28 and have found out I have arthritis

nikkib007

Hi I am new to this web site, I am only 28 years old and I feel why do I have this! the doctor has said I should go on Sulfasalazine but I am not sure I have got a 1 year old little girl and I feel that I wont be able to look after her properly,I feel like I have let her down

Anyone on this drug? all advice would be great

Nikki

tjt6768

Hi hun, and welcome to the forum.. first thing to realise is, now you've found us, you're not alone...
We are a friendly and knowledgeable bunch..
I've been on sulfa a good few months now, the only side effect I've had is weight loss through lack of appetite.. I can afford to lose another stone lol..
Anyway.. Please feel free to post as much as you like, we are always around to lend an ear or creaky shoulder....
You will learn to listen to what your body is telling you, it can be daunting which is why this site is do precious top so many of us...

Be well mi dear...


And please don't think you've let anybody down.. You didn't ask for this..

Annah

I'd take medical advice, if I were you. You could of course ask the doctor what would happen if you didn't take the meds, but I'm betting the answer is that you're less likely to be able to look after your daughter, not more.

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but at least now you can get the appropriate treatment in place.

nikkib007

Thanks for the advice, it seems so overwelming but I will talk on here, I think it will help

Take care everyone

frogmorton

Nikki

Welcome to the forums from me

I expect you are feeling totally shocked angry astounded confused upset etc etc. Just like l was when this first happened to me. I felt very alone in fact almost as though life was over and bawled every day all day for at least a week :oops:

The very best thing you can do is stay on here and keep talking and gathering information. Knowledge is power in my opinion.

Trouble is your arthritis must be a form of inflammatory arthritis and in order to prevent joint damage (and look after your little girl as well as you can) you will likely to need medication. :?

Sulfa is one of the first line disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs and shouldn't have too bad side affects if at all. Most people on here have experienced very few side effects. If you are lucky it will enable things to settle down and life to carry on pretty well as 'normal'.

Take care of yourself - take some times to think and above all keep talking. This is the best place for that

Love

Toni xxx

valval

welcome i am on it and the only side affect is the yellow wee interesting colour will be interseting when i go for blood pressure check and have to take a sample with luck the meds will help with the exhaustion and taking care of your daughter will be easyer if you can move better and stopping damage is very important we are not doctors so can not help much but they do keep a close eye on you good luck stay in touch val

jillyb1

I was diagnosed with RA when 25 , so understand how you feel . Please trust your docs and "obey " orders . They have the training , we have the knowledge of how it feels ! Taking the meds could make you feel better , cope better and have more time and energy to spend with your family . Jillyb

Annah

jillyb1 wrote:

I was diagnosed with RA when 25 , so understand how you feel . Please trust your docs and "obey " orders . They have the training , we have the knowledge of how it feels ! Taking the meds could make you feel better , cope better and have more time and energy to spend with your family . Jillyb

Totally agree with Jilly about doctors training and us understanding.

Numptydumpty

Welcome to the forum.
I think we all feel guilty at one time or another, it's human nature.
Rest assured, you have nothing to feel guilty about. You didn't ask for this disease, no one would! It's bad luck you have it.
It won't stop you being a good mum.
The meds thing is of course a personal choice, but, the earlier arthritis is treated, the less damage is done. I totally agree with Jillyb.
I wish you well,
Numpty

barbara12

Hi Nikki
And a very warm welcome from me, I see the others have given you good advice, and now you know you have us lot to talk to...so if you feel like a rant you go ahead.
There are quite a few mums on here so hopefully you will be able to see how they manage with there family's and Arthur.
I do wish you well with everything xx

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you and I am glad you have found us. If you have been prescribed sulph then that would indicate to me that you have some form of inflammatory arthritis. I was prescribed sulph for my arthritis five years after it began, but by then it was too late, the damage to my left knee was done and the sulph alone made little difference. My mate Nigel (who has arthritic fingers and shoulders) has been on sulph for years and is still working as a builder/decorator so it's worked well for him. Taking the drug is necessary to treat the disease - yes, you do have a choice NOT to take it but that will not make the problem go away. If you are not used to taking constant medication then yes, it seems completely unbelievable and unreasonable but I would advise you to consider it as a positive step towards treating the disease and getting a better quality of life for you - and your daughter. I wish you well. DD

tillytop

Hello Nikki and welcome from me too.

I am so sorry about your diagnosis. I was 28 when I was diagnosed with RA and I know that it is a difficult thing to get your head around.

Like the others have said, given that the doc wants you to start Sulph, I am guessing that you have been diagnosed with some form of inflammatory arthritis. And, hard though it is to hear it, inflammatory arthritis is not what you might call a “mix and match” disease, where you can choose whether to take meds, or whether to “put up with it” because if inflammatory arthritis is not controlled then permanent joint damage is pretty much a given. So any meds you can take which can potentially help to slow or prevent joint damage has got to be worth considering. I know that the thought of ongoing medication is scary – but I also know of people who have chosen not to take the prescribed meds and have regretted it hugely later on when the joint damage is done and can't be undone.

I have had RA for 16 years now and, I know that it is only thanks to the meds that I still have relatively minimal joint damage.

We are a friendly, experienced and knowledgeable bunch on here though, so please don’t feel alone with your diagnosis. And please feel free to share any questions or concerns – whatever it is, there’s a good chance someone on here will have relevant experience to share with you. There have also been a few new members joining in the past few weeks, who have, like you, only been recently given a diagnosis so you are in good company.

Thinking of you – and please keep posting to let us know how you are doing.

Tillyxxx

nikkib007

Hi all, firstly thank you all for your advice, I did feel alone and upset by this but now I feel a lot better because of all you lovely people

I have decided I am going to ring my consulant on tuesday and make an appointment to start taking the drugs, your experience and advice on this has helped sooooo much

I found out today that I am going to have to give up coffee, hands and knees werent too bad till I had a cup of coffee then hurt like hell

Thanks all, I will keep you posted, have a good weekend

tillytop

Hello again Nikki

I am so glad you are feeling a little better about things and that you have made a decision about the Sulph. I really do hope it helps you to start to feel better.

Just a bit of info, based on my own experience: It can take a while for your body to adjust to new meds so if you do find you struggle with side effects to start with, try not to be disheartened. Also, these meds tend not to be quick acting so it can take a good few weeks - sometimes longer- to know if they are going to help, so patience is definitely required. None of this is meant to be negative, or to worry you, but these are the kind of things which, in my experience, docs don't always remember to tell you and, personally, I always feel that "forewarned is forearmed" if that makes sense.

There are lots of us on here who take, or have taken Sulph, so we may well be able to answer any questions you have, but if you are looking for some good written information, the Publications and Resources section of this site, and the sites of Arthritis Research and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, are good sources of information both about inflammatory arthritis and about specific meds.

I was interested to hear what you say about coffee Nikki - there are often posts on the forum about diet and arthritis. I have never found that what I eat makes a difference but I know that others have found that avoiding certain foods really helps. Sorry about giving up the coffee though. Do you think decaff would be an alternative? Just a thought in case it's the caffeine affecting you, rather than the coffee itself?

Please do keep posting to let us know how you are doing.

Tillyxxx

nikkib007

Thanks for the idea Tilly I will give it ago!

Post again soon take care
xxxx

vjpik

Hi Nikki,

I'm 28 and also just been diagnosed with RA (a week ago!). Im just about to start down the whole treatment journey and im very worried about it. Currently surviving on a million pain killers, anti-inflammatories and steriods.

Are you working? How long did it take you to get your diagnosis?

Viki x

tjt6768

hi Viki. Just wanted to welcome you to the forum. Forgive me if I've already said hello. Can't think straight right now, having horrid flare and desperately trying to sleep, failing miserably lol

dreamdaisy

I send a big hello to both newbies and I hope you are both as OK as you can be. The forum was down over the week-end but is now back (as you can tell ) and I sincerely hope you both look in again soon to let us know how you are doing. DD

peridotlouise

Hiya,
I was diagnosed in december and I'm 24. I have been taking Sulfasalazine and have had no problems. Everyone reacts differently and it is a big shock when you get diagnosed, I'm still coming to terms but I can assure you that the quicker you're on treatment the better the long term outcome. I didn't want to take anything, but remember that by not taking what the rheumy recommends you will make yourself worse. Sorry you had to find us, but everyones really lovely on this forum and understands so please post away and let us know how you get on

nikkib007

Hi Viki

So sorry you are in the same boat as the rest of us on here, I am working four days a week at the moment which is hard work but I am taking lots of pain killers too at the moment, had a bad day today but spent it with my little girl so she makes it better!

It took them 3 months to tell me for sure that I had it this was partly down to the fact out NHS service down here is very slow at getting appointments to people!

Are you working? it does seem to take a while to get your head around the whole things but keep posting on here the lovely people on here help alot!!

Talk again soon

Nikki
xx

Aimer66

Hi Nikki, belated welcome to the forum. It's daunting when first diagnosed isn't it? They are a good bunch on here and I have found the advice to be sound and heartfelt.
Good luck with the sulfa, I am heading towards methotrexate so I understand your concerns about taking a long term drug and the possible side effects.

All the best,

Mark.

L1985

Hi
Just wanted to say hello from me to our newbies :-) im 27 with two small children one nearly six and one 19months so i can relate to you.

I have just started some treatment and there was talk about me starting sulfazalizine....sorry forgotten how you spell it lol.....at my next appointment which is in august. Think they are waiting to see if i get any benefit with what im on before add something else.

Good luck with everything and if you want to chat to someone in the same boat you know where i am :-)

Lulu x x x

nikkib007

That is great to know thanks, you do start out thinking you are the only one going through it but with this site you can see you arent!

Great to know

Speak to you soon

Nikki
xx

tjt6768

You're spot on Nikki, with this place you're never alone

nikkib007 wrote:

That is great to know thanks, you do start out thinking you are the only one going through it but with this site you can see you arent!

Great to know

Speak to you soon

Nikki
xx

bubbadog

Hi Nikki & Vikki, I was diagnoised with Osteoporosis when I was 28yrs old but I had been suffering for many years before that and the doc's had said it was other things. As everyone has said joining this site is the best thing you have ever done! Your not alone now and you will find tons & tons of support. So welcome to the site from me, and happy posting!!