New Member "Hi Everybody"

Cathyrt

Hi i have just joined forum. I have RA and i am on Meth and Hydroxy. In the last year it has got worse. I have found it very hard to see a Rheumatologist as the waiting list is very long. I have heard from various people that certain foods can aggrevate the RA. Is this true.

moderator

Hello Cathyrt

Welcome to Arthritis Care Forums. As mods we are here to help with any problems you may have on the message boards.

There are lots of lovely people here with a wide range of experiences with arthritis and the problems of living with the condition. Just join in wherever you like you will be made very welcome.

I look forward to seeing you posting on the boards.

All best wishes
Mod Yx

stickywicket

Hello cathyrt and welcome to the forum. I, too, have RA and take meth and hydroxy but, thankfully, mine is well controlled by them.

If you are having problems have you tried ringing your rheumatology helpline? They are usually the first port of call and best placed to advise. Failing that your GP might be able to get you an earlier appointment. How far off is the one they offered?

Foods? A healthy, Mediterranean-type diet is usually recommended. Different people have different views on foods but the only official thing is not to have orange (and grapefruit?) juice when taking meth as they interact. And keep the alcohol intake very low.

Also smoking makes it worse.

Cathyrt

Thankyou for your helpful reply. I originally had appt for January 2015 as i moved to a new area. Surprise surprise they cancelled ans said they would send me a nee appt which they did not. I phoned up and they said i was on waiting list. In the end i wrote a letter complaining of the service i was receiving. I received an early appt to a hospital i could not get to, so i phoned to cancel and ask for a hospital i could travel to, which i was told would not be till august 2015, at least i have an appt.

Cathy

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you have had to find us. I have another form of auto-immune arthritis and take injected meth, injected humira and sulphasalazine tablets. Alas for me it's all too little too late so OA has joined in, just for fun.

It is very easy to get missed by hospitals so always be prepared to chase up and do your own administration. Rheumatology is a booming area thanks to quicker diagnosis and, unlike other departments, they rarely say good bye to their patients so we'll be going there for ever more. :roll: I am fortunate in that my unit is a short drive away so I tend to forget that it's different for others who live further away and may not drive. It's always worth mentioning that you may be able to take a cancelled appointment, I've 'queue jumped' on more than one occasion by doing that.

Any form of arthritis is degenerative and progressive but we all vary in how fast it happens. I am nineteen years in now but used to it. August is not that far away, it may be worth keeping a short diary of pain and tiredness levels, what aggravates and what helps etc. so that the rheumatologist will get a better all-round picture of you and how you are being affected. I wish you well. DD

PS A healthy diet is important, but diet alone will not bring much in the way of relief. Avoid supplements which stimulate the immune system because the meds are designed to suppress it to reduce disease activity. You qualify for the free 'flu jab so please ensure you get that from your GP come the autumn.

stickywicket

Moving to a new PCT can prove awkward, I have learned from this forum. As rheumatology appointments go, August is not so far off though it will seem to be if you're in a lot of pain. Moving house is a very stressful thing and, as we all know, RA thrives on stress. It's also a very physically demanding thing so no wonder your joints are suffering.

Do you take any pain relief? Your GP might be able to tweak that in the meantime. Some can give steroid jabs though personally, if seeing a new rheumatologist, I'd prefer to stay away from them, if possible, as they can mask what's going on.

barbara12

Hello Cathyrt
Welcome to the forum, sorry I cant offer much advice, but it does help to keep a foid diary, and tick what you have eaten on bad days ...and see if theres a pattern..hope to see your name around the forum..