You stated your pain is "minor" and that your symptoms are minor. Yet you went to the doctor anyway. So maybe you're in denial about just how much pain you're in? Maybe you've just become accustom to a certain level of pain and fatigue? There was a reason you went to the doctor...and a reason you're being treated for RA.

As for the MTX...it's not so bad. I had a lot of nausea with the pills but switched to injections and everything was fine. As for the drinking...I still have a drink from time to time. Certainly not everyday, but I do enjoy it. My Rheumy does blood work every two weeks (yep, 2 weeks) so I feel confident that if any liver issues should start I'd get an early jump on it. How often will you be doing blood work?

Are you taking folic acid as well? If not, definitely talk to your rheumy about it. It will help with the side effects...and you need to start it now.

Hang in there....the purpose of taking meds is to get your life back.

I have next apt in 6 weeks. So I think blood work will be done then. Denial? Maybe. Just can't wrap my head around this. I've Been on steroids for last week so have very little symptoms now. Steroids were for eye inflammation, burning, itching, Dr. Said allergies but have apt with eye Dr on Monday. Thank you.

And yes I am taking folic acid.

Mari31..i dont blame you for the way you feel ...life is different with RA and this takes time..im with you ..I STILL FEEL DOWN..been diagnosed since june ..but have had issues since 7 yrs.. now ...i cant ake all this sitting down nor feeling like i can except it ..denial a little ..but its all natyral to feel that way witha chronic disease and we are all different ..so wishing you all the luck and please hang in there ..hope you have a good dr...that sure helps a ton to be able to rely on them ..thats half the battle in my opinion...you are young too so this is ablow for sure ...
i am on Methotrexate and have about two glasses of wine a week ..just to preserve the old liver ...used to have a littel more then that ,..im part sicilian so hard not to have it with dinner every night ..still ..wishing you all the luck and be kind to yourself this isnt easy ...menatally or physically ..

p.s. o local radio they are having a marathon to raise money for chronic disease awareness ...this says something , this says what we and others go threw is not a mild nor light thing ..but there are degress of it just like anything in life ...i would love to be where some are mnetally and physically but im not and now i am allowing myself to take my time at getting there ..so mari31..i hope this helps you and help you not put yourself under extra pressure to be anthing other then how you are feeling now...goodluck again ...i hope you feel better .

You don't need to worry a bit about seeming negative! All your feelings are normal and to be expected. Most of us still feel angry and depressed sometimes. It sucks to have a chronic, progressive illness and it's especially hard for me when I have a big flare up. I also have another autoimmune disease, as well, and it causes me more problems than the RA.. I admit that I also fear the future sometimes since the quality of my life has dropped dramatically because of RA and Meniere's.

I take 12.5 MTX weekly and the biggest issue I have is extreme fatigue for two days afterward. I have to take the med on Friday evening because I can't get off the couch for the next two days. (That way it doesn't interfere so much with my job.) I'm grateful that I have not experienced the nausea that so many have. Hoping and praying that you will not experience any side effects--just relief from the pain and just as important--slow the progression of the disease.

Please feel free to vent anytime. There's plenty of us here that will just join right in! We all have down days and just need to share with someone.

God bless,
Marlene

Hi Mari,
Its hard because not only do you have to internalize a new, chronic diagnosis, but you have to also wrap your head around starting medication. There's no way around how much it sucks. You've every right to be angry, frustrated, etc . I think the only thing that helps that is time. But during this time, it is important to keep in mind why treatment needs to be started right away, and aggressively. RA means your body is attacking your joints, and that the damage is cumulative. While the discomfort may be minor now, its your future self you need to work for. Mtx has been the gold standard treatment for RA for decades. Generally people start with 10mg/week and they work their way up to 20mg if their body tolerates it (meaning if your bloodwork comes back fine at each step up without indications of elevated liver numbers - don't let this scare you, IF you get elevated numbers that doesn't mean permanent damage to your liver, it just means your body is telling the doc to slow down the dosage, and by reducing the dosage your lab work will normalize again).

The big reason to take methotrexate is to take back your life! You now have answers as to why the pain is there, and its nothing you did wrong to cause it. Unfortunately it does take a lot of time to find the medication regimen that works well for each individual person but once you do, you can live without pain (or near to it), and you can reduce the RA's progress to a snail's pace, ensuring many years of healthy joints to come.

Don't ignore your current pain, even though its minor. That is your body calling out to you for help. Don't let RA reduce your ability to do everyday activities. You CAN make a difference for your future, especially when you start treatment early! It is much more difficult to treat advanced RA than early RA. I know its easier said than done, but now that you know the diagnosis, you know how to treat it. You've got a battle plan. Do it for yourself!

I may be a bit unusual, but I loved methotrexate! It took a few months to get used to it, but it really worked for me. There would be something wrong with you if you did not become depressed after receiving the diagnosis. I certainly was, and still am from time to time.
Hang in there, it will get better.

Wow!! Can I ever relate to this post. I had every feeling you have had. I was put on Mtx like so many on the board. I read about all the side effects (bad thing to do) and starred at the bottle on the counter for two weeks before I got the nerve to start it. The first week, I slept most of the day following taking them. The next week, I couldn't sleep and was up for almost 26 hours. Third week nothing. I just went on vacation and skipped my dosage because I was driving and didn't know what would happen. Now I'm ready to start it back up tomorrow (Wed) but I feel great and only have minor pain, so my head is playing with me, saying things like, you really don't need this stuff, your RA isn't that bad, you can move around with very little swelling and you haven't had a flare in weeks.

My doctor summed it pretty good a few days ago when he said, your body is in a storm with RA and you never know how strong the storm will be. I know I'll take the meds tomorrow even though I say I don't want to. If I don't, I do fear I'll be where I was when this started and I don't want that. Good luck and keep us posted.

One more thought, I don't/didn't drink that much but did have a rum and coke while on vacation and I have to tell you, I had terrible dreams and visions, my body felt weird like I was floating. So in my case, I'll probably not drink again, then again, I may try one later to see if I have the same effect after my body adjust to this medicine.

Hi, wow can I relate to your post. I was diagnosed in June, and on prednisone all summer. My symptoms seem quite minor compared to many on this board, and so I ask myself, "Do I really have RA, do I really need this drug?" But like RCross said, it was bad enough at one time for me to talk to the doctor about it. I need to remember me, prior to prednisone! I started my MTX on Sept 7th and I was terrified of what would happen. Wouldn't you know I had a bug inside me and develop a fast and bad case of bronchitis. So now I have to wait until I recover from this to take my next dose. Like you I also think about the "I can never have another drink" part. Now I know that I can have one now and then, but I did like my glass of wine with dinner. Funny thing however happened this summer, not sure if it is the prednisone or what, but just the smell of alcohol makes me ill. Perhaps it is God's way of saying "Do you want to be walking when you are 65 or drinking?" :) It is also hard because so many people don't understand this disease. I am "down" and I think it would be strange for anyone to get this diagnosis and not have some bad. There are quite a few of us newbies here, and I think we can all support one another and take wisdom from those who went before us.

At my first visit to the rheumy, he asked me if I was willing to give up alcohol, and of course I said yes, and I did feel sad. However, he gave me the choice of Plaquenil and MTX, saying the first took longer to kick in but had less side effects, so I chose that.

From what I read, alcohol consumption is more of an issue with MTX? I do have a glass of wine on occasion, and it doesn't feel any different. I have a little more energy and the pain has lessened, but I still have issues. Still waiting for the Plaquenil to bring more substantial relief...

I was started on 15mg of mtx and 1,000 mcg folic acid and also meloicam for inflammation), that was in Feb and still on the same dosage today. Haven't really had any of the horrible side effects I read about, aside from being a little tired the day after. The no drinking part didn't bother me as I don't really drink (maybe once a year), I was also told to stay out of direct sunlight. My hair did start falling out about 3 months into it but I found leucovorin from someone on this forum, and it really helps. I take it the day after I take the mtx. Hopefully you won't be bothered by anything you can't handle and it beats the idea of the disease progressing! Trish

Thank you! You are all so supportive and it's wonderfiu to hear your stories and experiences, and know I am not alone in my fears and apprehensions.
Tomorrow is the day, so now I'm scared if it causes fatigue, because I am already so tired and have to work. One day at a time I guess.
Thanks again and I'm sure you will be hearing from me after I start the medication.

Hi Mari31 Boy you sound like me. I am new to this. I am in the very early stages and started on nabumetone and didn't drink. Found myself skipping daily doses for that glass of wine but paid for it later, Then I started sulfasalazine and it says limit alcohol. My rheumy tells all his rheumy patients no. I had one glass of wine this past week and it calmed me. I used to make more of a habit of it but like my liver too much.:) I have a wedding this Sat and plan to have a few. I limit it to special occasions so it is more a treat now and not just a habit. I too wonder why I am on meds, but even on meds I am having increasing pain and I would love to keep the flares away and debilitation. I actually drink non alcoholic wine on occasion. It fills the habit when I am talking with my friends over a glass. Maybe non alcoholic beer to fill in the gaps?lol
Best to you. Gina

Hi Gina. Good to hear from someone who is at the begenning as I am. So even though your pain was mild before it is getting worse on the medication? I was hoping somehow that this is as bad as it would get, but I guess that is wishful thinking.
My Rheumy did say I could have 1 drink once or twice a month, but that is way less than I drink now. I have 4 small children (under 9) and boy when they go to bed I look forward to a relaxing drink on most nights, quite honestly.
I know it is a good thing to cut down, just did not want to cut back that much:)
So if you come up with any better calming activities let me know. I do try Yoga from time to time, and it helps some.

Good luck to you!