Recently Diagnosed

Sammih

I’m very newly diagnosed and I’m waiting to start Methotrexate, I’m finding the whole thing very over whelming. I’ve been back and forth to the doctors for 2 years and was not getting anywhere. Until now, I’m currently suffering from really bad anxiety and I can’t pin point the reason why I’m anxious. I’m having panic attacks every other day ( I’ve never suffered before in my life) I panic about panicking which is making my life unbearable. I don’t want to go anywhere like this I just feel so fed up, and this is all on top of the pain I feel from my Rheumatoid Arthritis. Does anyone else feel like this and how do you manage your day to day life? Please help.

Anna

Hello @Sammih and welcome to the online community,

Receiving a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis after two years of uncertainty can be overwhelming, so it's understandable that you are feeling anxious and panicky. This forum is made of members like yourself who have some form of arthritis and are learning how to live their best life with their condition. I hope other members will welcome you and share their support.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be challenging both physically and emotionally. This article on the Versus Arthritis website looks at how you can look after yourself:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/september/arthritis-and-depression-what-you-can-do-about-it/

You might also like to read Mia's story - she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 35 and she talks about how she is learning to deal with it:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2022/january/a-big-part-of-any-arthritis-diagnosis-is-dealing-with-what-it-means/

Do have a look round the forum and join in any conversations you feel comfortable - everyone is very friendly and supportive.

Anna (Mod)

frogmorton

I don't know how old you are @Sammih but I started having panic attacks when I started on the menopause. Before I even know that's what it was as in really still peri-menopause. Still very much in my 40s.

I ended up seeing someone about the panic attacks and now I can actually be in control of them more or less totally. Also well into the menopause now too to be fair.

Apologies if this is totally irrelevant I just wished I knew it could happen and that I wasn't losing it! Linda Barker had them too and i think others...

Take care and ((()))

Toni x

Kathryn1661

Hi @Sammih, I am also very newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and also struggling with the mental health side of it. I am 32 and was/am very active so feel there’s so much uncertainty around what is and isn’t possible in the future.

I started my medication this week as well as a course of steroid tablets to help with my inflammation. I’m not sure if it will help you but what’s helping me is to know that im in the middle of a really tough period right now, that I need to dig deep and get through it and that once the meds start to work I will be ok. I just need to allow myself this time right now to feel crap, to cry etc because it could hurt me later if I don’t.

hope you’re ok, it will get better xx

anneb82

Hi @Kathryn1661

Welcome to the online community and thank you for joining us.

So you were recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and you have started your medication this week as well as a course of steroids.

It was really very nice of you to comment on @Sammih post and it is so nice to see two people in similar circumstances being am to chat and encourage each other. That is one of the great things about this community and the support we can get from others that know our struggles.

I do hope that you continue to keep getting involved and chatting with others.

Ive attached a couple of links below to information that I think will be of use interest to you. It may be that you have already come across the information before but hopefully it will be of some interest and use to you.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/steroids/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

Please do let us know how you are getting on.

Take care

Anne (Moderator)

Kate45

Hi,

my husband was diagnosed age 36 with RA 11 years ago he has it all over and mentally he struggles but doesn’t have panic attacks but Iv suffered with panic attacks since a child and it can get into a vicious cycle of worrying about having the next one .

get out in nature helps although that can be hard with RA , grounding techniques of focusing on what you can see around you .

there is panic Line you can call or calm .

or CBT through your GP .

I hope you manage to over come them gardening used to help me anxiety but I can’t do much of that now due to basal thumb arthritis.

Woofy

Hi. Know exactly how you feel. I’m on a new journey with this myself. I have only just got medication sorted, it’s been a long old wait, as like you I didn’t have a clear diagnosis at first. I have felt very overwhelmed at times, and totally forgot what feeling normal is. My advice is, take each and every day as it comes. If you find you can’t do certain things the way you used to, find another way. Just don’t be hard on yourself. Read as much as you can about your condition, it has helped me understand a bit more about Arthritis. I was scared I must admit.