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Newly diagnosed

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pat75783
pat75783

Hi i was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with RA after a knee problem severe swelling and pain and high levels of crp it went from one knee to the other knee then I started getting the same in one of my arms.

I was started on 6 steroids a day dropping down to five and called back to the hospital to start next week on Methotrexate and to continue with the steroids until I get down to two daily and then I was told to stay on two. I am 24 years old with a baby and a 8 year old child .. I am worried about taking this drug since i have been on the steriods I have had no problems and I am wondering if I have even got RA because my blood tests show no rheumotoid factor I don't know whether to not take the drugs and try changing my diet because someone told me they control their RA with good diet.

Please could anyone give me advice.

4 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Buckeyes
    Buckeyes pat75783

    Posted

    Pat, I was diagnosed in November.  From what I have read sometimes the ra factor comes back negative.  I'm not sure what the crp is, I've read so much that everything is running together!  I know in the beginning I had pain in the right hand and forearm.  I went to ortho doctors who diagnosed me with mild carpal tunnel and tendinitis.  It took me a year to finally get blood tests done and that was when I found out!  By then the pain had moved to the left side also!  It usually affects both sides as they say symmetrically.  If you have pain  in the right hand it will also affect the left.  As far as I know diet can help but there is nothing that is going to get rid of it!  

    The prednisone or steroids got rid of the pain for me.  I am on methotrexate and enbrel now and trying to wean off the prednisone because I've put on an extra 30 pounds!  I have horrible swelling n my feet and ankles but no pain.  I thought it was from the ra but I really think it is caused from the excess weight because I don't have the pain.  

    My thought is to stay with your meds.  What you eventually end up with is a crap shoot!  What works for one doesn't work for another.  Your doctor is trying to find something that prevents you from joint damage and then how would you care fo your family?!

    Also, one of the symptoms is horrible fatigue.  It's hard to put one foot in front of the other at times.  I couldn't figure out why I was so tired because I hadn't done anything that would cause it!  

    I found that checking out the different posts on this site was very informative!  There are some on nutrition if you want to try that route.

    Good luck to you and I hope you find the help you need!  You can always get a second opinion if you aren't happy with what you've been told, just to put your mind at ease about your treatment.

    • pat75783
      pat75783 Buckeyes

      Posted

      Hi Buckeyes, thankyou for your reply and your advice it was very helpful and I will have to have a good think about this over the weekend before I am due to start the drug. I think I might get a second opinion because I have had no pain ever in my hands or any small joints.

      My crp was 238 and then they put me on a antibiotic called clindamycin 150mg four times a day which brought it down to 12. I was on them for weeks and my knee went down the orthopaedic said it was reactive arthritis and discharged me they had done a knee wash and two knee drains within a month. Two weeks later my other knee swelled right up and I couldn't walk normally then a could of weeks later my arm started becoming painful I couldn't touch my shoulder I became severely anemic. I had my blood done yesterday and my crp was 60 I am just thinking this is not Ra .

  • cheria
    cheria pat75783

    Posted

    Hi, your steroid dose is very high and even when in a severe flare, am only prescribed 4 (5 mg tablets).. and going down to 0 tablets at the end of 10 days. Steroids are something to be very careful of, with very negative side effects including extreme adrenal exhaustion, mental health changes, lack of sleep, pitting (weakening bones) etc and should only be taken short term. Those whose flares cannot be controlled well and whom keep going into flares monthly are sometimes given an extremely low dose of 1 prednisone tablet (5 mg to 10 mg) but doctors know of the side effects and try very hard to get them off prednisone. I help to control mine thru managing stress, 10 to 12 hrs nightly sleep, and a very balanced combination of D3 (2000mg), 1250 mg calcium carbonate, magnesium glycinate and a multi vitamin. The calcium and mag glycinate should be taken at different times in a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, whatever decreases your symptoms best. Be very careful of adrenal exhaustion caused by the prednisone, and I would definitely get another professional opinion on the high dose of prednisine you are being prescribed. Methotrexate caused more joint and muscle pain for me, and bec it lowers the immune system, induced secondary conditions, secondary infections, fibromyalga, and made the side effects of the prednisone more advanced. The prednidone additionally induced dental infections for me, which spread systemically, causing much joint and muscle pain, with the RA medications not being effective. Critical is the prescribed anti inflammatory medication. I find tramadol helps me very much also for damage to joints from previous unmanaged RA.
    • linda1947
      linda1947 cheria

      Posted

      Hi Pat.

      Having RA is bewildering at first. Sometimes it takes a long time for the hospital to find the right balance of medication to control it, but, without this medication (methotrexate or something similar) your joints would eventually be permanently damaged.

      i have had RA for ten years and I have been taking methotrexate for all this time. I am 68 years old this year and have not had any bad side effects from the drug.

      you probably feel fine now because you've been taking the steroids but you can't keep taking them. You need something like methotrexate to stabilise your condition. 

      The best advice I could give you is trust your rheumatologist, they know what is best for you.

      good luck with your treatment

    • pat75783
      pat75783 cheria

      Posted

      Hi Cheria,

      Thank you for your advice about these drugs and they don't sound very nice at all so I am going to have to think about all this over the weekend and take this information on board.

    • pat75783
      pat75783 linda1947

      Posted

      Hi Linda,

      Thank you for taking the time to reply and I don't want to have any joint damage so I will have to look at the wider picture I just don't understand how I am being told I have something yet the factor is not in my blood If i have not got ra I am taking drugs for life and I would never know or can I come off them when I want too.

    • cheria
      cheria

      Posted

      After 2 1/2 yes of failed RA treatments involving sulfa drugs (these are antibiotics), methotrexate and all biologics (all inducing more pain for me, inducing secondary infections and fibromyalga) causing a lowering of my immune system as well, my doctor finally offered me plaquinil which has had no side effects for me (known to have very low side effects but takes about 8 to 12 wks to begin helping) . This has been highly successful in keeping flares to minimum (1 every year to 18 months) in which a 10 day steroid pack is prescribed to get me back on track. I also take a daily presc anti inflammatory (critical) , tramadol for accumilated joint damage from untreated RA, and 5 mg prednisone every other day. This RA treatment in combination with magnesium glycinate and calcium carbonate (1:1 ratio) with D3 (2000 mg) for proper absorbsion of all ( tog they are resp for 350 + enzyme reactions involving muscle, bone, nervous system, protein synthesis, cognition, etc) with a multi vitamin with high b complex emphasis, and 10 1/2 to 12 hrs nightly sleep (the magnesium glycinate helps immensely with this) and stress reduction techniques, has helped keep the RA from spreading systemically, and keeps my flares to a minimum.
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