Here's the deal.
When I was in my 20's I got to where I could not walk.(in wheelchair for a guess maybe a year, maybe it just felt like a year!) I was diagnosed with RA by a Dr. where we were living at the time. He gave me gold shots, for several years, also some oral medication also. When we moved I lost that Dr. At the time we were going through some severe financial problems so I did not seek out a Dr. for RA. It seemed to go away. Really! I know that sounds wierd but it did. I still had hurting but I just thought it was plain ol' arthritis, and downed asprin, and tylenol and any pain killer I could get my hands on.(luckily I could not get my hands on many painkillers or I would have had another problem) I convinced myself that I did not have RA--Hey, I was walking, and the pain wasn't as bad as before.
I never told any Dr. about my being diagnosed with RA. One thing is when you get a physical to work I did not want to be "unemployable" We needed income so bad that I did not want that on my employee medical records, also I was sure I did not have RA.
Mornings were always bad for me, but I would take the Hottest shower I could. I would let it run over my achy joints until literally the hot water would run out. I would run my hands and wrist with hot hot water during the day at work. Still I did not associate the diagnoses the Dr. had given me years before.(You can call me stupid. I am thinking that myself)
Later when it got worse, I had Dr.'s treating me for O.A. I could usually get pain med., and I took alot of asprin, until I started getting ulcers......and had to be hospitalized for that...BAD
That is where I am at now..They diagnosed me and the x-rays show I have extensive joint damage. Did I miss the Dr. diagnose? How long does it take for "extensive" joint damage to occur? I have stated before the drugs that I am on. Remicaide, methetrexate, predisone. Ultracet for pain. Mobic for O.A. My internest sent me to a Rhuematologist about 6 months ago, and she diagnosed me with RA. My fingers are somewhat deformed. I didn't know my parents medical history in detail so I figured the hands were heredity. But they were not like this when I was young. I just figured it was the way I was... Not RA
Please don't think I am slow....When I was young I was putting my husband through school, then babies, and I did not have time for sickness. Also, one of our children was born with a mental handicap, so that was full time job on top of working outside of home.
Does RA get better for months? Even years?? Then come back with a vengeance? Thanks for your input.
Yep; I'm afraid that's very often the case Vanessa.
I'm real sorry that this is happening to you. Major joint damage can happen in as little as a year or two with RA untreated.
I'm hardly the RA expert, but yeah, it can go into remission and then start up again. And I would never call you stupid.Quite often folks have problems in there teenage years and then problems won't arrise again for many years; then BAM! When it does return it's horrible.
Yes, it can go in remission. I was in remission for quite awhile then got hit again with the RA in a major way.
You are not stupid by any means. You get so busy with life that who really thinks about a dx made years ago when everything seemed to fine. When my daughter developed costochondritis (a fairly common offshoot of RA) I didn't put 2 and 2 together and get her in to see the doc about RA til she really exhibited the common signs of it. Kick me in the butt eh?
As Lovie said...major damage can happen within one-two years of untreated RA. Can also happen if your treatment that you chose to do is not controlling the RA.
The important thing is that now you are getting treatment.
Vanessa,Thanks for your answers. Lovie, that is just what happen to me. I was 19 when I first noticed something was wrong, but ignored it. I dropped out of college to get married and by the time I was 21 I was a complete cripple. It went away and bam it is back with such a vegeance.
Linncn, You ask if my med's are controlling it. Not lately. It seems I take something (Humira, Enbrel, now Remicaide) and it works great for a while and then it quits working. My ra dr. said my body's immune system was (I may get this wrong) patterning the drug, and making it useless after awhile. I didn't understand that at all.
Hi,I havnt heard of that particular word before 'PATTERING"but it sounds asif your body has either got use to the medication or is rejecting in it some way.Lynda M, Yes, I have had extensive x-rays. Seems to me every Dr. I go to wants to x-ray. They will not accept previous dr.'s x-rays. First my internest x-rayed me, then he sent me to a ra dr. and he x-rayed me, (he moved to another state), then I went to another ra dr, and she x-rayed me. I often thought- but then maybe I am wrong, every dr. wanted a piece of the pie....insurance money that is...
Linncn, thanks, I am hanging in there... might as well...LOL You take care of your ra and don't do like I did..let it go on untreated... Stay on top of it from the beginning. TAKE CARE!!! Thanks for the support, I appreciate it. I know there is a silver lining to this dark cloud soon.
Hi Vanessa,
I was diagnosed with RA at 3 yrs old. It progressively got worse until I had to have both my hips and knees replaced at the age of 12 so I could walk again. From 12 until age 36, I was on meds and being treated for my RA. During that time, I did what most people could do with some limitations including working the whole time. Even with constant treatment and medication and being in remission for that length of time, it returned causing me to have joint damage in my shoulders now. That has put me out of work probably permanently. I was already limited to the jobs I could do because I can't stand for more than 15-30 minutes at a time. Having the RA start effecting my shoulders more now has taken away my ability to be on the computer thus I can't do customer service jobs like I had been doing. So, in a long way, to answer your question, Yes, RA can stay almost dormant for months and years and then suddenly flare up.
hi vanessa i dont know about remission as i have only had PA for 4 years but i am looking forward to that day.
Lynda I would push for xray if I was you . My rhuemy had me do full body bone scans etc when first diagnosed but nothing since . so i asked my local gp and he sent me for xrays of wrists elbows knees spine hips . luckily no damage so far but it certainly made me more at ease.