.....I forgot to mention above that I've also needed Prednisone quite a few times due to constant flare-ups & it is a miracle drug in some ways but also an evil drug because of the crazy side effects.

Hi Matt. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis back in October 2024. My Rheumatologist believes I have been suffering with this disease for a very long time & it just got to the point where I just couldn't cope any longer & was finally referred to a Rheumatologist by an Orthopedic doctor. In August 2024 I started to notice extreme joint pain in both hands which then included both wrists, feet, ankles, elbows, & knees etc. I also developed extreme swelling due to the inflammation as well as crazy fatigue & brain fog. I haven't experienced lumps in the rib cage or abdomen but everyone is different. I was also diagnosed with severe Osteoarthritis which makes dealing with the RA even more difficult. I am currently on a Methotrexate 25mg injection once a week, I take 3 pills of Sulfasalazine twice a day, I take four 1mg Folic Acid pills once a day to avoid side effects & also get an IV infusion of the Biologic Orencia. There are initially 3 onboarding Orencia infusions which were done 2 weeks apart which I justed finished & will now go to every 4 weeks. I tried the Biologic Simponi Aria infusion first which didn't help & then tried the Biologic Enbrel injection while I was waiting for my Orencia to be authorized by my insurance company & it caused an allergic reaction. Hoping Orencia is my miracle drug. It is a very complex disease with no cure & it can be frustrating dealing with your life being forever changed & trying to accept your new normal while also trying to find the right cocktail of meds to try to keep things in control which can take up to a year or so. Communication with your Rheumatologist & primary care physician is very important as this disease can have an effect on many other parts/systems of your body as well. Wishing you luck & sending hugs & positivity your way. This group is a great support & you are not alone. 🙂

Hi Matt - Welcome to the RA group. I’ve had RA for about 5 years now. It came on slowly over the course of a year until it was diagnosed. I was prescribed Methotrexate in the beginning and refused to take it - thinking that there must be a reason for this and I’d figure it out. There are 7 Root Causes for RA. I’ve spent a lot of time and money cleaning up our home, life and food. I tried many different therapies that promised to help - I have them listed in my story. After several years of horrible pain and at my families request I started taking Methotrexate. My goal with RA is to always have confidence and control over it. I’m on a very low dose and it’s working very well because I’ve also been working on the root causes.
In my experience and a lot of research - I feel my best when I avoid Vegetables, Gluten and Sugars. I am mostly carnivore- I eat beef mostly. Vegetables are said to be good for us but they contain Oxalates they cause our immune system to activate. Gluten and sugars will raise your blood sugars - this also plays with your immune system. The higher the blood sugar the worse the pain. I’m trying to sum up years of research. Also that fatigue and brain fog will diminish if you avoid the sugars. I’m here to help any time - I’ll try to answer questions the best I can. I can share with you some carnivore sites if you’d like.