Any advice please 🙏

keepsmiling
keepsmiling Member Posts: 1
in Coffee Lounge

my daughter who is just 21 has inflammatory arthritis and it’s not only effecting her knees but her mental health. She was put into methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine but these did not agree with her. She has had steroids injections and fluid drained many times that then effect her periods. Ther periods come every 2 weeks. They want to put her into another drug called Sulfasalazine. Any one else on this drug and have you had horrid side effects? Friends say I should push for the monthly injections any advice please? This condition is horrid to see and really affecting my daughter’s quality of life and her 3rd year at uni. She has missed so much Uni in her last year she will either have to graduate in November or redo her 3rd year and not graduate with her friends. Hate seeing her in so much pain and having no quality of life.

Comments

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,956

    Hello @keepsmiling welcome to the online community.

    I see you are posting as the concerned Mum of your daughter who at 21 had been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis. I see so far she has tried Hydroxychloroquine and Methotrexate and has had steroid injections too all while trying to complete her university degree.

    To save you some time doing your research I have searched sulfasalazine for you and got the following threads:

    https://community.versusarthritis.org/search?domain=all_content&query=sulfasalazine&scope=site&source=community

    Unfortunately through my own experience (and observations of other people here's experience with Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs), what works for one may not work for another. It can be very much trial and error which is incredibly frustrating.

    I am going to attach some information about DMARDs which you might want to read too:

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/disease-modifying-anti-rheumatic-drugs-dmards/

    Hopefully some of our members might have something useful to suggest/experience to share.

    Best wishes

    Ellen.

  • olivia_b
    olivia_b Moderator Posts: 100

    Hello @keepsmiling,

    I'm really sorry to hear that your daughter is going through this. I’m also in my third year of university with Rheumatoid Arthritis, so I completely understand how difficult this can be.

    It might feel isolating, but she’s not alone—there are many students across the country dealing with similar challenges, myself included. I started on Sulfasalazine, which didn’t work for me personally, just like Methotrexate, but I’ve heard positive experiences from others. Everyone responds differently, so it may be worth trying.

    Regarding biologic injections, my doctor told me I had to fail two DMARDs (like Sulfasalazine and Methotrexate) before qualifying for them, but this can vary depending on the hospital and doctor. It’s definitely worth discussing at her next appointment to understand her options.

    Missing university and struggling with mental health is incredibly tough. What I found helped me the most was opening up to friends to build a support system at uni as well as home. It’s a long journey with highs and lows, and as a young person trying to navigate life, it can feel overwhelming. But with the right support, it does get easier. Your unwavering support will mean the world to her, even if it might not always seem like it. My mum has been my rock, and I know how much it can help just having someone there to rely on and advocate for you.

    I’ve linked an article from a student about living with inflammatory arthritis—I hope it brings some comfort to you both. You’re doing an amazing job advocating for her, and she’s lucky to have you in her corner.

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2020/august/my-first-year-at-university-felt-like-the-worst-time-to-be-living-with-arthritis/

    Sending you both strength and support.

    Olivia x

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