First I would like to know what web site you got this information from? With all the new medications there can be no way to determine how someone with RA severe or otherwise will feel and look in 10 years, as most medications haven't been treating people that long. That is to quote my rhuematologist! I am living proof that you can indeed go into a remission, was in one for 2 years, and it was my rhuemy who used the term remission not me. I have RA now just short of 11 years and to look at me unless I am flaring you would never know I have this awful auto immune disease. I have no permanent deformities and I attribute that to the antibotic theraphy I went on early after detecting that I have RA. I worry about websites just putting arbitrary information out there to scare us. I can understand that possibly we may have a shorter lifespan because we have a compromised immune system which makes us very vulnerable to a lot of diseases out there, but so do a lot of other people who don't have RA. I am no doctor and I certainly don't mean to be a nay sayer about what you reported you read on the web, but I would take it with a grain of salt. In all actuality none of us knows how long we will live and under what circumstances we will die, other than knowing we will die eventually of either old age, medical complications of one sort or another, or meet with an accidental or untimely death. Personally, having RA has made me a stronger person, one who takes little for granted and a person who lives every pain free day to the max. When I was at the peak of my illness, before I had the right combo of meds I could barely walk and needed help with simple hygiene. My own husband had to dress and undress me. I cut my hair short because I couldn't hold a curling iron. I live in a tri level home and the stairs were impossible. I would slide down them one at a time on my butt and go up only at night to go to bed. During that year I never missed a days work. I toughed it out and did what I could which wasn't always much. I am not working anymore but have not applied for disability as I don't want to jump thru all the hoops the government puts you threw. Yes, I am fortunate to be able to be home and not work, so that during bad times I can take care of me. I hope this helps allieviate your fears about dying young because you have RA or being so crippled you wish you were dead. Everyday new medications are being discovered and one day within our lifetimes I wouldn't be surprised if they found a cure for RA altogether. With that said I think it is important to donate to the arthritis foundation. Even a tiny check can help. And if you donate $25 a year you get a wonderful informative magazine that they put out monthly that has inspiring stories and important drug information! Hope this answers your questions. Remember it is just one persons opinion, mine.

Man that does make me feel better. I need to be around a long time to make sure my daughter with down's is taken care of. I am having some information from this new thing with my insurance called medica Accordant, which gives me a personal nurse that specializes in certain dieases, to call any time I want, 24/7. They work with my doctors to make sure everything is being done for me and my illness. She is sending me info on the antibotic therapy. Next appt with Rheumy isnt for 4 months but I think I can call and get on it when I want to. Im pretty sure Im going to do it, that and work on my stress and keep working on my weight and health so that I am at the best fighting status I can be at. This thing still sucks and is taking a while to get used to. Thanks again, I do feel better.

I read a study that was conducted to look at depression in older people with RA or OA. Interestingly enough, one of the things they found was that older people with RA had less pain and depression than those with OA - the reason was that people with RA were more likely to see a doctor and be aggressively treated. Whereas, many older people with OA regard it as a natural result of aging and are less likely to seek treatment for it or even mention it or even mention it to their doctor.

My point in bringing this up is that those of us who have been diagnosed with RA see their doctors way more than other people and are more likely to have illnesses and problems be discovered early because we are always seeing somebody, lol!

I would imagine that people who have RA who are not diagnosed or who do not follow thru with doctors and medicine (for whatever reasons) would be more likely to have a poorer prognosis and possibly a shorter lifespan, but I just don't see how that is possible for those of us who seem to spend all our free time with our docs!

These two women have great replies! I want to add my two cents, the FIRST thing my rheumy said to me was "Don't spend too much time on the Internet and don't believe everything you read" - she told me about biological advances that have been discovered in the last ten years and stem cell research etc. so there IS HOPE for a cure. Meanwhile, if you feel good, LIVE like you are in control of your destiny, because you are if you believe it. The mind is a powerful thing. Yes RA is depressing but there are a lot of people out there a lot worse off than us.
{{ Hug}} Karen

The main thing I have read is that there is a real risk with cardiovascular disease. With that said, I think it is something to consider. Weight loss, exercise, good mental health, laughter, and eating the right foods are all very important in eliminating this risk, with RA or not. I think that because RA can slow us down, a lot of us have a tendency to gain weight and that, not RA has put a lot of people at risk for cardiovascular disease. I think I have read about this as being the possibility, not the RA in itself. So, it's something to consider. Because RA has been around for a while, doctors have learned to aggressively treat it because most of the damage from RA happens within the first three years. I think bizemomm is right, her antibiotic treatment is a really great thing and you should try it. I thought that Sulfasalazine was really working for me, which has some antibiotic in it, but I can't take it anymore :( Take care of yourself and you'll come out fine! Doctors treat RA differently than they use to. With that said, there's no conclusive evidence to life spans and RA. Don't stress yourself out. Enjoy life, and live it to the fullest. Take care!

I was diagnosed this year. I recall reading similar information. My Dr told me to bear in mind that much of that information is based on data that's already out of date - as bizemomm mentioned, none of these medications were available 10 years ago! Another thing to consider when you read about RA is to make sure the site is reviewed by the medical association. WebMD, NIH - they both are under rigorous review.

Well i have had RA for 20 yrs and OA for 13 yrs, I dont work yet was denied disability (poor lawyer) but i agree dont believe everything u read!! I was told by a doctor when i was 30 i would be in a wheel chair by age 35 if i didnt follow his instructions exactly well if i would of followed what he said i wouldnt of been able to do anything i am now 48 NOT in a wheelchair...i say live your life the way u want and do what u want no one but God knows how much time we have on this earth! Take care and good luck

true, i love this site, everyone has such good info. i hope none of that is really true, because im only 20, and i don't wanna be completely disabled at 30. but just a question, i've never been in remission yet, how long did it take some of you to get to remission?