Collective experience required – MrsF has the classic symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis, blood test booked and waiting for referral to Rheumatologist.

Now trying to workout what the future holds, rather than looking at internet horror stories I thought I’d ask on here.

Any tips to help?

Cheers in advance

Sorry to hear that. I won’t go into it fully again here but please do msg me via profile if I can be of any help. Would be happy to relate my experience/ongoing recovery. In short I refused the heavy-handed ‘modifying’ drugs and tackled it with a view of eliminating disease (acute spondylo-arthropathy) via a private clinic using a combination of nutrition and salt baths/hydro. Prior to treatment the horror-stories I discovered (while myself NHS hospitalised with RA) where mostly related to the disease-modifying drugs they were taking, hence I opted to treat myself holistically. Saying that – a shot of steroids early onset could well bring about ongoing or temporary remission, but I’d add that lifestyle/diet changes prob required in addition. Take heart – even if it is RA there are many types, some come and go, not all are as disabling or problematic as others. And beware snake-oil salespeople – ‘magic’ bracelets etc – and I say this as someone who went the ‘holistic’ route.

Lazy link: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/coppermagnetic-bracelets#post-6542245

You have my sympathies but everyone’s experience is different. My grandmother and mother had it and unfortunately for my Mam it was a progressive debilitating disease without any remission/relapse.
I have (so far) not exhibited symptoms of it and far that I am truly grateful

I’ve spent years working on RA and have family members with the disease. If confirmed, aggressive early treatment to aim for remission is desirable. Treatment with ibuprofen that shows a good response is really a diagnostic and will not stave off disease progression. Biologicals therapy is now well-proven and accepted. Age of rheumatologist might be a factor in your treatment. Older ones used to save the best treatments till last, but the field has changed considerably in the past 10 years. Ask them what they think about anti-IL6 therapy as opposed to anti-TNFs. An informed consultant will have an opinion.

Expect to start on low dose methotrexate, possibly with a low steroid dose.

TiRed – thanks for that, have you got any more info on anti-IL6 therapy vs anti-TNFs or is google the best bet?

I have arthritis, but not severe for now. I am no doctor and can only tell you what has helped me. I used to take various Meds and steroids for a short while and did not like them, I lost a decent bit of weight (had it to loose), stopped 95% of my alcohol consumption and started to excersise more (took up mtb) and have really felt these things have help me control inflamation more than the Meds. Fingers crossed for Mrsf, it doesn’t necessarily mean all doom and gloom.

Thanks Andy,
Unfortunately MrsF is already active (running regularly + velodrome) and doesn’t drink that much or smoke – so I don’t think there’s much there to change.

I guess we’ll see what the docs say – it’s just worrying

OP, as has been said, everyone’s experience is different and what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. I take your point about Mrs F’s already healthy lifestyle but there are almost certainly things she can do to limit the effects of RA or even beat it altogether. The key for me was to understand what it was and what was causing it and then to change my life and the situation in which RA had been able to develop.

Here’s my story:
I started exhibiting classic symptoms of RA about 10 years ago (not that I knew what they were then). I went to the doctor who put me on strong painkillers and referred me to a specialist. She diagnosed me with RA and put me on drugs. She also told me I had a progressive debilitating disease and I was going to get worse – I was already in a pretty bad way, in a lot of pain and with swollen joints that wouldn’t move – and very soon after the diagnosis I decided that I didn’t and I wasn’t!
I had to deal with the symptoms first though so I took the drugs prescribed, went for regular checks ups and blood tests at the hospital but, while the treatment worked, I wasn’t happy taking so many drugs which had some pretty nasty side effects.
So I began researching what RA was, what might be causing it and so on. I soon realised i was a text book case for RA.
I made a number of changes in my life, the most important of which was leaving my stressful job, and gradually began to cut down on the drugs I was taking.
There was no ill effects so I kept going until I wasn’t taking any drugs at all.
I had stopped going to my check up appointments (I cancelled them so as not to waste the appointment) but when I went to the doctor on an unrelated matter, she told me I should go back and see the specialist to get signed off. So I did. The specialist was surprised to say the least but when I asked if it would come back she told me there was no greater chance of it affecting me again than anyone else. I walked out of the hospital and, unable to contain my joy, started running and doing aeroplane arms 😀

I know it’s possible that I was misdiagnosed but like I said I think the key for me was understanding what caused it and then making the necessary changes.

Writing this post makes me realise what a massive effect it had on me.
I hope Mrs F finds a way to beat it.
My email is in my profile if you or Mrs F wants any more info/help/encouragement.

I guess my main advice is don’t just accept it, try to understand it and you might have more success in managing it or even beating it.

Thanks Pilot, well done for getting yourself sorted, it’s good to hear a positive tale about it.

ThePilot – that’s fascinating and a great result after all your efforts. Can I ask whether you made any dietary changes?

Thanks, StuF 😀
Hopefully MrsF will take some cheer from it. The NHS, for all it’s good points, can be a place of doom and gloom and terrible negativity and while there is no point giving false hope, positive thinking can be a very powerful tool.
Very best of luck to you and MrsF.

I did, CG. Cut out meat, dairy and the nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes etc). As well as citrus fruits, (god, I missed grapefruits!)
I stopped drinking for a while too but conversely that is what had helped stop the RA developing earlier. It’s obviously harmful in other ways but as far as RA goes is useful in a way as it’s a stress buster. Not a long term answer obviously.

Have alook at LDN or low dose Naltrexone its supposed to work for some immune system diseases.

ThePilot – that’s a lot to cut out! Have you any intention of reintroducing any of those foods although assuming that possibly the only type you had daily was dairy?

CG, I’m back on them now. Was just for the period when the RA was active. Was pretty restrictive at the time!
Although I’ve recently given up meat and most dairy again but that’s for ethical reasons.

There are standard treatment guidelines for RA. Anti-IL6 I a follow on biological, largely because it has to be tested in patients who fail earlier therapies. Biologicals therapies are second line in the UK, but you should ask about all treatment options after a diagnosis. Every patient experience is different so hoping for the best.