Does anyone else feel like a whimp when they have to admit that they are just not having a good RA day?

I just feel as if family/friends/significant others don't understand when you say you aren't feeling good. I don't want to even admit out loud that I am in pain because I feel like they think I'm trying to get out of something or making excuses. Does anyone else ever feel this way?

Does anyone find methotrexate to work really well?

I keep hearing people talk about how intolerable @methotrexate is. I am curious to hear from people who find it to be helping. I started it 3 weeks ago and I can't believe how amazing I feel. Its like someone oiled my joints and told my muscles to behave! I wonder if it's something specific to my condition. I'm sero negative poly inflammatory arthritis. Essentially that just means I have Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms and RA. Virtually every joint is involved… read more

How do you describe a flare to someone who doesn't have RA?

My flares aren't always exactly the same but yesterday I flared badly. I can describe it to my daughter, sorry guys most women will get this, as the overwhelming body aches and exhaustion on PMS. My entire body feels swollen and it throbs and joints ache like a fever. For my hubby and son I can only describe it as throbbing and aching in my entire body. and exhausted like I've run a marathon and haven't slept for days. And even with all that, it doesn't… read more

Outside shoulder pain and trying to sleep when you sleep on your side.

Hi Family,
I have added a new pain area and it's driving me nuts. For the last week the outside of the bone on the top of my shoulders are painful. I don't sleep well anyway and this is not helping. I sleep on my side and I can't sleep on my back or stomach. Once I lay down the pressure on the bone in my arms starts pounding. I got about 2 hours of sleep last night and that was only in the recliner, but when I tried to move, my arm I way… read more

Does anyone have wheezing either as a RX side effect or along with RA symptoms.

I had asthma as a child and have had problems only when sick with bronchitis/pneumonia. But since my RA diagnosis (or starting Methotrexate) I wheeze frequently. I find I am extremely sensitive to allergens and will wheeze with very little stimuli. I go to the allergy/asthma specialist next week, but I feel like this is not Asthma. My instinct is that it related to the RA or a medication side effect.

Thanks in advance for your… read more

Anxiety and insomnia

I have had insomnia for a few months and recently had shortness of breath with little exertion. I had a bad episode of aniexty last week and am now being treated for that along with my RA. Has anyone else suffered from these?

Is there any medication to help with fatigue?

I need help with this constant fatigue. I can't get enough sleep no matter how many hours I rest. I sleep at work and have fallen asleep driving several times. Is there anything that would help? I exercise and drink water and all that jazz.

Just curious do you suffer from insomnia more since being diagnosed with RA?

1at winter with RA. Eeeek! Any tips?

Hi RA fam! So this will be my 1st fall & winter having RA. I live in Chicago and our winters are BRUTAL. It's only end of summer & already we have fall whether (which is killing me by the way). In the summer if the AC was too high I would stiffen up. I am so scared, absolutely PETRIFIED thinking of how it's going to feel in the winter. Anything I should know that will help me prepare? Any tips or things I should or should not do? Anything you have bought to ease the… read more

Is my fatigue normal?

Hi all! I am 22 and I've had RA for a year. I must say- it hasn't disrupted my life too much until my last rheum visit a month ago. My inflammation markers were down but the arthritis has traveled to my hips, so my rheum wanted to up my mtx dose and also add another DMARD. I tried sulfasalazine but got so sick on it. After 10 days, I stopped it, but it feels like my body has been in such a dip since then. I am suffering from debilitating fatigue- I can sleep for 8 hours and then be awake for… read more