Hello

Hollydene

Just joined as definitely know now I have arthritis classed severe, and have had fibromyalgia for some time.

Still pretty active in retirement and want to keep it that way.

Live in West Yorkshire and should like any recommendations for a rheumatologist as told condition not serious enough yet to need medication or regular appointments but also have serious neck and shoulder ligament problem causing loss if balance and pain, but I do want dietary and lifestyle advice. Would go privately if necessary.

Hello to all you fellow sufferers - good to be on this forum.

[Deleted User]

Hi Hollydene,

Welcome to the forum, you will find lots of advice, friendship and empathy here - sounds like just what you need!

I'm one of the moderators here, we are online every day to make sure everyone is OK, so any problems using the site etc just send us a message.

It is quiet just now, lots of our members are busy with other things but you will get answers soon.

I'm going to move this thread to Living with arthritis.

Take care
Mod Yx

stickywicket

Hello Hollydene and welcome to the forum

The dietary and lifestyle advice bit is easy. Just click on the grey 'Managing Arthritis' tab above. It's as good advice as you'll get anywhere.

The rest of your post puzzles me a little. You say you have 'arthritis classed severe' but ' not serious enough yet to need medication'. You also write of recommendations for a rheumatologist. I'm puzzled because, if you have an autoimmune form of arthritis, you would normally be referred to a rheumatologist asap for medication that will slow the progress of the disease. If, however, you have OA (osteoarthritis) you are unlikely ever to see a rheumatologist as GPs normally deal with it. Consultants (orthopaedic ones) just come in when joints need replacing. Sometimes rheumatologists deal with fibro.

In W. Yorks. There are some great rheumatologists and orthopods at Chapel Allerton hospital in Leeds. (And therefore the wait is longer there than elsewhere :roll: )

I'm not sure who deals in ligaments.

What meds do you take?

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you have had to find us. I am one of the lucky ones who has a creaky foot in both camps, I have an auto-immune arthritis and the joint damage from that has led to osteoarthritis in some useful joints. My rheumatologist ignores my OA and my GP ignores the other. I wish I could.

If by arthritis you mean an auto-immune form then the sooner one is on the meds the better because your immune system needs to be dampened to slow disease activity. If you mean osteo then the only medication is pain relief and maybe an anti-inflammatory. Overall I have around forty affected joints and the meds for my psoriatic arthritis do nothing to ease the osteo. Hey-ho. Diet has made no difference, supplements likewise but that's probably because I'm too far gone! I began aged 37 and am now 56. DD

Hollydene

Thank you for replying quickly. Cannot go into all complexities of my case, and yes, osteo-arthritis plus fibromyalgia, and other things like chronic fatigue syndrome since teens. Medication is a very difficult area as my immune system problems mean I react badly to so many medications, with anaphylaxis caused by angioedema. Am in care of immunologist. But it is just easier to take no meds as would probably be admitted to hospital even to take antibiotics. It is not that the medics don't think I need the drugs. As this immune system problem appears to have been seriously exacerbated if not caused by prolonged use of a prescription drug, I now am anxious about taking any medication, even with my Epipens to hand, following repeated visits to A and E which not been for three years as not taking anything. Been illfor many weeksafter vaccinations so on medics advice don't have flu jab.

But am interested in this forum just for the arthritis element. probably should have realised it would be mainly about the autoimmune type. Taught quite a number if children with arthritis during my career.

Nice to get the responses - thanks again. Just reassuring you I am not a total hypochondriac!

[Deleted User]

Hello Hollydene

Please don't think the forum is only for those who have an auto-immune type of arthritis. We have members who have a single diagnosis, including OA or Fibro, as well as those who have multiple diagnoses such as yourself.

Many of our members are not posting over the festive season as my colleague mentioned earlier. In the meantime I notice you have specifically asked for dietary advice, so attach the following link:

https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/managing-arthritis/diet-and-exercise/diet.

Best wishes,

Moderator AC

stickywicket

Hypochondriac? Good heavens, no! You are most emphatically complicated No wonder any meds scare you. Even arthritis must seem a better option than anaphylactic shock and A&E. Presumably, then, given your immune problems, you have been tested for an autoimmune arthritis. The meds that we take (like DD, I have both an autoimmune – R.A. - and OA) for autoimmune arthritis are intended to dampen down our overactive immune systems.

It's not the case that the forum is mainly about autoimmune types though. We have plenty of 'straight' OAers but things are a little quiet at this time of year. (Personally, I'm only here because I'm having a hiatus of recovery between being at our son's for Christmas and enduring my husband's beloved New Year's Eve party )

Keep looking in and, if you have specific questions, it helps if the title makes the question obvious. Good luck!

GraceB

Hi,
welcome to the Forum.

I have OA (osteo arthritis) both knees, left ankle and lumbar spine. I have a partial knee replacement (right knee); the left needs totally replacing and I'm currently trying to delay an ankle replacement or fusion.

As the others have said, it's quiet on the Forum at the moment but please keep looking in. Everyone on here is absolutely wonderful, and although we all have a variety of challenges with our joints, the support we all receive from one another is absolutely vital.

My partner has had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E.,) for over a decade now so I am well aware - unfortunately - of the challenges that this condition brings to everyday life and how it generally has to be managed. Interestingly, he struggles with lots of meds, especially with dosages as he feels his system becomes "over-whelmed" with meds when he's having to take any extra to his usual meds. This has severely limited what he's able to take.

Please do keep reading and posting. If you have a look on "Chit Chat" there's always a huge variety of things not related to arthritis being discussed and we tend to have a laugh whenever we can.

Take care,
GraceB

frogmorton

Hello Hollydene

Welcome to the forums from me too.

Sounds like you've got a lot on there and am sorry you have had to find us.

Some people on here have noticed a link between certain foods and arthritis flares like tomatoes for example, but I think it's trial and error. Some foods are said to have anti-inflammatory properties too like pineapple.

I tend to just follow a balanced diet and keep my weight down as much as possible. I also walk as many days as I can (gently and on a treadmill in my case) as well as trying to fit in some yoga. I used to swim regularly which was fabulous for some parts of me, but seemed to exacerbate my neck Never solved that one other than back stroke, but I kept annoying other pool users :xmas_redface:

Anyway I'm glad you've found us and hope you find yourself a good specialist up there (my parents used to live in Cleckheaton), I can't help you there as I am in the Midlands.

Love

Toni xxx

bubbadog

Hi Hollydene well to the forum!!