RA And Side Effects

ColinJ

Hi everyone,ever since being diagnosed with RA I have not felt the same bloke,seemed to have lost interest in my hobbies and no longer feel up for a bit of fun,used to love my holidays, but no longer seem to look forward to them,can RA make feel like this ?

daffy2

Hello Colin. Sorry to hear you're feeling down. There could be several reasons for that and you may need to ask GP for help in sorting them out. The illness itself and possibly any medications you are on can make considerable demands on the body, which don't leave much energy or inclination to get up and go, but I wonder if it is the emotional aspects that may be causing you problems, perhaps resulting in a degree of depression? That can certainly make it very hard to muster any enthusiasm for even previously enjoyed activities. It's an unwelcome but not uncommon part of chronic conditions such as arthritis, whether RA or OA.

dreamdaisy

I suspect that you are feeling depressed and for good reason. Your plans for life have altered considerably since the diagnosis, you are now coping on a daily basis with pain, discomfort, taking medications which can also affect us physically in addition to the effects of the disease - it's not fun. It is hard to feel cheerful and optimistic when living with a chronic condition where we don't know from day-to-day how we will be feeling, isn't it?

I went to see my GP after my OA diagnosis (I naively thought one could only have one kind of arthritis) and she gave me some anti-depressants which I was happy to take for a short time, just to help me over the latest hurdle. My rheumatologist advised me to stay on them because it's not only my body that needs help and support, my mind does too and I now understand that. My depression was evident in that I could not wait to go to bed, didn't want to wake up, I was lethargic, disinterested in everything and everyone around me, I felt there was nothing to look forward to and I was unwilling to go out because it made everything worse.

Please go and see your GP and chat things over, there may well be something that can be done to help you through this rough patch and they are best placed to recommend what may be the right thing for you. I wish you well. DD

[Deleted User]

Hi ColinJ
sorry to hear you are not feeling yourself, as others have mentioned it can affect you in lots of ways. Feeling fatigue and lacking that get up and go are common feelings, have a look at this thread. Also coming to terms with it all and being in pain all the time is enough to make anybody feel fed up.
We have a booklet on coping with emotions that you might find useful https://goo.gl/Nm3D2p
As DD mentioned it might also be an idea to see your GP for some guidance.
Best Wishes
Sharon

ColinJ

Thanks everyone for your inputs

Colin

Rach101

Hi Colin, sorry to hear you have been diagnosed with RA and that is has affected how you feel. Do you feel like that all the time or only sometimes? I think it's only natural to have times when you feel down or depressed when you are unwell and in pain but it may be some help from your GP is a good idea. I've had times of depression since I've been ill (I've not had any specific diagnosis yet except poly arthritis), times when I can't be bothered to do anything and sometimes I just sit in a chair and stare or I just want to opt out of life and go back to bed. I've never had this experience before and it's a bit alarming to feel that way. I do hope that things improve for you.
Rach

ColinJ

Rachel. Your problems seems very much inline with mine, I have been over the last couple of years to build a model railway set up,but at the moment I cannot seem to whip up the interest & keeness as I was two years ago to build one,to see my GP is very difficult to get a appointment which is a challenge on its own,sometimes the receptionist can be very rude,so that's a challenge on its own where I get to the stage where I can't be bothered with them

barbara12

Colin I do think most of us go through this now and then, but you will come out the other side...just be kind to yourself and talking to us will help..x

stickywicket

This disease gets us all down from time to time. When you think of what we put up with just routinely – the pain, the fatigue, the meds, the side-effects, the fascinating things we can no longer do – it's not surprising.

It might be that, if you can force yourself to get going with the model railway, that will re-kindle your interest in things but, if not, don't just let things drift. Brave that receptionist dragon :sland-shark: (we'll all be behind you ) and make an appointment to see the doc.

ColinJ

Many thanks SW

stickywicket

How are things now, Colin?

pot80

I think I know exactly how you feel. I went through similar feelings just before I was diagnosed with a polymyalgic onset of RA. Things dragged on a bit as the GP tried to get things sorted but once the consultant had got me up and running on methotrexate matters gradually started to improve considerably.Now I do not always know whether it is RA or age causing limitations. I have always liked the great outdoors - walking,birding,gardening and after a spell of doing nothing and feeling down I can now do enough of each to gain satisfaction again. The one thing I gave up completely was wood turning. I felt that it was the safest option. I crashed out six years ago in 2010 aged 76 and felt the end of the world had come prematurely but time and control of RA has given me the enthusiasm to carry on doing the things I enjoy. Sincerely hope that you pull through.