So sorry, and welcome! Life's full of unpleasent surprises, isn't it? At least you know its not in your head-that's the good point. Plaquinil can cause eye problems, but it is rare. Make sure you get regular eye exams so they can catch any vision changes early. Also, take it on a full stomach. The first month or so I was on it I gave me that "I don't feel so good" feeling. After that, I had no effects. Good luck and hopefully your meds will have you feeling better soon.
Hi Bob... welcome.
Well, a week or so ago, I posted about the male RA'er's being pansies because they did not post as much, or we ran them off, not sure. But guess what, Bob? Ya not a pansy, because you decided to share your bitter self with us.
Yeah, a lot of us are bitter about having RA from time to time. Even ones who have had it since they were babies.
I am 28, gee that sounds old, and have had JRA since I was 18 months old.
Oh and do not worry too much about ole Plaquniel, you more than likely will not be on that med long, only long enough to see if it helps, which most times it does not.
Hey! I got it for the hangover feeling... Every morning you wake up try to "remember" going to a kegger the night before and the "pretty" girl you hooked up with, and then if you cannot "remember", just blame it on RA Brain and take 2 Oreos and a shot of milk to make the "hangover" go away.
I have the dislocation of joints thing going on too. I done my right hip one time when I was about 8 years old and that was the worse pain in the world, well when I was 8, I have had worse... gave birth to 2 kids
Hope you stick around, and post often. We do not bite, I promise. Ok...ok...ok.... watch out for Katie's cat, she likes to bite.
Your father is not educated yet. No one toughs this disease out, lol. That is a common idea but not not useful in practical terms. In reality we all tough it out, everyday.
Hey Bob,
Welcome! Don't take this the wrong way, but I loved your post. I'm older than you (you bastaad, I don't like being older than people) and I understand how you feel. Well, I'm not a guy, I'm not young, but most of us here have had to "fight the battle" with how other people (family included) don't think that we're sick. "You don't look sick, it's in your head...suck it up". Been there, done that. It sucks.
We all have our own stories here, and I know I've gone through the "holy crap I hate my new life" moments, but when the dust settles and you figure out what you can do, not what you can't do, life gets a little better. A lot better, heck no.
I hope you stick around here, and I hope you find some meds to help you feel better. I'm still waiting for something to kick in so that I don't have the hangover feeling (great description...I always said flu, but hangover is better)
Keep posting.....
Dear CABob, Welcome, Ya know what you've come to the right place. We've all blamed our RA on our relatives, etc. We all feel like 'why me', and no one looks down their noses at you. We are all in this together. there isn't a good age to get the news you have RA, even little kids get it. this ugly stuff doesn't discriminate.
Plaquinel, and all the drugs we HAVE to take that help us has some bad effects on people, but because we take a small amount of them, it is unusual to 'go blind' or anything so radical. We all take blood tests and have our eyes tested often to be sure the drugs aren't doing something awful. If trouble develops we stop the drug, go to something else.
we've found everyone responds differently to the news of rA, and what it does to us. We all have diff. reactions to the drugs. I took plaquinel for about 2or 3 years , but switched to methotrexate after getting severe head aches. But that was just me.
I was in denial for 5 years, didn't get treatment and have joint damage. NOw, because of a heart operation, and the stress (or something, I also had pneumonia), I'm on a pretty powerful cocktail of meds (below). It has been 3 months of work to come up with the right combination of drugs and I'm still sorting it out.
Your dad was wrong, that happens sometimes with families, to take that attitude towards you. He didn't have 'the stuff' so he couldn't have understood your pain. We understand perfectly.
You will begin to feel a lot better now that you are getting treatment. I wouldn't worry about the Plaquinel too much as we've all read the really bad stuff, but not doing anything, is not an option for us.
As you can see by my post I almost never sleep, that's one good thing about this great forum, someone is here 24/7. I hope guys communicate with you (I don't know how many are on this board?). We have a private messenger also, so if you find someone in the 'memberlist' you could contact them.
Take care you are among friends, and we all vent from time to time. Lynda
Hi Bob,
I'm sorry you're feeling so bad about this. There are still days at my age of 38 when I feel like that but the feeling passes for me and I hope it does for you also. I was diagnosed with RA at 3 yrs old and am now 38. The doctors ran all kinds of tests on me and my family because in 1972, they had never seen a case of arthritis in a child so young. The one thing that came out of my tests was that I didn't get it from anyone in my family. Honestly, the drs had no idea how I got it or what to do back then. Fortunately, now they have a better understanding of it. For most of my life I took plaquenil and my eyes are fine. I have eye exams every 6 months to make sure. I honestly never noticed that constant hangover feeling in my 20's. And if I did, I didn't associate it with RA just a rough night out with my friends.
I welcome you to this board. I new here too but from what I've read there are a lot of helpful people here with some good advice and insight.
Take care,
Dear CrazyAss,
LOVED your post.
I was where you are about a year ago without the cutting wit. Freaked is the best descriptor. I, too, got freaked about the Plaq and that's why I tried a different way - antibiotics, which, IMHO, is a much lesser side effect profile than Plaq or any of the biologics.
Being here at AI I've learned Plaq does not automatically lead to blindness (which I was SURE it would do to me). Still, you might look into antibiotics at www.roadback.org. Lurk and learn. But no matter what, you need to be on some medication to stop the progression of the disease.
Hugs,
Pip
P.S. We can smack your Dad for you!
the biologics work great a new lease on life. Such as humira.Dear caBob,
i forgot to say, that we aren't babies here. We fight every day to live 'normal' lives, take care of our kids, go to work even, but we do need to 'share', 'whine , sometimes, to one another, because we all understand. Been there done that! WE are insecure sometimes, we don't know if we are taking the right drugs in the right amounts! Like you are thinking, maybe the drugs are worse than the disease? NO, but it feels like that at times. Also, we do continue our 'lives', with sports (modified, I now ride in a motorized cart around the golf course, and can't walk the whole 18, but I'm out there trying to get well! Trying to hit the ball like the old days), we run races and got to the gym and swim, etc.
If you care to you can read back in the old posts and see how amazing people are who check in with this forum. Some have children with the disease, go through divorces, lose parents and family. WE are a neat community of caring people. I'm glad you found us and will join in with our joys, disappointments and sorrows. Like I said before, we aren't babies about this disease we meet it head on!!!. Lynda
Hi Bob! Your post was hysterical, you will fit right in hereI also started out on Plaquenil. Like the others have said, eye problems are rare. At my last appointment with the eye doc, he said that Plaquenil has a cumulative effect in the eye and that I was o.k. having the exam once a year. He said after the 5-year mark, he wants me to get checked every six months.
I started Plaquenil with one pill a day for a week, then graduated to two pills a day. I noticed waves of nausea for the first week and a half. Since then, no problems. I take mine with breakfast and dinner.
Sorry about the comments from your dad. Most people just don't understand my pain either. Probably because I very seldom have visible swelling. I think a lot of people just don't know what it is either. Heck, I didn't really know what it was before I was diagnosed, so I can't really blame others for not knowing what it is. Although, if I hear, "It's JUST arthritis" one more time, I think I'll scream!
Sorry you have RA, but glad you found this board.
Hey Bob, welcome (though I'm a newb too, shhhh)Hello CrazyAss....welcome to the board (even though I am excluded from your subgroup due to age discrimmination). It sucks to have RA no matter what your age. BUt I think you haven't been looking for that silver lining. How does all the BEST parking spots sound? Have you considered that you now have the hook up to pain meds that a junkie on the street would happily give up a joint or two for??? That's all yours now Bob. I've even heard talk of automatic toenail clippers. Futures looking brighter already, isn't it?
Linda
Hello and Welcome! great sense of humor, don't let this disease rob you of that! I am a bit older at 36, been sick for about 3 years now and my fathers is also an ass! Linncn, OMG, That's hilarious!BOB!! You are a trip!! Sorry you had to meet us because of RA, but glad you found us. I'm 28 and fairly new to the diease (and AI) myself. The people on here are the best.
Welcome, welcome!
Melanie
Welcome to the board. Sorry you had to find us but at least you have a place to go where people understand what you are going thru.Plaquenil is a very mild first line drug they use for RA. It can take up to 6 months for it to work. General rule of thumb is if after 3 months you still feel like crud...call your doc and let them know.
Love your sense of humor. I would never make it thru this crud sometimes if it wasn't for my sense of humor.
Linn...you crack me up.
Angry, alone, depressed....we understand those emotions all too well. Although I'm sorry you've found us because you have RA and are suffering...you have found a great group of people here. Take good care of yourself and remember...we are here whenever you need us. Peace & Love...Neasy Hi Bob and welcome to this crazy world of ours. I'm not in my twenties but thought I'd welcome you anyway. I'm 62 and I have a stick and a Maine Coon cat (guess that qualifies me) You are so right about the sense of humor. It is the only thing that has kept me going. Both my husband and I have senses of humor and he has helped me through the worst of this process by making me laugh. Take care. Lindy
Bob...nope you're not crazy. You just got dropped into the crazy world of RA. I look forward to more of your posts...what a way with words you have. I'll bet you could write one hell of a book.
Peace & Love...Neasy I'm an old fart now at 53, but was dx with this mess my junior year in college. Docs had been telling my parents off and on since age 3 -'Your daughter has arthritis,( but none of them said RA)'. I still don't always believe they got it right. I don't want any part of this crap either. Maybe you will have a remission - I had one that lasted 4 years. Welcome.
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