I was diagnoised with moderate RA is September of 2008. I was put on Methotrexate right away do to my very high CCP and RF. I could barely stand, walk or get off the toilet without help or the use of pedinsone. In 7 weeks the methotrexate started working. I have never had a flair since. No morning stiffness. My blood test show no inflamation. I have no swelling. I am not tried anymore. I feel about 98% normal. I do feel a little acky if I over due something near the time I am due for my next dose of methotrexate. I would say I am in remission.

I just went to Las Vegas last weekend. I have two more trips planned. I can do even more than I did before my diagnoises.

Yes, you are not alone. I got diagnosed end of Jan. 09....pain, stiffness knees, hands, shoulders, horrible. First started on MTX, but did not do well r/t side effects. Then started Sulfasalazine. It is a waiting game as this med can take atleast a month to start working. I added enbrel inj. about a month later, and prednisone. After about 2 months of being on these, I noticed significance improvement. The thing I have to say is patience, patience, patience.....most meds will help. It is hard, but it is something you have to do-wait for the meds to kick in. I truly think the enbrel is a miracle drug-atleast for me! Stil have pain in the underside of toes, and shoulder mildly. But I hope each week gets a little better. Since I am on Sulfasalazine too...make sure you take it with food and drink lots of water. Good luck to you, and try to be patient. It is a waiting game. .

Thanks, I did not want to go with methotrexate due to the side effects and having to go off if you were to get sick and saw an article about sulfasalazine before going to the dr. This is a new dr. and kind of quiet so not sure if he is an agressive type or just a mild mannered quiet type but anyway, when I said I would like to try that he said ok, and told me it would take a while to work which I knew. He said he could give me predisone and I just finished a short treatment of that and said I'd like to hold off on that for flare ups and he said go along with this and in July when you come back we will try paquinell too. So I will be taking two drugs then. It didn't dawn on me when in his office to ask if I had a mild or bad case of it but he told me the xrays showed little deterioration so thinking more mild but anyway, not on big drugs so guess I will have to be more patient and let time ride out to see what is what. Thank you for your words, today my hands are really sore and weak and it helps to hear more good outcomes. I am a busy busy person and this makes me cry daily with depression as I can only sit. I am an artist, and gardener and with these knees and hands I am useless.

Hope you have a good day.

Renee

Renee - it is hard. I was one of those who couldn't walk or dress myself, then I got the right drugs. Now, I work full-time, travel, cook, do crafts, everything I used to do. During my bad time, I had major depression but that's now gone.

You just need to get on the right meds - it will help you!

Lynne

I just finished grafting 25 and planting apple trees yesterday. My hands that where once claws from trigger finger now work. I remeber thinking my life was over. I even sold over 20 of my horses because I thought I was going to be bed ridden the rest of my life.

Today is a bad day for me and I am so down with pain and limitations and being able to read your posts made me cry but hopeful. Thanks so much, I know everyone is different and I plugged along with fibromyalgia for so long but always knew in a few days it would be gone until next time and this has already taken 3 months and 2 weeks from me, course a lot of that time was taken up by just waiting for tests and dr. apts. to come around.

Renee