Some Advice ??

tanyakent

some of you may or may not have read my post a few moments ago expressing my story.

for those who have not .. i am 20 years old and just yesterday i was diagnosed with rheumatiod arthritis

though ive been suffering with my joints since 16 im not fully informed of what RA hold or how treatment goes or if its effective.

some general advice would be brilliant if you could spare 5 mins , just the do's and dont's what to expect .. what may or may not help pain etc ?

kentishlady

Hi Tanya. Am sure you will get some replies later on. I have posted a reply to your other 'thread'. Not of much help as it is OA I have, but lots of the others on the forum are RA sufferers and I am sure they will be able to give you some advice. Beryl

rockchick

Tanya, you're obviously, and understandably in shock right now, and need to talk to someone. You will be scared, need answers to a million questions, or just need to have a good scream.

May I suggest you contact the helpline here at Arthritis Care? It's helpful to read about other people's experiences, but if you just need to talk to someone, have a good yell or a good cry, or look for answers to questions, then please give them a call. It's a freephone number (at the top of this page 0808 800 4050).

Best wishes with everything.

dreamdaisy

Please contact AC on the number rockchick has given you, they also produce information leaflets which can be sent to you. RA is one of the many and varied auto-immune arthritises, basically the body attacks itself causing inflammation within the joints. The meds are meant to subdue the immune system in order to stop this happening. They vary in their effectiveness from person to person, some manage on small doses, others need larger doses and more than one med. It can take time - and some trial and error - to find the right med or combination of meds to help you.

Please only 'google' responsible sites about RA, there's here, Arthritis Research, NRAS. There's a whole load of hysterical hooey on the web about this version of arthritis - and many snake oil salesmen out to remove your hard-earned cash from you - if their dross worked none of us would be posting on here, would we? The usual starter med is one called methotrexate, this is also used to treat cancer but we take it at much smaller doses. I had to stop the tablet meth because I got a rash but I am now on the injected form and have no trouble with it whatsoever. I am, however, sixteen years further on than you and don't have RA, mine is psoriatic arthritis which is another auto-immune version but the meds are the same for both sorts. One thing that is worth googling however is The Spoon Theory and There's a Gorilla in my House - they give very good explanations of what living with a long-term illness is like and your friends and family may benefit from reading them too.

Everyone's arthritis is unique to them and none of us know how ours will develop. I began all that time ago with one affected joint, now I have thirty-eight but that's just me. I suspect that your RA has been happening for some time but I am not a doctor. Start keeping a diary of what hurts and when, levels of stiffness and tiredness, what helps and hinders and things like that so that he will have a better picture of you from the past month or so. Keep talking to us as well. We know our stuff and will support as much as we can. DD

bubbadog

I just want to add, when I was still coming to terms with the shock of being diagnosed with Osteoporosis I spoke to the Arthritis Care helpline and they where fantastic and helpful. I 100% agree with everyone. The 1st thing you should do is talk to them. I hope you feel a little better once you talk to them and you have done the right thing coming to this site. Become a member and stay on the forum, we all support one another through the bad and the good times.

tanyakent

thank you so much all for your support and advice i cant tell you how much i really appreciate it at this slightly scary time.

DD .. i will be sure to contact them directly to gain a little more information etc, and i have already ordered allot of their leaflets which will hopefully put my mind at ease. and i didnt think about doing a small diary of information daily thats brilliant thank you so much i will do that as well.

again thank you all for your support and help i will keep you up to date and informed on any progress.

xx

frogmorton

HI Tanya

Well firstly I must say welcome to the forums from me I am so glad you found us.

You are already doing the very best thing - talking and gathering information. Reliable information - A/C leaflets and NRAS are good and the talking to us lot on here.

Obvioulsy you will talk to family and friends, but us lot a) understand b) don't worry so much as they do and c) never get impatient listening to each other.

When you start to get your head round it you will probably want to ask loads more questions. Please feel free - there are people on here with a wealth f experience

Take care

love

Toni xxx

Numptydumpty

Just to say welcome to the forum from me as well.
You have definitely come to the right place.
Wishing you well,
Numpty