(Merck made huge claims for their anticovid pill, which they had to back track with the FDA, and only got approval as there was nothing better at the time, pfizer seems to have a much better product being reviewed by the FDA. The reason why I mention this is any treatment is likely to cost money, but its acceptable if it actually works).
(I tried messaging the helpline team direct instead of posting but helpline does not show up as a message recipient).
Diagnosed with RA January 2021 I am 78 and otherwise very healthy and fit. I have a pacemaker since April 2021. So far I have only had bad RA in my hands and shoulders. It wanders and sometimes I have it in my neck and find it difficult to turn my head, then that goes away and I have had it my yaw too Burt suddenly I also have it now in my LH knee. Knee is very swollen and hurts very much when I walk. I am on Biological medication Adalimumab Amgevita, injecting ev 2 weeks. I have so far injected 4 times.
Should I rest the knee? Or can I cycle? Should I use hot or cold on the swollen knee? I was very happy that it had not affected my knees and now....!
Please advice.
Has anyone tried this for painful joints? I have tried so many things!! Glucosamine & /Opti Turmeric in a capsule? If you have...did it work...did it upset your stomach at all? Thanks for any help you can give me!!
I am single and live with my 84 year old mother, so getting family to help is impossible. I lost touch with most my friends since the depression started.
Thank you,
Sheena (aged 54 and from Liverpool )
After the second dose (+4wks) the stiff hand joints symptom first appeared. Walking further reduced to 4km before feet got too painful. Symptoms resolved after a couple of weeks. Referred to Rheumy.
After Sept Flu jab (+4wks) the RA went wild, first got my right index tendons, then all the joints, - elbows, hips etc. Rheumy confirmed high RA serology in Oct.
There isn’t much study of this in the UK, but I heard UCLH recommends (from my dentist) taking steroids before & after the vax to avoid adjuvant (immune stimulant) related flare ups.
In terms of studies there are a couple of limited papers (US) indicating the possibility.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8009616/
Note it does not matter which vax, any that contains an immune stimulating/triggering additive (adjuvant). Normally this is a good thing, but in our RA case the last thing we need is boosting the immune system when we are trying to suppress it with drugs.
GP could not help, but honest enough to say “not aware of any new advisory to general practices” but specialist centres might know more at the coal face.
Any advice from the Team here?
My primary concern is that as my RA has moved faster & ramped up (but not down) after each vax, will the booster make it worse for me? Can it induce addl autoimmune problems?
With greetings from nothern Europe!
Can you help please I’m a 65 years old I use to take gabapentin along with my co-codimals for my atharitis but doctor took me off gabapentin but I feel I need them what should I do as I got up yesterday morning in lot of pain in my legs and I was crying with pain
I emailed the consultant to ask for clarification whether she felt the medication was warranted and said I would not want to cause systemic damage or joint damage and if I have shifted to RA then I would take the meds but if controlling the flare up was all I was trying to do without risking any other long term effects I would probably think twice about taking the meds. I asked if it was possible to X-ray my hands and wrists to see if there was any damage which might support taking the medication. She basically said it was up to me what I did , that even if the joints were swollen continuously I wouldn’t damage the joints for several months so I could wait if I wanted to. She said there was no way of knowing if it had flipped to RA . I asked her to tell me if she thought I should take the drugs and she wouldn’t commit, just said it was up to me but if I did take the drugs I should go on 25mg of MTX for up to 6 months not 15 as prescribed.
I feel very confused, I am getting conflicting advice and have a nurse appointment tomorrow but am not being offered an appointment to see the consultant. I get the feeling the consultant finds dealing with my need for certainty very tiresome and I feel like I now have to make these very significant decisions entirely alone.
so I turn to you for some direction. I don’t think asking for a second clinical opinion is going to get me anywhere as the face of medicine seems to have changed so much with Covid. I guess I wouldn’t have queried with the consultant the medication if I was sure in myself it was what I needed. Trouble is that when I’m not having a flare although my hands and wrists are a bit stiff and sore I feel ok. When the joints are painful, then it is a struggle and I accept there is something quite wrong but knowing the flare will pass within a day or so enables me to deal with it and although the joints are tender after a flare it is remarkable how they can go from being excruciatingly painful to clear of pain in a matter of hours.
I’m guessing what I have described is classic palindromic rheumatism, can anyone say what I should do about the meds and could these symptoms also be RA meaning I am doing myself no favours by not taking meds.
I am also concerned that every time I don’t take the advice they give or the medication it will make it harder to access treatment later on .
Thank you