Yes. Although there are many people who get diagnosed and find that the very first med they take works magically, those folks don't generally feel the need for an online support group. For most of us here, this disease is a giant pain in the ass (although, specifically, actually many other body parts). Someone else chime in here if I miss anything, but RA is a movable target there you're never sure from day to day what's going to hurt and what's going to function. Your body becomes a stranger that you meet every morning. You become a human guinea pig trying meds because one size doesn't fit all, but even when you get one that works, it doesn't necessarily keep working. Meanwhile, well-meaning friends keep telling you that if you simply insert ten capsules of Himalayan banyan tree sap harvested during a full moon by virgins into your left ear, you'll be cured immediately. And less well-meaning people will imply that if you just tried harder gosh darn it and had a better attitude, you'd learn that it's all in your head, because their great aunt had 'the arthritis', and she never complained. Meanwhile, your insurance and your doctor's office and your pharmacy conspire secretly against you to turn you into a raving lunatic because one of the three entities, without fail, will eff up something with your prescriptions on a regular basis. And when you find something that works for pain, you'll learn that you can only get a few days' supply at a time and people will tell you that you're heading for addiction issues because you're taking it, as directed, when needed.

Oh my gosh. I really meant to cheer you up, and now I feel like drinking a beer and making a blanket fort under the kitchen table and hiding.

All the things I wrote are true, 4x4fun..........but other things are true too. You learn that some things you thought were important really aren't. You learn that some people you didn't know all that well turn out to be incredible sources of strength. You learn that you are part of a community, not specifically limited to RA, of people who have faced their Thing but still get up in the morning and make a good life. You will learn that you can prune out unkind people and sexy-but-uncomfortable shoes and unreachable standards of housecleaning. You learn that, even if you've been taught your whole life as many women have to stay in your 'place', that it's necessary and even wonderful to speak your truth. Is it an even trade-off? No. But we were never promised that,

Wanna join me in the blanket fort? There's room, and I'll provide your beverage of choice. We can have a well-deserved pity party, then talk each other back from the ledge. Oh, wait, that's what this group is for.......

Hi and welcome. I'm on MTX. It worked well for the first couple of months. Swelling and pain was gone. Now it is back and Dr. will add something else. While I wait for the insurance to approve my new meds the drive belt on my mower broke. My wrists and fingers don't work like that right now and I'm going to have to call a friend to fix my mower for me.

My wife has R/A. She got hooked up with meds and got better right away.
Sometimes I feel pretty useless. Hope it gets better for all of us soon.


Wes from WI

Welcome. Sorry you are having so much pain. Ar you still on MTX with the Enbrel? Maybe it's time to think about a change of treatment??

The pain in your feet indicates that your disease is not under control. I agree it is time for new meds, before you get terrible foot deformities, because no one explained to me that I needed to be aggressive with my doctor, because he was not being aggressive with me. The end result of being under medicated is that my disease became ultra severe. And the years I was on a good med combo? No pain or new deformities, and an active, happy life.

In the end, only we can say if we are hurting and the meds are not working. I did not make that clear for 5 years with my first rheumatologist. When I finally did complain, he added a biologic, and it was magic. The lesson I learned was to complain loudly if needed! Last trip to see my rheumatologist, I got him to go up .1 on my mthx. It may not sound like much, but it made a significant difference, I was pushing for a biologic change, but adding more mthx was a good compromise.

I hope you get this worked out! Nothing worse than painful feet! Well, unless it is painful something else! Lol

I am so sorry that you are in pain. About 4 years ago my Doctor prescribed Strattera for the nerve/Fibro pain...which was horrid! I had a titration kit that he'd given me. When I titrated up to the 2nd highest dose the pain was finally dissipating! I now take Straterra (patent just expired look for generic to come) 100mg/day successfully for the constant nerve type pain. It IS off label use of this ADHD med so I'm aware that sadly some docs will not prescribe it. It TOTALLY relieved my STIFFNESS. No side-effects for me.
I live in Northern VA. Recently diagnosed with RA...too start Plaquenil after lab for G6PD comes back. Strattera doesn't seem to help muscular type pain...or deterioration of joints. I found a Rheumy who plans to start sending her Fibro patients to my other Doc. If you'd like more info please message me.
I'm new on here for RA. Longtime ago was on here for Fibro.

Love Katie's humor. And it's all TRUE. And yes, I'd love to come to the blanket fort.

I have a different view on Fibromyalgia: I think it's a diagnosis that you get when the tests don't show anything concrete. I believe it's overdiagnosed.

I'm not a physician, but it sounds to me like it's time to play musical chairs with your DMARD drugs. Some work beautifully for a long time, some work for just a while, and others just don't work. But the pain in your feet - assuming there's no other physical explanation - indicates to me that you need a different cocktail.