If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck . . .

Yes, this disease waxes and wanes on its own screwy little schedule. That's one problem: it may make it look like something is working when it's not. Yes, you can feel pretty good for awhile. Problem is, damage to the joints continues, and the symptoms fire up again.

As the daughter of a naturopath, I can't imagine the pressure on you to treat this "naturally", whatever that means. Big topic. There is no evidence that any "natural" treatment affects RA in the long term. Mention one, and you'll find people that have tried it. If using herbs, homeopathy, reiki, or gin-soaked raisins makes you feel better, have at it. BUT: look at conventional, scientifically tried and tested and treatments. They are proven to slow the disease process in many patients. They are not foolproof, they're not simple, and yes, there can be side effects. If you want to talk about side effects, though, look at the toll untreated disease can take.

Welcome Robyn, sorry you had to join our group, but glad to have you here. I think i have tried various suggestions from others about omitting some foods from my diet,have tried ither diets, took fish oil, tumeriac you name it i have tried or others have tried. Nothing worked for me. For me some of or most of holistic healing is a joke. That is just my opinion. My pain will be horrible some days then will not b so bad for a few days. Good luck, and welcome

Thanks for your replies altoclef and racerunner, so does this "good days, bad days" thing continue on even with treatment? I was under the impression that treatment would make my problems stop all together, is that not the case???

Welcome. I was diagnosed with RA in 2012, when I was almost 60. My mother was a nurse, she just turned 89, thought I should just take prednasone for a few years, wait it out, and it would go away. She did nothing but tell me how horrible the drugs were, I was turning into one of "those" people, etc etc. I have a very good friend who yelled at me for what I was doing to my body. I have stopped discussing this disease with almost anyone. They are either hyper critical, dismissive, or just not interested.
For me, my feet hurt soooooooo bad I could barely walk in the morning. It would take hours to let up. If I sat for much more than an hour, they would stiffen up, becoming painful. My hands also were puffy and hurt, but nothing like my feet.
My rheumatologist wanted to start me on prednisone, I said no. I wanted Celebrex, which he did prescribe. He also prescribed methotrexate, saying that was enough for half his patients. I was not in that group. After a few months, he added Humira. That is when I started to feel so much better. That is when I realized just how much pain I had really been in. It was great! When I got up I. The morning, my feet hurt for less than 3 minutes. My hands were not helped as much. The rheumatologist changed drugs every few months until we found the one that is now working for hands and feet.
As has been said, most of us have tried the food route and it did zero for me. I still eat organic most of the time, eat very little red meat, etc etc. while it does nothing for helping thr RA, it can't hurt to eat healthier. I am on my 6th biologic (Rituxan) and have never had a negative side effect from any of them. The only change was it makes me feel good.
This area is a great place to get information, and to vent. None of us are Drs, but we can share our experiences. There are several here that have so much knowledge. I am sorry you are having to deal with this at such a young age.

Welcome to the group. All the things your dealing with sounds all to familiar to me. I'm no dr by any means but your positive bloodwork and symptoms sounds spot on for Ra. Acceptance was the hardest part for me. I've been waiting for nearly 2 years for this to disappear but it hasn't left yet.

The peeps here have taken about every kinda ra medication out there and have a lot of insight on the side effects and benefits. The tough thing about ra is everyone responds different to the meds. One med maybe a wonder drug for somebody and be ineffective for the next. It's all about finding what works for you. They are also a lot of people here that have tried to treat it through the natural and diet route. Some have had good success but most do not. I look at it this way. Eating a healthy diet and cutting out the junk is gonna be benificial to our overall health, if it helps out with reducing our ra symptoms just a little then it's a win win.

I think it's normal to have good days and bad days. I think if I went a month or two straight with having mostly good days then I would figure whatever I was doing, or the meds I was taking would be working. My ra symptoms don't seem to be nearly as bad as they were in the beginning. What I mean by that is the joint pain and stiffness in the beginning was in fewer joints but it was horrible and completely render that part useless for a few days. Now it's in a lot more of my joints on a daily basis but much less intense. I'm not sure if it was just the disease settling in or if some of the meds might have contributed.

My advice would be if your dead set on treating it naturally then I would get with it immediately. If I didn't get some results within a few months I would get to a good rheumatologist and get some other treatment. The side effects from the meds can be bad for you, but so can the Ra left untreated. Their are no easy decision and for every person it's different. I hope you get some relief soon. Take care.

yeah it's chronic till death and it has a life of its own as alto explained. you are wicked young and you might not be taking the same options as the rest of us if you are still growing a family and /or breastfeeding babies.

the dmards are pretty blase after being on treatments for years to decades like folks on here. the rheumie is throwing the trifecta of beginner diagnosis disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs at you - maybe you'll end up on one or none when you are done with your reflections. at least you are not on prednisone. there's a win for the naturopath's daughter :)

congratulations on the 1 and 3 year old!!

Are you still nursing your one year old? don't know if you will be having another baby soon. if either case applies you will not start anything.

your dad must be an interesting guy. but you know that means that you are also and the rest of your siblings. i am sure you will take the trajectory of your own life under consideration when you reflect upon what is best to do with your body.

My advice is to walk to your own drummer, just the way you will teach your children - would you want them to make a medical decision 100 percent based upon what you thought was best if one of them was diagnosed with an auto immune condition at age 24?

Race runner is a mom and a nurse I think and is on her feet about one million hours a year I figure. So are you, you are chasing after a 1 and a 3 year old. At the end of the day, day, and heck the middle of the day, and the beginning of every day words and diet and supplements can feel hollow when your joints will not rotate, flex or operate.

Listen to your own heart and head.

Depot

I am new to this group too. I was diagnosed with RA 4 years ago and I have used methotrexate with laflobimide (arava) and folic acid - the combo worked great. I have also done the gluten free (with my medication) from time to time and I felt pretty good after several months of treatment. About a year and a half ago I had to have major surgery and had to go off of my RA medication during a 6 week recovery. Once the 6 weeks was up I still felt good so I figured I could be in remission, as I had read about it. I was on and off my meds for about 6 months and then I decide to just stopped taking them all together bc I didn't think I needed them and thought maybe my RA was temporary. Things were pretty good for about 6 months (I had a few complaints but mainly bc of travel and stress so I wasn't concerned). I did start to develop increased fatigue and other mild symptoms so I went back to my doctor to discuss what to do. He wanted to put me back on methotrexate but lower does and he put me on predisone. I hate predisone and cried when he put me back on it. So to the point.....during the last 6 months since I went back to Dr I have major issues, severe pain and fatigue. I am so sorry that I tried to diagnose myself and didn't consult my Dr in my choices. I am not a fan of the medication (makes me feel like total doo-doo for 24 to 48 hours after taking it as well as the long list of long term issues) but they are worth it and the process of getting medications back on track has been a long one and very painful. I will never make the mistake of thinking I know better or taking for granted feeling good again. Just be careful bc if you are going to go down the path of self treatment be prepared you will most likely have a flare up and its not as simple as just restarting medication. RA is not a fair disease and it doesn't play nice. I am kicking myself for making bad decisions bc I am missing out on things lately that I wouldn't be if I hadn't been so cavalier with my treatment! I will get better but I feel like I am back at square one and I have no one to blame but myself (I kept my choice to stop meds from my husband - mainly bc I knew he would object and I hate to say it but he would have been right). Just be careful with your decisions/choices and remember they can effect a lot more than just you - I have a great husband and 3 awesome teenage boys but I am missing out on things I don't want to currently (I know I will get better) and its my own fault. Good luck!

You didn't say what kind of a Dr made your diagnosis but from the symptoms you describe and the elevated RF it does sound like RA. Nonetheless, I would insist you be referred to a Rheumatologist if you haven't seen one already and who will probably have an Anti-CCP blood test run if you haven't had one. You don't mention whether you had one but it is a newer and more definitive test for RA than Rheumatoid Factor and may eliminate any doubt about the diagnosis if it proves positive.

In any case, I sympathize with your predicament having a close family member who has strong (but irrational to me) opinions on so-called "natural" methods and agree with most of the previous comments. While diet and supplements may have some benefit to overall general health, relying on them to treat what is a serious medical condition with the strong likelihood of irreversible, progressive joint damage is just the height of foolishness in my opinion.

There have been tremendous medical advances in the treatment of RA in the last 15 years or so and failing to take advantage of them because of self-denial or the opinions of others that don't have to endure the pain and suffering of the disease doesn't make any sense. It's your life.

Sorry for the bluntness, but like the others here, I know how truly awful RA feels and the fact that it can get even worse if left untreated. Be thankful that you live in a time that there are medications that are proven to work to arrest the disease and eliminate the pain of RA. If it weren't for the MTX and biological wonder drugs I am taking, I can honestly say I would not today, be able to say that.

So go see a Rheumatologist if you haven't, set aside your denial, do the diet and supplement thing if you feel it is for you or makes your dad feel better, but, by all means, start the kind of real treatments you need that will actually work to get your life back.

Really. It may not be easy to overcome RA, but things will get better if you accept it and do what needs to be done.

Denial is the first step. I did that for quite a while.. I kept waiting to wake up and resume my life as it was prior to the diag and the pain I was feeling for the 9 months prior.

I then did go pain free for a while. I went to a nutritionist and went gluten, caffeine, sugar free for more than a year... but it did not relieve the fatigue.

my family denied to my face and others that I had RA even though a rheumatologist diagnosed it. I was terrified of the drugs.

But eventually the pain became so bad I couldn't wait to take the meds. I've been on placquenil and now on Humira. I'm more afraid of the damage to my organs and joints than I am the drugs. and I was very tired of the constant pain.

I still have exhaustion and pain at times. But I have finally accepted it in that my life will never be the same. it's still hard after 7 plus years.

Best of luck to you. It's a journey.... xo Sun

Small world....my brother and his wife and family live in Kelowna....and he sees a naturopath.

Everyone here has addressed the disease and how it runs but I want to address your reluctance to use the meds. As I said, my brother has been treated by a naturopath for many years. His problem is with his heart and he chose to do what the naturopath told him and not his doctors. I kept telling him there is nothing wrong with doing both at the same time....the MD's meds and the naturopath's remedies. Nope...he said it had to be one or the other. You know what? He's dying. And he shouldn't be. He's 70 and has the heart of someone 40 years older....barely beating.

I don't understand why it has to be one or the other. My brother is a very intelligent man and he now regrets doing what he did and his family will pay the price. Why can't people do both?

Your father doesn't have to know what meds you are taking but your doc does need to know what natural therapies your using but you have your privacy that way. You aren't "disobeying" or "not believing in your father" by doing both but taking advantage of both types of healing. Why not give yourself the very best way of keeping yourself functioning as best you can?

As for the meds like MTX....they aren't that bad. Hydroxychoroquine should be the bag of every naturopath as it's been used by humans for thousands of years as a bark that is chewed to treat malaria. Older than aspirin and natural. As for MTX, the horrible things you read are from those using MTX as chemo for cancer...one of the first drugs for cancer and one of the harshest...but it works. What we take is a very small amount in comparison. And since it's been around since the 1950's, it's one of the most studied drugs out there. Was approved for Ra back in 1983....before you were born. You have folic acid to lessen any side effects and even a stronger drug called leucovorin to stop it's action a few hours after your dose if it's too much for you. I've been on it for over 10 years and I find the only problem I have is some fatigue and diarrhea at 36 hours afterward. No big deal.

I've battled Ra since I was your age. Got it in between my 2 babies. Those babies are now 40 and 37 and I now have grandbabies who are 8 and 4. My Ra may have slowed me down a little but I can't really think of anything that it stopped me from doing with my hubby or kids. My kids learned to respect my need for rest and problems with pain and as a result are very compassionate adults. I think it made them better human beings.

And when my Ra was in remission, we lived it up! Those days do happen and make Ra tolerable! Don't be afraid. You could be diabetic and taking shots every day or have MS and having to manage that. Everyone has "something" but you may not know what or what their challenges are. This is yours and how you handle now may determine what your Ra is like for the rest of your life. Studies show that the better you control the disease process during the first 5 years, the better the entire course of the disease. So get it under control now and you will have a easier time of it for life. Incentive?

gentle hugs..............Jen

WOW! You guys have no idea how much all of this means to me. I have definitely come up with 1000 reasons OTHER than RA that makes me sore and tire but in the end I just need to accept it. I was diagnosed by a Rheumatologist but even my naturopath and thought it was RA long before my blood work even came back. The anti-cpp was positive too. As far as doing both natural therapies and meds, thats not possible because the meds would interact negatively with the remedies. So, thats why its a choice that needs to be made. I have told my dad that he has one more chance to find the right remedy and if it doesnt work (his belief is that is can actually cure the disease, not just manage it), then in 2 weeks when I am recovered from my surgery (ovarian cyst removal) I will start my medication. Im riding the wave of feeling really good right now and taking full advantage of it but tonight my kids and I are moving in with my parents until my husband (who works out of town) returns home in a couple of weeks. Im so so greatful and lucky to have a supportive family around me and along with you guys helping me along, ill be just fine :). My kids have learned so well to let me rest and my son even holds my hand to help me around the house and helps bring things to me, hes a rockstar.

This must be the Kelowna thread! We just moved here last year, but have been visiting since 2002 when first one son, and then another played for the Rockets. I've had two major bike crashes here, including getting hit in a bicycle lane, in a school zone by a mother. And breaking my wrist badly on the KVR line!

But getting back to RA and natural meds, I have nothing but discouragement for you. I became an organic vegetarian when I was 17. I've pretty much always grown my own veggies, even when the RA was bad. My husband has built me these awesome garden beds, and I get more produce than I used to in large in-ground gardens.

When I got RA I went to a naturopath. He did nothing for me. Then I went back about 5 years ago, and he told me to stay on my RA meds, and keep riding my bike. Of course, I was on biologics that were working in those days. Not so right now.

I did vegan, gluten free and a lot of other things. I do believe eating healthy is good for the body. But it does not stop RA, sadly!

The best thing that ever happened to me was after 7 years of agonizing pain and deformities, getting on a biologic. However between allergies, side effects and just not working, I have worked my way into a med corner. Arava is working, Orencia does not seem to be doing anything. But I do have a month left. The trouble is, my RD says my antibodies seem to destroy the meds before they work.

But as for you, please get on the meds as soon as possible. Don't waste time playing with naturopathy, regardless of the pressure from your father. The reason I say this, is that there is a lot of research (and personal experience) that the longer you leave off getting on strong meds, the worse the disease becomes. I don't want to see anyone in the mess that I am in.

And the only time my RA has ever settled down was when I was on very strong biologics in combo with a DMARD. I have never had a minute of remission, without medication. Sad, considering the effort I put into eating well, exercising properly etc, with no help for the RA.

As for denial, I think it is natural. And I suppose there are people who have gone into remission naturally. It's just that I have never met them, or friended them on a website like this. Maybe they happily dance into the sunset? Lucky them, I used to love dancing before my feet got so hideously deformed. Sigh!

So welcome to the group, I hope I did not discourage you. I've been having a lot of bad (worse?) days lately, so I am a bit sad.

There are those lucky ones who have remission. To be honest I don't think those numbers are high but it's possible.
There are those select few where diet triggers RA symptoms.
I personally have never heard of any successful natural method.
Lord knows I've tried numerous things. I do think certain supplements help but not near enough to go without treatment.

Most diagnosed have a fear factor of these treatments. Just listening & reading the side effects gives one reason to rule out every other possible method of treatment.
That is where the doctor comes in on educating the patient. It may be reassuring or it may not but actual percentange of some of the scariest side effects is extremely low. Regardless it has to be listed as possible side effects.
Now there are side effects that are common & uncomfortabe but not life threatening. Not everyone experiances side effects.

I guess it's about weighing the pros & cons.
RA is very unpredictable. Meaning you may feel decent & out of the blue get hit hard. Always share how fast my feet became deformed. Not a lot of pain at first some swelling but when it hit it was fast & I watched my feet change over very little time. Of course pain & stiffness. Still a problem much of the time. Now my choice of shoes are extremely limited. I still am stunned at how quickly this occurred.

Another point, medical science & Rheumatologists are still in the dark about a lot of how's & whys of this disease. With that said how can a doctor outside this specialty or anyone else advise a patient on treatment plans? Without data or demographic numbers to back it up they are in no position to advise.
With that said It's up to the patient regardless.

Yes there are good & bad days for many, then there are those that live in pain daily & those who cannot take the big gun treatments. They no longer have those options.
So as much I dislike the side effects & possible side effects at least I can try to take back some quality in my life.
My 2cents. Wishing you the best of luck.
Sammy