Hello John and All,

Similar cases as above. But because I had pain in the nerves in my back
and also felt soo low - I was started on amitrip . I have taken that now for
2 years.

Rose

Hi John, I KNOW I've replied to you before but I can't say to find it anywhere in this thread? Must be one of those days.
Anyway i just wanted you to know that I am still thinking of you and watching your progress with interest, so pleased to read your last post.
When you say 'Julie' do you mean me or another julie?

Hi John,

So glad to read your post that you are feeling much better. The steroid tablets are probably making a big difference to your pain and your positive outlook will also make a big difference. Things do get easier and settle down given time. Surely you will be entitled to help financially if you are unable to work due to ill health. Thinking about you and your family. Lorna

Hi John

Pleased to hear things are improving for you. My prednisolone was increased last week, after 4 weeks without Enbrel due to surgery, to control a really bad flare and things are once again almost okay. Few more weeks until Enbrel can be restarted though. Steroids are a terrific drug short term and like anything treated with respect do the job they are required to do, dampen the inflammatory response. Hence the improvement.

Over 22 years I have tried so many alternative therapies, in the early days spending quite probably hundreds and hundreds of pounds on different products. Money I could ill afford to spend having been forced into early retirement by the RA. Surprisingly, none of those supposedly proven therapies worked. Omega 3 is the only one that has been thoroughly tested and shown to be beneficial to RA patients. Others I later found were useful for those with Osteoarthritis (a disability not an illness!), a very different kettle of fish entirely! Anything that supports the immune system might be beneficial but there again ...

We have RA because there is an error in our immune system; something has kicked in which has initiated a slight change and the rest we all know about. At the moment the only sure fire way to live a relatively pain free life is through correct chemical treatment that reorganises the responses to the fault. Sometimes that can be done with mild medication, in more severe cases stronger drugs are needed. Rheumatoid Arthritis has been described by an eminent rheumatologist (name escapes me!!) as "cancer of the immune system".

I think everyone goes through all these self help measures in the hope they are going to find something that will make them well. Very understandable. Unfortunately it is an unscrupulous market for profiteering at the expense of those with a long term illness. Save your money John, NRAS will let us know if toilet cleaner suddenly becomes our overnight saviour!!

Money is best spent is on physio and water exercise/jacuzzi. This will really benefit you if provided under instruction from an RA aware practitioner. Please don't be tempted to use unqualified non-medical staff at a gym for advice.

My reply might seem a little harsh John, but please don't take it that way. You are doing exactly what every other member will have done at some time to some extent since diagnosis. Allow the steroids to work and continue swimming! Hope things continue to improve for you.

Lyn x

Edt : P.S. There is a section for complementary therapies - might be worth posting ideas there for others to see!

Oops, I mean 'complementary therapies'...
J

Hi John

I was very interested to read your posts and everyones replies. I am glad to read that the steroids have helped you and that you are in less pain.

With regards to anti-tnf's. I started on Enbrel after trying methotrexate, sulphasalazine and leflumonide over a 12 months period. Unfortunately I had a bad reaction to Enbrel. After injection I had plate size rashes on my legs which kept on re-enacting every time I injected (weekly).
As I failed on the Enbrel within the first three months I was allowed to move onto Humira. I started Humira six weeks ago and have just had my third injection last Saturday (fortnightly injections.). I have found the Humira a lot better. Not only are the injection pens a lot easier to administer, I have had no side effects and best of all I actually had three whole pain free days of over the weekend. My fatigue also seems marginally better. I am now hoping that Humira is going to be my salvation.

My GP recommended that I take Omega 3 and Vitamin D. My Rheumy Consultant said do not waste your time. He also said eating a mediterranean diet will also be of no benefit to the RA. It may however, benefit your overall health. Who to believe?

I was diagnosed with RA in January 2009 and I still feel a novice at all this.

Take care

Jackie

Hi John,
I can totally sympathise with your bewilderment. Sometimes it seems like such a vicious circle.
I truly believe that Omega3 fish oil HAS to help-but I'm no medical expert. Take it and see, I do (and so does my dog and you should see what a good effect it has had on him and he doesn't know he's taking it so there must be something in it!)

Re hot joint-they sometimes literally feel hot but I have never had any swelling at all!

I'm glad you're chosen Humira as I think and hope that that will get your RA under control for you - I didn't appreciate how much it had helped me until I told my consultant it wasn't helping at all and he said that if I stopped it I wouldn't be able to get out of bed in a morning!

Try and hold on until the Humira gets started- things won't necessarily always be like they are now for you.

My hubby takes steroids and yes they do give him a sort of 'buzz' they also put weight on him but that has gone now as he has been able to reduce the dose. So don't despair.

John

I am glad you have decided on the Humira - roll on six weeks time. My Rheumy Nurse told me that she has seen some patients have an immediate improvement, whereas others can take time. I hope you are in the first bracket. As for steriods, unfortunately they are a necessary evil and yes my weight has suffered quite considerably over the last 12 months but you have to weigh this up (pardon the pun) against the effects it can have on the pain.

My Rheumy Consultant said do not bother with a special diet. His words were "if there was any proof in it, all Consultants would be putting their patients on "the diet"". However, I do think that it is entirely up to each of us as individuals to do what we think might be beneficial to ourselves.
We have very little control on this disease, so I think being able to make a choice in what we eat can be mentally positive for us if nothing else.

I am sorry you are stuggling with your work situation. I am the only wage earner in my family as my Husband has had to retire through ill health. I am worried sick about what will happen if I become too ill to work asI can see that it is going to be harder to get financial help even if you are genuinely ill. I do believe that the NRAS and Citizens Advice Bureau can be very helpful in advising how you can get financial help during this difficult time.

I think there is so much ignorance about rheumatoid arthritis and the devastating effect it can have on your health. I am sure that the DWP and even doctors who assess people with RA have no idea how hard this can be to cope with. I am glad to see that it is starting to come to the forefront more in the news with articles about reseach into how alcohol can help and more recently a study on how weight training can help, particularly in women. I still think there is a long way to go and this is where the NRAS are working hard to get recognition for this awful disease.

Kind regards

Jackie