Hi Ceri! And welcome to the club no one wants to join!

I'm Julie, 59 and currently on Humira and methotrexate.

Don't you just hate it when people think you should be 'better by now'! Get them to read some os the booklets that NRAS do or at least google RA!

It is truly awful in te early stages, especially the tiredness. Unfortunately it seems to take forever till the right meds are found. The wheels of RA and the NHS grind exceedingly slow!

Hi Ceri. You have found the right place for support and understanding. I'm Sue - 58, also with 3 grown up children( the youngest in her last year at uni. I was diagnosed about a year ago and and am on 10 mgs mtx. hydroxy, folic acid and a stomach protector(can never remember the name!) I thought I was doing really well but the mtx has decided to disagree with my white blood cells so its all up in the air now.
My family is great but my mum (93) needs lots of reassurance and is convinced I shouldn't take these drugs because they are bad for me. Keep trying to convince her that it would be even worse not to take them!
Don't you just hate it when people say,'Oh yes, I've got a bit of arthritis too' Perhaps it needs a different name

Anyway, good luck and I hope the meds kick in soon.
Keep smiling
Sue

Hi Ceri,

Welcome to the forum, though sorry that you have RA.

I`m sorry it is still uncontrolled - you will feel considerably better once it is, but it`s frustrating trying various drugs/drug combinations until you find the one that works.

It will take time to come to terms with the changes in your life, but you will get there. It`s annoying when people think you just have a few twinges in your joints when it`s damp!

There is lots of info on here, so do keep posting. I`m Kathleen, live in Durham, with husband Nick. We have two sons & two young grandsons.

Take care,

Kathleen x

Hello Ceri ! Sorry you have R A. My name is Kathleen i self inject 20 mg like you. I am well most of the time. I never thought i would ever be happy again when i was first diagnosed. I still get very tired at times but i enjoy life again. When i look back about four years ago the pain was horrific. My family are very good but they still had no idea what i was going through.
I am active now and go on day trips with friends ,go swimming walk my dog and keep active almost back to normal now. Lifes good again and it will be for you when they get you sorted with the right medication.
It takes a while to kick in. I am 66 with two adult children. Kathleen Mc.

Hi Ceri

Welcome to the forum! The place to be for lots of useful life experiences and support. Sorry to hear that you have RA but glad to hear that you are on methotrexate; the gold standard treatment for RA. Often doctors will add in an additional drug or two to work alongside the methotrexate and this has been shown to have very positive effects. Perhaps a combination therapy might be successful for you? It certainly sounds like a review of meds is in order with such a weight loss. Has anyone checked for anaemia? This often goes hand in hand with RA and a course of iron can sometimes be enough to sort it out. Anaemia causes tiredness and lethargy and alongside the fatigue caused by the RA will leave you feeling very drained and out of sorts. Sometimes it takes a while for the drugs to kick in, which isn't easy to live with when you're in pain and so tired, but do bear with it we all find something that helps us somewhere along the line! I self inject and on occasion have developed a fear (also happened with gold injections which were intramuscular and mighty painful!); worth numbing the the area to be injected with ice first, but take care not to burn yourself!

I'm Lyn, married to Mike, we have four children, Abby 22, Ian and Jake 17, and Louis 15. All four in various stages of education! We live in Thornton Cleveleys in north west Lancashire. I was diagnosed with sero-negative RA 22 years ago and have since run the gamut of medication and had several surgical procedures along the way. Currently on Enbrel, Prednisolone and Naproxen and a jolly assortment of pain killers! Just trying to get a recent flare under control after cessation of methotrexate (due to neutropenia) and temporary stoppage of Enbrel for an op. Struggling to walk at the moment and lack of sleep due to painful knees is wearing. Heyho ...!

I do voluntary work to keep myself occupied and although at times it stresses me out (especially when I want to do things and the body says no!) it has been a lifeline and help me keep a modicom of sanity. I had to take medical retirement from my job as a manager of a Legal Aid office some 20 years ago so being able to feel 'useful' still is reward in itself.

Look forward to getting to know you Ceri,

Lyn x

HI Ceri,

I'm Lorna, I was diagnosed around 3 years ago. I was very ill at the start but I was on the triple therapy and now I am really quite well as long as I watch not to over do things. Sorry you have RA and are still waiting for it to be controlled properly. Fingers crossed you start to feel better soon. You say about your dread of your injections. Although I do not inject I take MTX each saturday and like you I dread it. I just do not like taking 6 tablets at once, but compared to what I was like at the start they are a godsend. So I remind myself of this each week, I took them today instead of yesterday as I was out in Edinburgh with my husband and his parents today and if I had taken them yesterday I would have been too tired for all the trailing around we did. Keep positive and I hope you manage to get your dread under control soon. Thinking about you Lorna x

Hi Ceri
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear that you are still in pain. I have only just been diagnosed with RA and I am waiting for the tablets to kick in and hopefully start working soon. I cannot believe how tired I feel. Its great to be able to share with people who understand how we are feeling.
Take care Debs x

Hi Ceri

Sorry for the late post, but a big welcome to the forum. Sorry that the RA isn t under control as yet, but I m sure you ll get there eventually.
I m 54 and dx about year ago, but as yet have not got it under control, so at present to keep the pain at moderate bay having increased dose of steroids. Constant pain certainly pulls you down a great deal, possibly have a word with your GP about stronger pain killers I ve had Bu Trans patches in recent days which have helped.

Hope things improve very soon, keep us posted.

Julia x