No one ever says what they think caused their RA. I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
Personally I think mine was caused by emotional stress that I did not
deal with. I started having anxiety attacks and eventually went on an
anti depressant. After 8 months on this drug, my joints started aching.
Just a theory... I have always been so healthy.
Love
Cathy
DX 2 years ago
My doctor's believe I had signs of an Auto Immune Disease as early as my teens.
I got very sick one year after a heck of a semister in College. 1996 was a bad time...the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. It lasted for 10months...then went away.
Didn't start having problems again until 2001...hips gave out.
Other issues followed. Son got really ill aslo...stress out mom I was...and that just started the ball rolling from there
Bad genetics.It was an extremely stressful time in my life when I first started having symptoms....if I had to guess I'd day that. But once the stress was gone wouldn't you think the symptoms would go away too if that indeed was what casued it to begin with?
Well it didn't. 12 years later it's still here and steadily progressed over the years. I'm emotionally happier than I've ever been before so I'm not certain stress actually caused it to begin with.
I am not sure but I do know I read somewhere that they think certain things trigger it...
I had a bad case of Shingles in 1999. Then it was followed by an extremely stress full point in my life...Then in 2001 I was Dx'd with BC and the therapies that I had to have for that, some of my doctors think that could have opened up the door for RA to walk in ...I believe that too, cause a lot of women that I have had the chance to talk with about their BC are suffering with RA or some form of Auto-Immune disease, also.
Toni
Is that what I have now???? I have had a very severe case of Shingles, on my head. Of course was mis-diagnosed as a bug bite!! Have had PHN for going on 7 weeks. Yes the pain is so bad. Want to cut off my head. Can't sleep. Have tried 5 different drugs, nothing works or helps me sleep. All of a sudden two days ago, I couldn't move my fingers...both hands and feet are swolen. I am living on IBP. This has changed my life. I just want to jump off of the planet. Have been very active my whole life, now have no energy at all. Don't know where to turn...this sounds like some form of Auto-Immune disease with signs of RA. Drs are Just PRACTICING ON ME!
R
OMG...
I feel so bad for you...
I know just what you are going through and almost,how bad the pain is...
The problem with Shinges and how to shorten the pain and the duration of the shingles, is that you have to be put on certain drugs within 48 to 72 after the first eruption and most doctors miss dx it. like yours did...So, you end up having an extremely hard case of Shingles and the PHN that follows it..
Even with me getting those early drugs, I still had PHN for a long time and to this day, every now and then it will rear it's ugly head.
At first I thought mine was from a spider bite also.
You will have to go to the emergency room and tell them how much pain you are in, they will see what is happening to you and you will get more attention for the pain there than through a doctor in a private practice senario...and please make it to be a little worse than it is, if that is at all posible...This to me sounds like your only recourse at the moment.
Sometimes Antidepressants work, this is one that I know for sure they use.
Amitryptiline An antidepressant in the tricyclic antidepressant family that is sometimes given to patients with post-herpetic neuralgia. The brand name is Elavil. This family of drugs has been proven to also be a pain reliever for post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), apart from its effects on depression
The one thing I think truly help me was that I was given. ( Prednisone) a Medrol pak and within 48 hours the pain started to subside...Please ask a doctor about givng you a prescription for this....I don't think I would have gotten through it with out it...
Here is another link on SHINGLES/ PHN.
http://www.aftershingles.com/treatment.html
Here is another links that may help you...
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/shingles.jsp
What ever you decide...Please do it ASAP...
Please post back, when you are feeling better...I will be constantly thinking about you and do hope that your pain will end soon.
Toni
Thanks for all the info and encouragement....at least someone doesn't think I'm crazy. My family (teen kids) have NO idea.
Anyway, I was initially put on prednisone, and you're right, it was the only thing that stopped the pain. It was in the beginning, for the pain (I started with the pain first, then the outbreak). But then was taken off of that and put on the next drug...the one they put you on do decrease the side effects, but by that time it had been almost 6 days, and the dose they gave me was too low to even do anything.
Then I was put on Neurontin..took it almost two weeks, and nothing.
Next was put on Amitriptyline. That was worst. I slept great for two hours, and then was up all night-felt hyper. The side effects were also hand and feet and face puffy. I just couldn't get away from the feeling of ants running around in my head (thats where my outbreak occurred). The only thing now that helps is ICE....it deadens the nerves...and the brain freeze, I guess doesn't hurt. I have had to take a leave from work as I was not able to function. I started back this last Monday, and it seems with 4 Ibroprofen every four hours and doing something keeps my mind off of it. This new thing with the hands and feet is really upsetting. I certainly hope that it is not RA. My fingers look like sauages, and if I bend my fingers in the middle of the night in my sleep, and pain wakes me up. This new issue is only 5 days old, but is getting worse by the day. Of course tomorrow is Sunday, so now must wait until next week to get back to the DRS.
Gail
I have done a lot of reading on RA since my diagnosis last summer. There is a connection between it and smoking. Mostly it is genetics. It is just sitting there waiting for the right time to come out. Since it is auto-immune I think that possibly it can be triggered.
I have also found out that you do not want to take anything to boost your immune system. For a couple years I took B-Complex thinking it was helping me. NOT!
reading what you are going through brings back old memories...
You sure have tried all the drugs they offer and still no releif... I wish I knew of something that will stop all this madness for you NOW...
Since this is on your head, I don't think I would wait to see the doctor... go to the emergency room, if you can...mine was on the trunk and not nearly as bad as what you are going through and I thought I would loose my mind...Please go to the emergency room!!!
It does sound like RA has reared it's head. Actually this would be the best time for someone to look at your fingers, while they are still swollen. What is happening to your hands is what happen to me and brought me to my doctor in which 9 months went by before any DX was made and that was not by him. That is why I keep encouraging you to go to the emergency room...No one got a chance to see the beginning of the RA start up in me. and it looks like you are in the beginning of it. With my beginning it lasted for 4 days, was so painful I could not drive and then just as it appeared it went away. Nothing for 6 months and then darn if it didn't happen to me again only this time it reached my shoulders, couldn't drive so I couldn't get myself to the doctors to show him what was going on, more wasted time. By the next flare, I had no choice but to go to the emergency room cause I could not even lift my shoulders a fraction of an inch with out extreme-nauseating pain...Now I was sent to a Rheumatologist from the emergency room visit. If this is RA, you want to get it diagnosed as ASAP, since the earlier therapy begins the better your long term results will be.
Keeping you in my thought and prayers.
Toni
All I can say is that I am so devistated by all of this RA talk. I can't believe it has happened to me in the course of 6 days. The pain is unbearable and yes getting out of bed is a chore. I am very depressed and tired and don't even want to see anyone or go anywhere. I am usually very social and active. Will this pass??? I guess I am starting to understand that these symptoms come and go, flare ups, if you will. What seems to bring them on??? Why doesn't boosting up your imune system work??? I am usually tend towards homeopathic. Has anyone ever tried acupuncture or any other alternative care?
Gail
Just to add to everyone's comments the necessity to seek help as soon as possible. I too didn't get to see a rheumatologist for around 7 months after the pain started, it came on suddenly. Literally fine one day, in agony the next. I could have saved myself some months of grief if I had insisted that action be taken sooner. The meds they put you on don't have any affect for approximately 3/4 months anyway so the sooner the better you see a Rheumatologist to get the right treatment. Obviously you can take pain meds as well as the other drugs that hopefully stop the progression of the disease. Don't waste any time, this time last year I was in terrible pain and couldn't drive/get out of bed etc etc. Now it's better, not gone but certainly improved from last year. I just hope it lasts, and lasts and lasts and lasts!!!! Good luck - GillI'm with kathy_in_wlsv
My maternal grandfather had RA and there is plenty of other autoimmune problems on my Mother's side of the family.
I believe that stress aggravates the disease and can help bring on a flare. Dear Itchy, I'm sorry that you're dealing with this new diagnosis. Try to be think positive. RA is not the end of the world. You may feel like hell right now but remission does come.
Hope you fee better soon..
Rotten luck and stress!Hi,
I too have wondered where the RA came from. Rheumatologist says genetics,it had to be somewhere in the family line. Unfortunately both parents are gone so I can not even ask about my grandparents.
I have been on hormone replacement therapy for years. Now we ladies know our bodies are programed to shut down hormone production at a certain age. I suppose it is unnatural to be forcing hormones on your body that it no longer produces. Do any of you think that the RA I got could be an immune system reaction to the hormone therapy replacement? Yes I tried to do without the hormones for five and a half months. I had a hot flash once an hour twenty four hours a day. No mood swings but an irritability from the sheer physical discomfort. If stress really is a factor in triggering RA then that too might be responsible. I work a maximum stress job. Smoking ,well everything wrong with a person is blamed on that so why not RA to? :)
Tmir/Barbara
Hi everyone. First post.
was diagnosed with ra about 13 years ago. did hit me like the flu, but then never really got better. i too suggest seeing a doctor asap. it takes a while to figure out what meds will work best...sometimes a long while.
on the question of origin - anxiety, stress - personally i think factor in but i am also beginning to wonder about food sensitivities and/or allergies. initially the docs look for some immune trigger - some big event with high fever etc...but couldn't it be possible we have been eating foods that could trigger the same reaction? i suggest this though have to admit i've never been one for staying away from root vegies, tomatoes and spicy foods as is sometimes suggested. i find it is more wheat and sugar that really get a flare goin.
hope this thread is still active. wonder if anyone has thought of this connection?
my ra doctor poo poohs any thing that sounds at all "alternative" but i'm beginning to think about seeing a nutritionist. somethings gotta give. i can't hardly take it anymore.
I recently read an article where a woman had RA very severe and she stopped all dairy products and it made a big difference. Somehting to think about.
Lesle
My RA started 2 years ago. I just assumed stress caused mine. It was so strange how it started. Woke one morning with a very stiff finger, with in 6 months I could hardly walk. I also read somewhere that the lack of self love during childhood can start the process. Who knows!
Cynthia
How many of you are on disability? [QUOTE=hiphop] No one ever says what they think caused their RA. I would like to hear your thoughts on this.Let me ask:
There is such a thing as analphylactic shock - might happen on subsequent infusions. Are you sure it's RA that's out of control now? Could it be something else?
This may not apply at all, but Remicade and Enbrel have been been known to activate latent TB and to cause death when not treated with INH prior to infusion of Remicade/Enbrel. in cases of latent TB.
As for the anxiety - hey, who WOULDN'T have anxiety?
Let us know.
Lee
Genetics, but stress from my job brought it out.
Susan
I was born with arthritis--actually JRA---juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The doc discovered it when I was 18 months old--I was walking funny my mother said and she brought me in. I certainly wasn't under any stress at that age. I was told that it could be caused my a virus that I caught in utero.Well I think in my former life that I pissed somebody off
I Hope you all feel better
Dawn
My RA is genetic. I have the genetic "marker" for it.