Hi. I am new to these boards and must admit that I am new to internet posting altogether. But I feel like I am drowning and would really appreciate any information you all would be willing to share.
I am 36 and married with a 1 1/2 year old son. I was planning on getting pregnant this summer until two months ago when all my joints became painful and swollen. I saw a rheumatologist this week and was diagnosed with RA. I am on mobic right now while I wait for the results of more bloodwork and x-rays before starting on other meds.
These are the big concerns I have: Will I have to be on medication life-long or can you go off when you are in remission? Will I be able to get pregnant at some point? Can medication make me feel good enough to exercise again?
Mainly it is the fear of the unknown that is getting the best of me right now. My life, my job, my friends and family all revolve around lots of physical activity and I can't picture RA fitting in with all that. Kind of scares me to think about the future.
Thanks,
Stephanie
I think most of us understand your fear. I am glad you found these boards. I learn a lot of really helpful stuff here.Stephanie,
Jeanne gave a pretty good explanation. It does all depend on the severity of your disease. But if you are wanting to get pregnant again, this is a discussion you need to have with your doctors right away. Because some of the medicines that they put you on, like MTX, can harm the fetus.
The good side to most preganancies for those with RA is that the majority of them go into remission during pregnancy. If you are wanting a second child, now is the time to speak up.
If you have RA though, it is going to be more difficult to raise young children. However, there is a lot of women that are doing it.
Make a list of questions, research pregnancy and RA on the Internet, and ask your doctors BEFORE they put you on stronger meds.
The course of RA itself varies greatly from person to person. Jeanne is doing great. Others find themselves in bad shape pretty quick. Some have a simmering RA that is always there and others are always in some kind of flare. What is one of the amazing things that you will learn on the forums is how differently each one of us responds to the same treatments.
So, when you read the bad things, it doesn't mean it will happen to you. Remission is most likely to happen in the early stages of the disease. Be very proactive in getting treated. A lack of treatment can cause permanent damage. But doctors are used to dealing with pregnancy and RA, so you should be fine.
Staying physically active, daily exercising and healthy eating will help you immensely. If you find regular exercise too painful, talk to your doctor about it. Also try water therapy.
Wish you the best of luck and keep in touch.
Hi and welcome. Getting diagnosed with RA is scary but with proper medication and treatment it should improve.It's really important to get agressive treatment right at the beginning to prevent disability. I was diagnosed 2 years ago. I can't say I am cured, but I still work, garden, paint, drive and do most of the things I did before RA. I'm about to travel to Rome next week.
This is a great place to come for support and information. I was diagnosed with RA after my childbearing years so I will defer to those younger women with RA who have more experience with pregnancy and RA. Like others have said, you need to express your concerns to your rheumatologist because some medications can be harmful to the fetus like methtrexate. I have heard stories about pregnant women with RA going into remission .I have also heard that the RA usually comes back after delivery.
As for exercise, see if you can get a good gentle program from your doctor or a physical therapist. It will make you feel better and help you keep your mobility. Warm water exercise classes through the arthritis foundation are really good. They will also help you feel better emotionally because exercise releases endorfins which in turn make you feel better. I would try the exercise even before waiting for the medications to take effect. Just do it slowly and stop if anything hurts.
Good luck and keep in touch.
hi there. i'm sorry you were diagnosed. it's ok, though. we all have it. some more severe than others. i'm 33 & have had it severe for 2 yrs now. these are my understandings...
getting pregnant- definitely talk to your doctor! mine told me if i ever wanted to, to talk to her 1st. they'll have to take me off the methotextrate i'm on for at least 3 mo's. i don't know what they'd do to replace that drug for me.
drugs- as far as i know i'm on my med's for the rest of my life. everyone has their own personal regimine. mine is daily iron pills, daily pain pills (2x a day), weekly methotextrate pills (5x week), and bi-weekly humira self injections. it was hard getting used to for me, but since it does help, i just take my med's. i think mine went into remission for a short while, but i was still on all my med's. i don't think you can just go off them when you're in remission or feeling ok. my med's took at least 6 mo's to fully work.
excersise- again, everyone is different. but i'm told, and it's true, that even though it hurts to move, we must, or it gets worse. i joined a health club a block away so i can swim. i try to go there daily. sometimes it's extremely difficult to get there, but when i'm there in the water, most of my pain and worries disappear. the jacuzzi is a great help also. i can't work out like i used to at all, but i'm just glad i'm still able to move around.
hope this helps & we're here for ya. please try not to stress. it makes everything worse.
I am a 49 year old woman who was recently diagnosed with RA. I have had pain and stiffness for some time but was not insured until April to see a rheumatolgist. After many tests, he is certain I have RA. He wants me to start taking the Methotrexate along with Plaquenil. This all scares the hell out of me to be honest. Doc told me if I don't start taking meds I will be crippled within five years. I have been on and off prednisone for about a year. Please tell me your experiences with Metho, Plaquenil and what you did when you were first diagnosed. I am an extremely active woman who loves life and especially hiking. I am very concerned about side effects but I want to do everything I can to preserve my lifestyle. I am grateful I found this website and would really appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
ONE YEAR LATER...........
Many med adjustments AND learning new limitations, I am getting my life back and getting used to life with ra. I cannot address wanting children BUT I was VERY active and I got VERY depressed when that came to a halt. Then I found I loved water aerobics and could get the endorphins going like I did with hiking and I love going to the pool and exercising. I push my limits and learn my limits. Everyone is different but I can tell you. I was so scared with that first post and it got worse before it got better BUT IT DID GET BETTER. I keep having to say it but it is so true - you have to learn patience with ra and also learn YOUR RA. We are all different, each person's ra is different but you will learn to compensate and cope. I promise.
Ms. Joey - If we keep advertising it maybe we will have the whole board in the pool. Water is amazing for ra and I don't even feel like I have ra when I am in the water
Hope all goes well for you and keep smiling.
Wow! You guys are great. It really helps to hear that things will get better. I am already feeling less stiff and tingly since starting the mobic and having three days off work. I have to admit that while I am looking forward to feeling better I am also very hesitant to start on all the drugs. I am a veterinarian and an acupuncturist and always lean towards a less pharmaceutical route to health, but I guess I don't have much of an option with RA. I have already tried lots of acupuncture and chinese herbs with minimal success. Thanks again for sharing all of your stories. Stephanie
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