New member.

Mollbhan

Hello all, new boy here but not new to RA, have always been extremely fit, and a keen hill runner, about 5 years ago I got a sore knee, the pain flitted about various parts of my knee then moved to my hips, out of the blue one morning nothing worked, I could not even hold a cup of tea. Things eased off during the day but repeated itself over the next few days. After various tests I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Started off on 25mg methotrexate weekly and 15mg prednisolone daily I gradually reduced it to 15mg mtx and 3mg pred, I stay active, swim and exercise regularly but found weights to be a definite no no. Painful hands followed by painful hips are my biggest problems, I take turmeric regularly but am suspicious of all the magic cures that swamp the internet. I would be interested to know what herbal remedies other people take.

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noddingtonpete

Hello @Mollbhan and welcome to the Community. I can see that you are already active which is great.

You might find the following article of use

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/

but you are right to be suspicious of the 'miracle' cures. If they worked for everyone then doctors would be prescribing them. Having said that some people get some relief from them, but it may not work for you.

Good luck experimenting and hope you find something that helps - on a personal note I find TENS machines give some relief.

Best wishes

Peter

Woofy

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/61826/new-member

Hi there. I’ve had a similar journey with my RA. For an old duffer I was pretty fit, until 2 years ago. Woke up one morning and couldn’t move. Hips shoulders, knees you name it it hurt like hell. Been trying to get the pain under control ever since. Methotrexate has been helping, but don’t think I’m quite there yet with pain management. I was told early on, not to take turmeric with arthritis meds.? I am due another appointment in a few months at the hospital, so hoping they can come up with something. Strangely enough, today, I have been missing my old me, and wish I could wake up pain free, and be able to hike with my dog again.

jamieA

Hi @Mollbhan

I was never a hill runner but like @Woofy was a hill walker with my dog before psoriatic arthritis struck 3 years ago. Initially it was my knee but then my hands, hip and shoulders joined in. I'm on sulfasalazine, MTX and adalimumab biosimilar Amgevita and that keeps things mainly in check but my hands have always remained an issue. To be honest I've never tried herbal remedies. I wear compression gloves that help and do hand exercises multiple times daily. I was also prescribed capsaicin cream that helped my shoulders and knee joints and lidocaine patches for my sacroiliac joints. The NHS can't get the approved capsaicin cream now (though you can still buy other brands commercially) so I've been using the lidocaine patches on my knee when required and they do work for me. I don't use them every day - only when my knee hurts badly and usually only for 3-4 days until the pain subsides. I'm now back walking my dog 50-60kms a week - though only on flat surfaces and with a limp but that's a great improvement from my worst times when PsA first struck.

Mollbhan

Thanks for the replies, we seem to have pretty similar problems, I feel it is important to stay as active as possible, as soon as I could I went back to my part time job as a groundsman at a hotel, I swim and run in my local health club and take my 2 year old labrador a good walk every day. Painful hands and hips are the limiting factor here and I get bad periods that last a few days.I have had RA for about 5 years now and I don't think it has got any better or worse in this time. I aint no spring chicken and will be 75 on my next birthday. Keep searching for the cure, all the best.