Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I have almost NO pain today!! Started a 12 day prednisone taper yesterday and aside from my low back and hips getting stiff and sore when I sit for awhile (I have a desk job....bla), I feel amazing!! My hands, feet, elbows, shoulders, bla bla bla all feel...normal! Had some slight stiffness when I got up but it worked out so fast this morning. I'm so happy right now I could cry. It's been over 2 months with constant pain, somewhere...rotating through different combos of joints every day or every few days with this current "flare". I don't recall my last one last one being so intense or lasting as long in spring.
Hoping the prednisone finishes knocking out some of this inflammation in my back too because by the end of the day sitting most of it, my hips and back feel like they are on fire.
Did anyone else go on a prednisone taper as a diagnostic tool when they were in my shoes looking for answers? The rheumy did make a point to say if all I remembered from my visit, pay attention to the lowest dose of prednisone I feel relief from.
Hoping the prednisone finishes knocking out some of this inflammation in my back too because by the end of the day sitting most of it, my hips and back feel like they are on fire.
Did anyone else go on a prednisone taper as a diagnostic tool when they were in my shoes looking for answers? The rheumy did make a point to say if all I remembered from my visit, pay attention to the lowest dose of prednisone I feel relief from.
And thank you!! :)
depot
Yippe and yay!!! I hope you took a long slow walk in the sunshine today!
Blessings to you
So don't be sad if it stops feeling good. And press your rheumatologist for good meds to stop not just the pain, but the progression of the disease.
I'll def update after the taper is done. And I'm very anxious to know what he will want to do next since I clearly am responding to the prednisone...which will confirm the inflammation issues being the cause of my pain. But being that I am responding to it, I can tell these know-it-alls telling me to stop eating gluten because that's why I'm hurting to leave me alone!! Sorry, I get so annoyed with people that think they are doctors and tell people how to "cure" thenmselves. But I am definitely concerned with cobntrolling the progression of damage. My father has had 3 shoulder surgeries already and he's only 50, and needs to have one redone again for the 4th surgery. Joint damage is a huge concern for me.
For me, with the reading I did, I opted not to do the prednisone, instead used Celebrex. Methotrexate did not help at all, adding the biologics vastly improved my quality of life. However, that meant waiting several months before I started feeling better.
I agree with the others - treat the disease. It is important that you responded well to the prednisone. This will help the rheumy diagnose.
Enjoy the pain free days - not many of them available to us.
Linda
Since my meds keep failing, everyone has been suggesting paleo, apple cider vinegar, etc, etc, to "cure" my RA. I am just fed up totally.
If it works for someone, I'm happy for them, but I really wonder how much it is placebo effect? From what I have read from scientific journals, you can have a gluten allergy - ie Celiac's disease, which is the only reason you would need a gluten free diet. There is no such thing as a "gluten intolerance" despite what you read on FB and other social media. Lots of double blind studies have been done, giving people a gluten free vs a non-gluten free and there was no difference in the results people had. NONE!
So tell them that, too, when they suggest these quack nostrums!
If these strong cancer drugs can't put me in remission, what makes people think something like diet would change it?
Marlene so much truth! I do believe it has a lot to do with the placebo effect. The mind is a powerful thing. And it makes me wonder for how many of those people a simple diet change "cures" them, how much of what they go through with their eprceived symptoms are completely self-facilitated and inflicted by thinking they have a problem and they actually don't. Just like a placebo effect can make someone feel better, convincing yourself you are in pain or have a mdeical conditions can legitimately make you feel pain or unwell. On the other hand, for some of us (like here), we can't fake not getting improvement from changing what we eat, or if we still hurt with certain medications or dosages. They need to go away with their Wiki degrees!!! hahahaha