Summer, welcome to the forum. Aggressvie, early treatment is the medical norm for RA, even if it's sero-negative. If your RD's diagnosis is RA then you'll only get relief by way of the RA drugs. Have you tried a trial of Prednisone to see what you're response will be. Usually if you respond to Pred. and feel better then they'll start one of the dmards, TNFs or both. If you don't start the meds then you're putting your career at risk. It sounds like you've had the disease longer than 2 weeks and damage is being done and many times the damage isn't repairable. Talk with your RD about Methotrexate, Plaquenil, Enbrel, to take along with the Sulfasalazine. Get an idea of how he/she feels about multi dosing.
If it were me, I wouldn't walk, I'd run back to the RD and talk further about meds and start something. Take care and keep us posted. Lindy
Hi LinB. Thanks for the response. I am happy to report I'm better than when I first posted though the joints are still mildly hot and swollen.
I went for a review with my RD. He was interested in putting me on sulfa but i wasn't so enthused at the time (it was a good day). Are most sufferers of arthritic conditions like this too? Is it all about good days and bad days? My RD did give me a good report. I'm negative for RA and negative for B27 too and so far from plain x-rays there doesn't seem to be evidence of bone damage.
I'll give it a bit more time and will try to get back to my usual activities ... like the gym! (Seems far away yet ... as I'm still slill nervous walking down stairs) At the moment it's just very high dose fish oil therapy for me. 14 cap a day. Fingers crossed (crossing them still manageable
Thank you for being so active and supportive in this forum. Take care!
Good news about no damage. Has you RD mentioned psoriatic arthritis? I'm also on fish oil but not such a high dose. Many people that I've talked with have a good response to it. Am happy that you're feeling better. Take care. LindySummer
Hi we are all different but heres my Arthritic experience which might relate to you.
About a year ago returning from a climbing holiday in majorca, in which i had an small accident ( may or may not be related ) I developed an sore joint in my foot, thought it might be a fracture, it was not a fracture but inflamation, i then developed inflamation in many joints, ( ankle knee spine shoulder hand ) blinkin sore and i felt as if i had aged 30 years in three weeks.
blood tests and a rheumatology visit later and i was told arthropathy related to psoriasis. Psoriasis which i had had in the minorist of forms had also flared.
I had been an active climber cyclist runner, i coud no longer do a push up, was close to crawling to the bathroom each morning, getting progressively worse and wondered if i would be unable to walk, any period of inactivity left me stiff ceasedup and painful to start moving.
I thought thats why old people move like that, cause there in bl00dy agony. I enviously looked at old folk who could glide along. I was very low. Stopping work was not an option - self employed 45.
I, probaly like you, went to the internet to find out about the condition and most forums contained mainly two types of people. Newly diagnosed and chronic sufferers. It wasnt good reading.
I have since been put on Methotrexate ( taken once a week ) and it has reduced my discomfort to something i am aware of in certain joints but doesnt hinder me in anyway, I would say I am fitter than ever due to pushing it when i do get the chance to excercise as I have seen what its like when its taken from you. I have been on full mountain days ( 4 hour walkin, 6 hours climbing, 4 hours out ) and its not the arthritis that limits me.
It has taken about 9 months, i hope it will continue, i have had no side effects, you need to get a fair amount of bloods taken at the start, and I think I have had a bit of a lesson in what i have taken for granted.
I post this not to say its okay, sure theres plenty to worry about, but I forced myself to stick this on here , because i remember the despair when i first looked for an answer, but as i got better it is easy to forget that you actually have a condition, and your thoughts go away from message boards about the condition it very slowly fades into the background. I thnk there will be a large number of people who have posted initially then almost forgotten about it as time goes on and there condition betters. They may not come back to tell you, and i think the newly diagnosed might get some hope from this.
For the people that continue to look for relief I wish them all the best and hope they find something that suits them.
But i hope that the silent majority, for whom there arthritis if not cured has been managed, can give the newly diagnosed some hope.
All the best
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