feel great but it doesn't really do anything about the underlying joint damage. I use it when I have bad flareups but it's an emergency drug in my book. And the long-term effects are not good.
- Methotrexate works pretty well by itself and does slow the damage. The folic acid is really just a replacement vitamin (or is it a mineral?) since the methotrexate leaches that from your system. It's a great med if it works for you. But if it doesn't, don't despair....
- There are some truly wonderful biologics available now. I use Enbrel, but there are several others (Humira, for example). They really helped me when the methotrexate alone wasn't working anymore. And there are new medicines on the market constantly, so keep up on the literature.
- I can't emphasize enough how much exercise helps--both mentally and physically. I know it's hard to do when you feel like hell, but you will feel better than if you don't do it. Although my case, according to my doc, is especially aggressive and I still am seeking the medication that will stop it, I've been living with it for quite a few years now and have learned to adjust where I can and accept where I can't. I think my greatest challenge is convincing my spouse that it's not just going to go away.
Best of luck on your journey.
- By divadeegee69
- Posted January 6, 2009 at 7:24 pm
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I don't have RA but Osteoarthritis so I hope you don't mind my comment. I was going to commiserate about the the pain and how helpless it made me feel to no longer have control over my body, I have chronic pain in my left knee as I no longer have cartilidge between my femur and kneecap and am beginning to have same type of pain in my right knee...can only go down the stairs in my home backwards and holding on to both hand rails; this morning I fell backwards off the last step before the bottom and feel sideways into my living room. By midday I was in so much pain that i wanted to cry...
I used to be a race walker; liked to roller skate and ice skate and now it tires me out to walk just a mile ( my morning walks had be up to 3 miles a day before the arthritis and now I can only walk with the aide of a cane...i am not yet 60 and didn't think that any of this would happen til my 70s ...so so disheartening
Deegee
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