Guest guest Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Hi , I've had RA since I was a kid, at least early teens though probably younger. It wasn't diagnosed until I was 23 though. Flares last anywhere from a day to months and I never know how long they'll hang around or how bad they'll be when they start. I get very stiff and painful joints plus horrible fatigue when I flare. On top of that, between the pain and the not knowing what to expect (and having had some flares that had me very incapacitated for months) I usually experience depression at those times as well. My doc wanted me on a drug that raises your risk for lymphoma but there is lymphoma on my mother's side and of course, being a cancer survivor myself I prefer not to invite higher risk into my life so I said no. The flares are not constant and most days while I may not be completely pain free, at least I can live with it. I use ibuprofen when it gets bad (that stuff and chocolate are my miracle drugs) and I've made a deal with myself that if it hangs around longer than 2 weeks not getting any better or if the ibuprofen just isn't helping enough than I have to call my doctor and see what to do. So far, I haven't had any joint deformation either and I know she'd like me on drugs to ensure I don't but I've lived with it for better than 20 years now and as long as I don't show any evidence of doing any worse I'm avoiding meds and their side effects (and other risks) for as long as I can. Hot baths can help but I hate taking them because I'm too short to stretch out and relax in the tub without drowning! :-) Anyway, this one only lasted a couple of days. It came on so strong that I thought it would hang on longer but it didn't. I'm pretty much back to normal today (which means I still have some pain and stiffness but not any worse than usual and no fatigue other than lack of sleep due to DH snoring last night). I didn't have time for a workout today but I am going rollerskating with my Brownie troop tonight so after teaching DD to skate I'm hoping to get some good laps in myself! Thanks on the P90 60 days (and that I don't have to start over, perish the thought!). I think I'm officially there finally. Need to do measurements and pictures probably tonight or tomorrow. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel!! I got my cross trainers today too! I am hoping to do P90 Cardio in them tomorrow but we have Cub Scout Pinewood Derby all afternoon starting almost as soon as church ends so it won't be at least until evening that I'll have a chance so we'll see. This has been a rough week for workouts so I might just add in most of one week at the end to make up for it. / workouts on hold I'm so sorry to hear about this flare up of arthritis! Has thishappened to you before, and if so, how long does it typically last? Are there any meds you can take for it? Does a hot bath feel good? Please keep us posted. And congrats on making it to day 60 of P90! You don't have to startover, we'll letcha resume where you left off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 nancy, i'm glad you are feeling better. my mom has ra. my grandmother had it, too. the drugs never worked for my mother--she said she actually felt worse on them. she is very lucky to have very little, if any, pain. she has gone through three difficult and painful operations in the past three years to " straighten " her feet and left hand. i'm always looking at my hands wondering if i'm going to be the one in my family who gets the ra. stacey > > Hi , > > I've had RA since I was a kid, at least early teens though probably younger. It wasn't diagnosed until I was 23 though. Flares last anywhere from a day to months and I never know how long they'll hang around or how bad they'll be when they start. I get very stiff and painful joints plus horrible fatigue when I flare. On top of that, between the pain and the not knowing what to expect (and having had some flares that had me very incapacitated for months) I usually experience depression at those times as wellMy doc wanted me on a drug that raises your risk for lymphoma but there is lymphoma on my mother's side and of course, being a cancer survivor myself I prefer not to invite higher risk into my life so I said no. The flares are not constant and most days while I may not be completely pain free, at least I can live with it. I use ibuprofen when it gets bad (that stuff and chocolate are my miracle drugs) and I've made a deal with myself that if it hangs around longer than 2 weeks not getting any better or if the ibuprofen just isn't helping enough than I have to call my doctor and see what to do. So far, I haven't had any joint deformation either and I know she'd like me on drugs to ensure I don't but I've lived with it for better than 20 years now and as long as I don't show any evidence of doing any worse I'm avoiding meds and their side effects (and other risks) for as long as I can. Hot baths can help but I hate taking them because I'm too short to stretch out and relax in the tub without drowning! :-) > > Anyway, this one only lasted a couple of days. It came on so strong that I thought it would hang on longer but it didn't. I'm pretty much back to normal today (which means I still have some pain and stiffness but not any worse than usual and no fatigue other than lack of sleep due to DH snoring last night). I didn't have time for a workout today but I am going rollerskating with my Brownie troop tonight so after teaching DD to skate I'm hoping to get some good laps in myself! > > Thanks on the P90 60 days (and that I don't have to start over, perish the thought!). I think I'm officially there finally. Need to do measurements and pictures probably tonight or tomorrow. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel!! > > I got my cross trainers today too! I am hoping to do P90 Cardio in them tomorrow but we have Cub Scout Pinewood Derby all afternoon starting almost as soon as church ends so it won't be at least until evening that I'll have a chance so we'll see. This has been a rough week for workouts so I might just add in most of one week at the end to make up for it. > > > > > > / workouts on hold > > > I'm so sorry to hear about this flare up of arthritis! Has this > happened to you before, and if so, how long does it typically last? > Are there any meds you can take for it? Does a hot bath feel good? > > Please keep us posted. > > And congrats on making it to day 60 of P90! You don't have to start > over, we'll letcha resume where you left off > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Hi Stacey, Thank you so much for your note! I took a drug for a while (Naprosyn, a very high dose of aspirin basically) and hated it. I had to eat huge breakfasts just in order to take the meds without feeling sick (then felt lousy because I ate more than I needed to). I'm sorry to hear about your mom's operations!! That sounds awful! I'm glad she has little, if any pain though. I don't know about your mom but my earliest symptoms are the same as they are now: lots of swelling, very cold (or very warm) joints, stiffness and pain. I remember in middle school or maybe earlier looking at my hugely swollen hand, especially around the knuckles and not being able to hold a pencil well at all and thinking "I bet I have arthritis." I never told anyone though and I really don't know why. I don't even know why I thought that at that age, no one I knew had these issues! I think I thought I was weird myself and was sure no one would take me seriously. Anyway, I hope for your sake you don't have to deal with it too!! / workouts on hold> > > I'm so sorry to hear about this flare up of arthritis! Has this> happened to you before, and if so, how long does it typically last? > Are there any meds you can take for it? Does a hot bath feel good? > > Please keep us posted. > > And congrats on making it to day 60 of P90! You don't have to start> over, we'll letcha resume where you left off > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 indeed this sounds excruciating, not to mention it just plain sucks to not be able to exercise even though you really want to. Am relieved to hear that this flareup was short lived. Hugs, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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