Advice please from RA patients

I was diagnosed in May last year, I take Mexotrate and Steroid tablets. Every time ai have tried to come off steroid tablets my excruciating pain comes back before I even come off them.  I reduce the steroid tablets down weekly from 8 to 0 but as soon as I get to 1 a day the pain returns.  I'm on 1 a day at the moment as I am due back to Consultant next week and he wants me off the steroids but the pain is killing me today and will do when I totally come off them on Thursday. In my opinion, methotrexate is doing no good at all, sulphazalazine did no good either. Steroid tablets are brilliant but they don't like you on them long term as they have many side effects. I am at my wits end after all this time so be patient as you will certainly need patience to get through this.

Steroids only are generally used as "BNRIDGE THERAPY"  until the DMARDS kick in, or during an acute flair. If you know you have it-- start the DMARDS NOW!!! IT will get worse, and the sooner you start the better. For me, Sufasalazine does next to notheingm, and that's on top of 25. mg of Methotrexate. I

d suggest start with methotreexate as (in the US) youi have to fail at that before moving tonto any biologics, if you need ton .

Also, 122 hours in probably getting to be too much. I couln;t  even work 5 hoursnin a row any more , if i wanted to. I'MM TORED ALL THE TIME. 

BE CAREFUL. TAKE CARE OF YOUR SELF NOW!! 

This os a tough disease. I hate it-- but we have to love ourselfs and be good to ourselves. 

All the best of luck to you.

Hi that's how I started, on my diagnosis day I was also given a steroid injection and oh my goodness all my pain disappeared the next day, they told he it would last 3 months and by that time the methotrexate should take over, i could only tolerate it for 6 weeks and sadly had to come off it as my enzymes were raised in my liver. I was off it a fortnight and the pain returned with a vengeance oh my goodness it was a bad time for me. A few weeks later the rheumatologist wanted to try me back on methotrexate I was dubious but he knows better than me I guess, before I left I had another steroid injection and again it worked a treat, that was the beginning of o Tiber and so far so good, I take 6 a week (15mg) and one 5mg folic acid each day apart from methotrexate day and it has helped me so much I just hope it continues

One more thpught about predisone to share. I uysed it A LOT. And it was a life saver-- until I got stuck at 10 mg for over 10 years. Everytime I tried to lower the doe, I flaired,. ThenmI was on a biologic that caused me to get so many upper repiratoruy infections (that I am prone to), due to my working with a lot of kids-- and then it started to make me deoressed-instantly. And, now, I can't tolerate it at all. The last time I took it for a flair, I becasme depressed again, after finally recovering. 

It is a mirsclke drug-- but I already have posteoporooisi, and  just jhad two cataract 

surgeries. 

Now-- you might get lucky and have an easy time. And a few weeks to wait for the MTX-isn;t si bad. 

Good Luck.

 I dont think you are in the US.    I worked 12 hr shifts as an RN in the states    Can be brutal,  on your feet almost 12 hrs/ day--short breaks for 2 meals,  Seemed always short handed.   But that was way before my RA diagnosis

    Can you take a medical leave for a period of time?   Course that would be unpaid leave here unless  you had a lot of time saved up.   I am sure it is different outside the US.   At any rate,  I hope you do well.   It is hard to stay positive but try to start out ea day on a positive note.  Not so great when stiff and in pain first thing

 Keep us posted here and this forum is a fine sight for much support and gathering of information