I was 32 I'm 35 now...I'm sorry u are dealing with this at your age...

God Bless and Good Luck

I was 35. Actually stiffness that lasts for hours is very common with RA. Is the doctor you mentioned at general doctor or a rheumatologist?

Check out a website called RA Warrior, it has good info and a lot of stories of people diagnosed as children and young adults.

I got dianosed at the age of 20 I am 25 now and my stiffness lasts all day and never goes away.

I was 26 (I'm now approaching 36). I started out with immediate pain that eventually worked its way into stiffness. Have you had any blood tests done yet?

I'm 28. Just recently diagnosed with RA. Had Arthroscopic knee surgery a few months ago and a few weeks after I noticed my hands and feet were becoming swollen and stiff. Test were positive for RA. So I am a newby to all this too. I wish you luck and hope you have a good doc.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to live with this and go about your daily routines. Somedays i cant even pick up a glass.

I am lucky! I didn't get painful symptoms till age 45, although I had other symptoms for 2 years previous. Sorry you are so young.

Did the rheumy say whether you had JRA or adult on-set RA? My cousin got RA at age 1 1/2. It is never too old to get RA. I think I have heard 65 is the upper limit for developing this disease.

I got blood tested last week. I wont know for sure untile next month some time. Al I known is that i do have symtoms and i want to do everything I can from it getting worse. Im starting to slowly change my diet and yoga helps sooo much. What ever it dose end up being I know this sit will help.

Thank you everyone. :)

47, I'm 50 now.

Was 41 when it started comfirmed at 44, not due to the doctors but I didn't want to go there. Have a niece with JRA at 8 she is now 16.. Hang in there, your at the right spot for understanding and learning lots of things. It helps to have people who GET it.. :O))

it's tough for me to tell when it started because i have been on meds for crohn's disease since i was 29 and some of the meds take care of both crohn's and RA. good luck. do not let the dr tell you it's normal. get it checked out by a rheumatologist.

Got psoriatic arth at 48 now 49

I was 66 and it happened overnight with no prior symptoms. (That blows the 65 limit, Angela!!)

Heidi, I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. It's a nasty disease and there really is no normal -- each person seems to present symptoms different. BUT having stiffness in your joints or after inactivity is a classic symptom, and yes, this disease can affect young children. Do you also have periods of time where it is a lot worse and you feel almost like you have the flu (aches and no energy)? I started having my symptoms at 42 and I'd feel fine for weeks on end, then would have periods of time where I just hurt so bad I could barely move and no energy. After a couple years of that, I just hurt all the time in my hands & feet. Finally was diagnosed at 50 and on meds now, but I still have stiffness in my affected joints that never goes away. Good luck to you!

Near 10 yrs. give or take. seems like forever. guess cause there no turning back , a miracle would be alright with me :)