Anyone else with Rheumatoid arthritis?

irishchick874 · November 2012

I am 27 and was diagnosed with Polyarticular Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis JRA) at age 14. I had it really bad in my teens and early 20's but then it started to slow down and I started to have less flare ups. It has been 3 years since my list flare up... that it until a few days ago when my damn wrist and hip flared up.

My doc put me one Prednisone.. ugh my lest fav of the meds that work well ( I get mean and hungry all the time lol). And since its in my wrist and hip I cant workout much at all. My doc said no workouts at all for a least 1 week then very light workouts ( like walks) for 2 maybe 3 weeks. Then we will see how the blood work looks again and go from there. I am so frustrated with it all right now.

Is there anyone else that has arthritis? How to u deal with losing weight and staying healthy while having a flare up?

dairyqueen81 · November 2012

I don't have RA but I do have psoriatic arthritis which is quite similar. I have been unmedicated for just over a year. I had to stop taking methotrexate last year before I had a breast reduction. The first few months were tough, especially while trying to lose weight before the surgery.

This round of weight loss/exercise had been much better. I have had no joint pain or injury while exercising even though I am pushing my body hard. I do have to be careful though because I know any injury will be life long and a flare up will set me waaaay back.

Since I'm not on methotrexate or steroids I can take anti-inflammatories like voltaren rapid to reduce swelling before it turns into a flare.

irishchick874 · November 2012

I don't have RA but I do have psoriatic arthritis which is quite similar. I have been unmedicated for just over a year. I had to stop taking methotrexate last year before I had a breast reduction. The first few months were tough, especially while trying to lose weight before the surgery.

This round of weight loss/exercise had been much better. I have had no joint pain or injury while exercising even though I am pushing my body hard. I do have to be careful though because I know any injury will be life long and a flare up will set me waaaay back.

Since I'm not on methotrexate or steroids I can take anti-inflammatories like voltaren rapid to reduce swelling before it turns into a flare.

I have been on nothing for two years but it looks like i am going back on stuff. I HATE methotrxate so I hope I dont have to go there again.

EpitomeOfSxy · November 2012

We were diagnosed with the same thing. I have polyarticular JRA as well. I was diagnosed when I was 7 years old, I haven't medicated in years. I do flare often but I just try other means to resolve it, I can't stand the side effects of the medication. Prednisone is what made me gain weight initially and the hunger that comes with it stayed after I stopped. I developed terrible eating habits while medicated. I am supposed to be on daily naproxen, weekly methotrexate, sulfasalazene (sp?) and a couple others I can't recall how to spell. I found when I used to workout regularly, with weight training, I felt A LOT better. Stretching was important as well. I am trying to get back into being active but I have been flaring badly for a couple of years now and still stubborn and refuse meds. It is a slow process but a doable one. I just started exercising again about two weeks ago and I already feel a difference. I just find I get ridiculously exhausted on the days I work out, do you get like that as well?

irishchick874 · November 2012

We were diagnosed with the same thing. I have polyarticular JRA as well. I was diagnosed when I was 7 years old, I haven't medicated in years. I do flare often but I just try other means to resolve it, I can't stand the side effects of the medication. Prednisone is what made me gain weight initially and the hunger that comes with it stayed after I stopped. I developed terrible eating habits while medicated. I am supposed to be on daily naproxen, weekly methotrexate, sulfasalazene (sp?) and a couple others I can't recall how to spell. I found when I used to workout regularly, with weight training, I felt A LOT better. Stretching was important as well. I am trying to get back into being active but I have been flaring badly for a couple of years now and still stubborn and refuse meds. It is a slow process but a doable one. I just started exercising again about two weeks ago and I already feel a difference. I just find I get diculously exhausted on the days I work out, do you get like that as well?

Wow... This sounds just like me. My doc wants me on meds but I just got sick of the side effects. Most of the weight is cuz of the meds i have been on since a teen. Methotrexate was the worst of all( not for weight but other things). I am still am dealing with probs that it made. I had to go back on prednisone cuz the flare was just too bad but I am only on it for 10 days and I amnnot going back on any other meds

geekgibby · January 2013

I was diagnosed with JRA at age 10, but had symptoms since I was about 2 years old. It started with fevers and awful leg pain that was written off as growing pains. As of yesterday, I am off prednisone. I had been on it for 3 years straight, and it's done awful things to my body. I'm dedicated to losing the pred-bloat this year. I rely on my Twitter #rheum mates to help me get through everything. It's an amazing community. I wish you the best of luckI!

sally2303 · March 2013

Oh good to see more RA people!
I was only diagnosed last year (almost a year now) in early April with RA. I am on Methotrexate, Prednisone, Plaquenil, Folic Acid and recently Humira. Unfortunately the mix of Prednisone, Flares, Sickness (due to Humira lowering my immune system so badly) and holidays I have put my weight back on.

How are you ladies & gents coping? Especially on the dreaded Prednisone!!

ClairBears84 · March 2013

Hey ,

I have Psoriatic Arthritis, very very frustrating, as the moment its causing my Sciatica nerve to pinch, make working out tough, But i do what i cab without hurting myself.

Take it slow, focus on your eating more when you can move more. :flowerforyou:

and .... DONT GIVE UP

sally2303 · March 2013

Hey Clair - oh good work on your loss so far that is awesome!
I need to do this not only for my self esteem but for my long term health and it is so reasuring seeing others in my position doing what I need to do and used my RA as an excuse.

Thank you x

TrishLG · March 2013

I just had regular arthritis. It got going when I was put on Aleve, then really got bad on Celebrex. When my blood pressure skyrocketed, I was scared to dump the Celebrex because it helped with pain, but I figured that you die faster from heart attack than arthritis. What surprised me was the arthritis calmed without the Celebrex. It was helping with the pain, but causing it as well.
I also learned that food causes inflamation. Peanuts and Wheat are the worse. I cut out everything that I knew people were allergic to, then added stuff back.
For the first time in years, I have no pain in my fingers. The joints are still disformed, but do not hurt when I bend my fingers.
I also read about the leaky bowel syndrome and arthritis connection.
Apparently undigested food leaks into the body and sends the immune system on the attack.
So the immune system goes after the undigested food and aggressively goes after the bone joints as well.

I am hoping that someone else finds this connection and can find the relief that I did.
Actually abuse, like repetitive movement from a job, caused inflamation as well.

ClairBears84 · March 2013

I also try stay away from wheat (this is more for my Psoriasis) I think a healthy diet goes lengths to assist us who are struggling with this kind of pain.

Days when i am too sore, I dont, when I feel 100% i give 200% and i when I just feel okish i give 100%:ohwell:

Anyone else with Rheumatoid arthritis?

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