and do the flares get better after being on treatment? It seems to me i have been flaring for two years,with little stints of feeling better. Like a day here or there i will feel good.or ok. But mostly i always feel like i have the flu,achy,fatigue. My weather flares improved after getting on meds. What meds are you taking for your RA? I'm sure you have said before and with my horrid brain fog I have forgotten. So sorry about that!!
i actually have psoriatic arthritis. I am on mtx,pred.ultram. i began treatment 5 weeks ago. The weather really affects me also.
kel
Hi, Mine has been going on since December, after the operation, I was on some powerful pain drugs, but they (oxycodone) didn't touch the RA. I just got both the recovery from the operation site in my heart, all the back, arm and all over my body was aching.
They couldn't give me my RA meds which I kept asking for--MTX. Finally, Feb. I got the meds going and prednisone, so the pain stopped, but my stiffness & and swelling has continued.
Today I get more Remicade, so I can get off of pred!! I hope!
sarah
My longest flare was about 1 year...without any consistant relief. This one I am in now has been off and on for about 4 months. Once the Rheumy rasied my Pred...I felt much better.
Now they can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 months.
I think 3 factor that has kept this one going... 1) coming down from the Pred,
2) VA Weather has been crazy
AND the one thing WE ALL HAVE AT SOMETIME...3) STRESS...my husband and I have been having some marital issues. We love each other and no one is leaving or divorcing...it is just one of those seasons in our marriage we are not seeing things eye to eye.
So, they vary for me.
Roblyn
The latest flare has been a 3 year battle. I've been on a half a dozen different meds and have had intermittent relief only. Right now 400 mg. of Remicade and 20 mg. of MXT has quit working and both the RA and PA are flaring. I guess the next step is to increase Remicade. I keep struggling and looking for the right combination. I've also tapered from 35 mg. of Pred. down to 7.5 mg. I can't taper more because of adrenal insuffiencency. Believe me I'll let everyone know when this crap goes into remission! Well, I thought I was in a weather flare. However, after waking up this morning feeling once again like being hit by a truck I need to call my doc before it gets worse. The weather is up and down that I'm having difficulties figuring out if I am flaring or if it is weather flaring. UGH. But I'm exhausted AGAIN (I slept til 12pm CST AGAIN!) and my hands....oy vey I would love to just chop them off and grow some new ones lol.
It is most likely stress causing this. Stress is such a huge factor for us. Unfortunately, mine is unavoidable right now. Caring for a newly diagnosed child with JRA and all of her emotions, my emotions, husbands emotions, other daughters emotions, plus a birthday tomorrow! And getting everything set for school next year when my JRA girlie moves to jr. high. Sigh. I need a day at the spa. Or a pretend day when no one has RA or JRA and everything is normal.
Hi,
I have been sick relentlessly for 18 months. I have RA and vasculitis. The only thing that seems to work is to be on 25mg + of prednisone. I was only diagnosed about 3 months ago though and am now taking 100 mg immuran and 5 mg. prednisone. My doc says the disease is not under control yet ( I have vasculitis and RA) and he thinks we need to increase the meds. I share your frustration.
Don't give up hope though - it takes quite a while for mtx to kick in. Have you asked your doc if he can put you on something fast acting for now? I did 4 medrol packs in addition to regular prednisone last year. The medrol helped a lot for about 2 weeks. Hope you feel better soon.
Laker
laker, i am on 10mg pred. daily. but only take 7.5 because i am so dam worried about side effects,wt.gain,round face etc. But i am at the point now where i really dont care. I am going to take the full 10mg of pred. i also have a call into my doc to see if she will raise the mtx. i take ? 10mg. or .4ccinj. once a week. I think i can hadle the increase. I WANT TO START FEELING BETTER, but i seem to be havign more pain,fatigue,achyness everyday. Its like this treatment has broughten it out in full force. So i want to "KICK ITS (ARTHRITIS) ASS"! and put it into remission, i feel the stronger the meds, or more of the meds. will put it in its place:)
kel
Before I was diagnosed, I went on for 5 years being sick, had the flu all theI sometimes think RA is one long flare with good days slotted in.
Liz if you find that spa to go to please let me knowI know what you mean about reaching the point where you just want to do
whatever it takes. I used to worry about the pred a lot, but I seem to have no
choice and think that if I need to go up a while to get this under control,
then that is just the way it is!
LakerLisa, I agree. It is like one long flare with good days slotted in. I am now getting about 3 moderate days a week on the meds. I just started injectable MTX so am hoping for more better days. So far I have never had a day without pain of some sort. Caught a cold this week so skipped the Enbrel, lol.Bonny, let me know how inject. MXT works for you and if there is any difference. I just started inject. this past Sun. Dr. reduced MXT by 2.5 due to elevated liver functions and I'm swollen and sore like I was prior to starting Remicade and MXT last June. I've only averaged about 2 decent days a week for the last 3 or 4 months and now it's 0 days. Well, I guess from the time I was about 10-35 were pretty OK. I was dx'd at 9 and had probs beginning when I was 8. But since my mid-late 30s it has been essentially one large flare. None of the DMARDs or other meds have been consistently effective. Some short term help but nothing so far really helps.
Anymore I have zero good days just some that are less frustrating them others. I too agree that RA seems to be one loooong flare with a handfull of nice periods mixed in...
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com