I spoke with the Arthritis Foundation yesterday, and the lady on the phone said that RA shouldn't cause pain, unless when flarring. She said that the new medicines prevent "most" pain and a person being properly treated can expect to live life without limitations. I told her about this website and what most people on here are experiencing. She simply replied that people not responding to therapy is a small percentage, or that the person may have a very severe form of RA. Also, she said the person may have other health ailments besides RA complicating the scene. Do you guys feel her statements are accurate?
Aside from what she said, I have an appointment with the RD on June 13, 2006. I may start treatment for RA at this time. Thus far, I have a mild case of RA, and my wife and I are trying to concieve again. I know MTX causes fertility problems, which I already had problems with in the past. Actually, I had a surgery to correct the problem and now have two beautiful daughters. I only want one more...my wife wants to have two more
Thanks A Million For Any Advice You Can Give Me!!!!
THomas
I think she is talking through her hat or some other place. Honestly, I think the drug companies want most people to believe that medicines are doing a better job than they are. If what she is saying is true then why do even Urgent Care and ER doctors react so strongly as soon as I mention that I have RA?
If this is true, then why aren't we insurable?
In my very personal opinion, I think that the Arthritis Foundation sugar coats pretty much all of their materials and in essense does us a disservice because they minimize the effect of this disease.
I don't think even people here that consider themselves mild are without some serious pain.
RA causes all kinds of pain because it is a systemic disease that hits many areas of the body.
I know that my RA is probably more severe than a lot of people's. But even newbies, newly diagnosed people are describing pain and loss of function.
Regarding the MTX, double check on that. It may only affect women and not men. Your doctor would be a good source on this.
I know you are looking for answers. But try www.emedicine.com and the http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/rahandout.htm.
I don't think that woman was very well informed. Does she have RA? Or, does she just read the propaganda that is put out there?
If that woman is right, then I have been in a constant flare for the last six years of my life. I don't think my doctor would agree that my condition is that grave. At my very best, I have pain every day even on my good days. And, there are many, many things I can't do any more. She sounds like a Remicade commercial. Remicade is a great medicine, but once you sit with a bunch of people who are being treated in those infusion chairs, you start to realize that probably none of them are going to be making flights around the world.
Truth is, I don't think our illness is taken very seriously except by the specialists. Even general practioners aren't very well informed.
That doesn't mean we can't have a good life which I know is what you fear. Life changes. But what makes a life good is the people in your life that you love and that love you. That can be immeasureable.
What a bunch of crap!
A life without limitations.........it does sound like a commercial for the biologics. There are as many variations of pain, no pain, and limitations as there are people who have RA. I have a friend who has mild RA and is only taking Celebrex and is relatively pain free. There may be people out there in RA land who are painfree and in total remission but I haven't met them.
I don't mean to sound discouraging but on the other hand this woman needs a reality check. I think I'll talk to my RD about this when I have my Remicade infusion on Mon. Maybe I've been misinformed.
I have OA Bad at age 33 also, so between the both, i never have a pain day off unfortunately.I am going to have to agree that alot of the information that you read about RA is "sugar coated" but I will say that there are people with mild RA that are pain free much of the time and that most of the posters here seem to be sufferers of moderate-severe RA. I know a few people with RA that dont have constant issues, and maybe you will be one of them. I hope so.I think I fall in the mild category, responded well to the first two meds we tried, etc. I am back to doing most everything I want to do, though there are some new limitations even then. Mostly they have to do with my hands which remain weak, and hurt if I overuse them. Also have a couple of toes that hurt when I do a lot. I consider this my "new normal" and it is TONS better than when my disease was active, but it isn't NORMAL normal. Maybe some have no residual effects but I bet those numbers are small.Apparently the lady on the phone don't have RA, or at least not the same way we have it.
Hope fully the meds. won't stand in the way. Best wishes with trying for another child.
That woman is so full of it...misinformation!! She sounds like some of the people that I used to work with. When I was dx with RA, OA and fibro one of them told me I couldn't have those because they were all old people diseases and I was too young for taht. And with medication I could still have a job, my life, and no pain.
PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW SHOULD JUST KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT!!
Sorry..I really get on a soapbox when I hear people say something as STUPID as what that woman told you.
I am only 44 and have tried about 10 meds so far and I have pain in varying degrees every single day, have lost my job and can't do a lot of things I used to do. I try to look at the positive side of things but when people like that woman say things like that, my positive goes out the window and I get ticked off.
I don't know how the majority of the RA world is. I can really only speak for me. My pain started in October. By December, it was a 10 out of 10. With prednisone and other medicines, it got better - maybe a 2 or 3 for the past few months. I can certainly live with that. Now, it's way up again, and I'm getting treatment. So with MTX and Celebrex and prednisone, I'm at about a 7 out of 10. I haven't been pain free in 8 months. I don't even remember what it feels like. However, I'm definitely functional. I just go slower and do less. So I think that woman may have been unrealistic. There are probably going to be times when you feel really good, and times when you don't.