Hello I'm newly diagnosed with rhuematoid arthritis

Ferry

Hello I am newly diagnosed with rhuematoid arthritis. I feel very isolated and am suffering from grief for my old life. I'm also really frightened about the drugs I have been prescribed methotrexate plus hydroxychloroquine plus I'm still on predisolone 10mg reducing to 7.5mg for how long I don't know. Anyone out there had these drugs and how did you get on with them?

frogmorton

Got on with them just fine @Ferry as have quite a few of us.

I do know how you feel though and well remember the anxiety about taking them. I think though the pain I was in lead me to be desperate enough.

Some of us do have side effects (MTX hangovers the next day for instance), but these can be mitigated by taking folic acid which your rheumatologist might already have prescribed.

Ask us and if we can help you we will.

When I was first diagnosed I was terrible to be around I was very 'woe is me' wouldn't plan anything with people in case I was ill, talked about very little else and became nothing short of an arthritis-bore! I thought I'd be a wheelchair user within months, ruin my new second husband's life (he likes to travel) and embarrass my kids.

As it turned out not much of that happened. I am still on my feet, off to France, with husband, next week. The only thing that happened was that I did embarrass my kids - but only the same as any parent!

My advice? Keep talking - to us we get it and aren't worried or upset about you the way your family are. Get reliably informed (not Dr google look on the VA site or NRAS) and take your meds!

((()))

Toni x

Ferry

Thank you so much for your kind words it's good to reach out to fellow sufferers. Waking up in the night worrying about having to take a cocktail of tablets predisolone, methotrexate and hydroxycholoroquine. I went for a second consultation last Friday when I was told the steroids are working but because I have severe rhuematoid I may have a poor outcome. I had blood tests and x-rays done but was like a rabbit caught in the headlights and didn't ask anything. There is so much I should have said now I'm not in the consulting room!!! So pleased to hear you are able to go to France that is fantastic. My user name Ferry is because I was called a hyperactive ferret when I was an assistant head!! Now I'm wobbly ferret!! Take care and thank you once again x

Woofy

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/60472/hello-im-newly-diagnosed-with-rhuematoid-arthritis

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/60472/hello-im-newly-diagnosed-with-rhuematoid-arthritis

Woofy

Hi Ferry.

welcome to the club. I am also on steroids like you. Trying out Methotrexate this time, having tried Hydroxychloraquine, and Sulfasalazine. It is hard going isn’t it. Like you I mourned my old life, went from being crazy active, to barley able to get out of the chair. You will learn to adjust I promise. You have to learn the art of pacing yourself. Still try to do the things you love, but at a more manageable pace. Find ways of doing stuff that doesn’t push your pain to unbearable. And don’t best yourself up if you feel things aren’t doable some days. Trouble is people don’t always see that you have this horrible pain. I appreciate my not so bad days.

live gone through every emotion. fear to begin with, then despair, anger, and now finally I have made peace with this horrible condition. I haven’t given into it, I’ve just learnt to except what it throws at me. I deal with it one day at a time. Good luck, you will find a way.

Ferry

Thank you so much for your kind words and advice. I am about to start on Methotextrate injections and feel really scared about how I will react to it. So down that I can't believe it will help me. I have recently had a new grandson and feel wretched that I can't hold him and enjoy him. Like you went from mad too fast lady to sitting in my rise and recline chair. I do find stress affects my rhuematoid badly so need to try and stop crying and as you say find a way through this awful disease. Take care and hope things ease for you x