I just found out that I have R.A and I havent started on any of the meds that all you guys talk about yet but I know it is coming soon and I have looked up alot of these meds and I see the side affects of them and I am still wondering if they are worth it. I hear story's about how bad they are and I try to avoid the pain as much as I can and hot bath's,Heating pads and the pain meds help but when I read up on the side affects I get so scared because I have 4 kids that need me and the last thing I want is to get really sick and even die from some of those meds. So I was wondering if some of you could share your story's when it come's to those type of meds so I know what to expect!! Thank you All!!!!!!!
7/28/09 2:51pm
I also have kids , 4 of them. I find that when I'm not my meds I can't care for them the way I used to before the arthritis. I am distracted by the pain. Every little noise become aggravating they become an annoyance ( it is awful to say, but sorry). I get depressed and think nothing but for myself. I don't sound like a very good mom do I.? You may be better at than I am but I'm 5 years into it and started this when I had a one year old to kids going through puberty and on caught in the middle. It was extremely difficult. ANY dr will tell you that the benefits will always outweigh the negatives. This will get worse and not just the pain. Your joint will break down. So you think you may be saving yourself and your kids from something like cancer or liver disease, but you could be crippling yourself permently. Which would take you away from your kids. You can survive cancer but will not bounce back from beimg crippled. I've weighed my option and I have had all of these conversations with fammily members. I think I made the right choice. You should help yourself feel better not just for you but for your kids.
7/28/09 12:24pm
Alice,
my vote is take the meds if you have active RA. RA is even scarier than the meds. I have 5 kids and I want to live to see them have their own. The meds are a major weapon in the fight to defeat RA. That is just the short version of my answer... let us know if you have specific questions about a specific medicine.
It will probably help you a lot to be specific about what exactly you are afraid of and then learn as much as you can about that. Continue to ask questions and talk to others. With the knowledge you will gain, you will become more comfortable with whatever med it is.
I hope that helps. Feel free to message me if you would like to talk about this more.
Here is a link to an article I wrote about delaying treatment for RA:
http://rawarrior.blogspot.com/2009/07/can-i-delay-treatment-for-rheumatoid.html
Good luck in your fight, Alice.
Kelly 
7/28/09 11:53pm
I think I have changed my mine on not taking the meds I was just going to tell the doctor to keep the meds but the two of you have really opened my eyes to do what will be best. All the info you have was also really helpful and knowing the two of you have just as many kids as me helps alot because I think that us mom's tend to make the best choice's not just for are self's but also for are children. 
7/30/09 8:29am
Good for you, Alice.
Listen, this is a long road. The meds bring a lot of relief to most RA-ers, but you will still have some battles. So, make sure you get support when you need it from others who "get it." Message me any time.
7/30/09 10:25am
I have had RA (without rumatoid factor) since i was 4. I have flare ups every few years. Then i get on antiinflamitory and hydroxyxholoriquine. I usually take it for 6 months (or less) and when the pain completely dissapears i stop. I have gone 7 years without a flare up (but im having one now).
I knew what it was right away, and it has not spread to other joints - just in my knees right now- because of the medicine. I would defnitely take the meds as soon as you think your having a flare up. Otherwise, it can get a lot worse (i was bedridden before my diagnosis). Now its just a minor nuseance.
There are side effects but they usually go away after a couple weeks, your body just has to adjust to the medicine.
7/30/09 10:40am
I am having RA since 2003 and I was trying to avoid Meds due to their sideeffects. i tried everything natural possible got some releif but RA did not go away. Recently I went back to my RD and now I am on Methotrexate. I donot experience any minor sideeffects till now but its too early to say. I do experience some relief already.
If you want to save your joints I would suggest talking to your Dr. and choosing the right med.
HTH
7/30/09 1:25pm
I am a single mother of 1 and have Rhuematoid Arthritis. I was prescribed Celebrex at age 25 when I was diagnosed by a Specialist and was not aware of all of the side effects. I started getting "Little Heart Pinches" as I called them and got worried. I asked my Primary Care Provider about side effects and she said not to worry about it. Then I became aware of people getting Heart Attacks with this medication and decided to stop. I have since been taking Advil/Ibuprofen 3-200 mg tablets when the pain gets real bad and it seems to work for me. I as yourself am concerned since I am a single parent and my son is still young. I hope my input helps
7/30/09 5:37pm
Hi Alice,
I felt the same way when I was first diagnosed with RA. But as the disease progressed I realized that the pain of RA wasn't a choice and so I began taking Enbrel w/methotrexate. A few months later I noticed that this wasn't working so my RD put me on Remicade w/Leflunomide. WOW! What a miracle drug this has been for me. I have had a few flares when the meds run out of my system, but as soon as I have the infusion I feel like a new person. I know it's not for everyone and you have to make that decision, but for myself it has worked wonders. Yes there can be side affects but you have to weigh out the the effects that the RA will have on your joints such as disfiguration and pain vs. a chance of having problems from the meds. Good luck in whatever choice you make, it will be the best for you and your family.
Janet
7/30/09 6:28pm
Hello,
I, too, encourage you to take the r.a. meds. I know the possible side effects are scary, and do make you question whether you really want to subject your body to them. But in my case, even everyday functions and tasks became a chore that caused excruciating pain. Within a few months the difference was amazing, and made a significant change in my quality of life. The best thing you can do for yourself is to do your research, take the meds, and closely monitor your health. Best of luck to you.
7/31/09 12:25am
Alice,
My vote is take the meds. Yes there are side effects but in my case they are much easier to deal with than active RA. Without my meds I can hardly get out of bed in the mornings and move around like an 90 year old (but only 50). With the meds you would not know anything is wrong. I do have sometimes a bad day after taking the methotrexate but it is managable especially since know what to expect and how to try to manage it and not have the side effects manage me. The side effects i have from the Meth is a little fatigue, and loss of appetite (slight nausea).
7/31/09 7:00pm
Alice - First I want to say this can be devastating to find out you have a disease that is not curable at this time. I agree with the others - do as much homework as you can on the meds. Don't be afraid to ask your R.A. Dr. about every aspect of R.A., how long and how much of the meds. is right for YOU. No one knows for sure (to the best of my knowledge) how fast or slow your condition will progress.
I was diagnosed with R.A. in 1986. Have been on and off of Methotrexate and Prednisone and various anti inflammatory presc. since. I have had two wrist operations and a fusion of the 1st. and 2nd. vertrabrae. I feel I am doing pretty good so far.
There is one site on the internet that might be of interest to you and that is The RaodBack.Org.. I have been on this program for over a year now and it has helped me. The reason I went there was the same as you. I wanted info on the new biological drugs. When I was in the hospital recovering from the fusion my R.A. had diminished immensely. I investigated what they had given me and found the only thing different was the antibiotic.
I approached my Dr. on starting this program and he was a little reluctant because there can be one Big side effect. It can turn your skin blue. So far it has not surfaced! Had to use that word! I am still on the Metotrexate, but have cut the dosage in half. Wish I would have known about this when I was first diagnosed! Good Luck to you! Your Best Defense? Try to keep a Good Attitude and Sence of Humor!
8/ 1/09 9:43pm
Is this for real? I am going to assume since you posted your picture with a very cute baby that this is real & you are just uneducated about RA. And obviously not in a lot of pain yet! When you get where you have so much pain that you can't get out of bed, even to go to the bathroom without severe pain--you won't think twice about taking meds! Also, even if the pain is not that severe, somedays the fatigue is. Those days you will need help because there will be no way you can take care of your kids. And when your hands & knees & feet start getting deformed, it will be too hard to pick up your kids. Not to mention the tweens & teens will be watching when their peers stare at your deformed hands at the ballgames & school plays. Don't forget all that systemic swelling that you sometimes are not even aware of effects your heart. That is why most RA patients don't live as long. Yes most of us die of heart diease! It's not uncommon for RA pt's to die in their 60's. So, if their are meds to help with pain,fatigue,deformities & maybe protect our hearts, what do you think we are going to do? If you had diabetes, would you take the insulin to live longer? Or the chemo for cancer? It's no different. Unfortuneatly, you have a terrible painful disease. I'm sorry but your kids need you around & feeling the best you can for them to have a normal childhood. What are some MINOR side effects compared to your health? The drug manufactor has to put the most horrible things down in writing. It's the law. Other than the MTX making some people sick, most people have very little side effects. If you take a biologic, a lot of folks quit taking the MTX if it makes them nauseated or fatigued anyway. Try them for your family & believe me, once you start having REALLY BAD symptoms, you'll think what side effects? Ask your M.D. to talk with pt's on the meds. And really educate yourself on the diease- not just read side effects. I am not only a RA pt. but also a rheumatology nurse & I know it can be over whelming at first. My Father died of complications from RA @ age 60 & I'm petty sure if Enbrel or Humira had been around then, He would still be here. Good Luck & think about your kids!
8/20/09 9:45am
Yes this is very real for me and I am still uneducated about R.A and I just found out that this is what I have but I have been living with this for years and should have known about it much sooner then I did but it was very hard for me to find a doctor who was willing to do his job and run the right test. I have known that something was wrong with me for a while and I have to wait to find out when my hands are starting to disform and the pain is unbearable. The doctors are still not even sure if it ends here because I may also have M.S and I have alot of test that I will have to under go before I truly know all that I have to live with. They still have no idea where the lessions on my spine are coming from so that is what all the test will be about but it the mean time I have to be treated for what they do know I have. You are very right I do want to feel my best for my kids and I know that as of now I dont. I have had all 4 of my kids by c-sections and this pain is worse then all 4 of them put together and I wouldnt wish this pain on anyone and it is twice as hard being that I have no support at all. My husband still thinks that this is more in my head then anything and doesnt think the pain is as bad as it is all he can say is how did you get so bad so fast. The pain started to get bad right before I was pregnant with my last son then it seemed to go away while I was pregnant with him then about 3 months after he was born it came back much worse and real fast. I am really worried that his lack of caring and support is going to damage our marriage because it already has caused alot of problems already and I am not sure if you are married but how does this affect your marriage?
8/23/09 12:51pm
Sorry if I was a little hard on you but I was trying to give you a reality check! Sometimes I think it is better to know the hard cold facts than just everybody saying how sorry they are & take all these vitamins and only eat certains foods, etc... The reality is that this disease sucks! Also, I'm upset that because of life not going my way, I can't get the meds I need right now & I can't even go to the grocery store without my knees & ankles looking like basketballs! So instead of pussyfooting around about side effects, I'd kill for a few doses of Humira! To answer your question, I would not be in this situation if I were still married. Crappy husband but he had great insurance! Even though he was caught being unfaithful, We might could have worked it out if he hadn't been so lousy about my health problems prior to that. He just didn't understand why I didn't want to get up every Sat. am @ 6:30 to clean the house & be cheerful while I did it, and he is a doctor. You would think he would have known better! I always said, He had OCD. He just wanted everyone else to do the cleaning!
Seriously, If someones spouse doesn't or won't take the time to try to understand the disease, RA can be hell on a marriage too! I think no one truely understands unless they too have the RA FUNK!!! The one good thing is that there is now drugs to help us feel better & not get as bad as deformities. The same thing goes for MS. But both are extremely expensive. It is ridiculous that the drug companies make the money off basically handicapped people who don't have a choice. It's not like we can boycott them & still function! Good Luck to you and your marriage- maybe ya'll could get educated on RA together. It might help him to understand and you could do it as a team. If you have any more questions, I'm here if you want straight, honest answers. Also, there is a way that you can just contact the person instead of the whole world seeing what your writing, on this site if you ever have a question for me or any other person on here. I think you can go to the how to use this site on the bottom of the page. I can answer questions from a medical point of view since I practiced in Rheumatology for several years, I'll leave the patient side out , maybe? haha!
8/ 9/09 10:09pm
i was diagnosed at 28 with RA, after having taken meds for 13 years, i radically changed my diet and have been off meds now for 3 years. it is tough and perhaps does not work for all, but it is possible.
trinity
8/20/09 9:22am
I would like to thank you all for your advise! This is why I asked all of you because you all understand and can give a insight that I cant get from the doctors or family. I will take the meds at this point I dont have a choice my hands are starting to disform the pain is starting to get to the point where not even the pain meds help because the pain is unbearable and sure the pain meds help but they arent the right meds I need all they do is mask the problem. I have no energy to clean play with my kids or do the things I used to enjoy and I cant wait to get my life back because this isnt a way for anyone to live. As far as the health system goes they arent much help to me at all. I went to the health department to at lease be seen by a doctor and they said because I have R.A they couldnt help me. All I know is I watch the news and the people do more for our animals then they do for humans. I think that this is no way to live and it is very cruel to leave people like this and not even try to help. You all were very helpful and have change my way thinking about the meds and opened my eyes to what is best not only to me but what will be best for my children.
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By Alice— Last Modified: 12/27/10, First Published: 07/27/09
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I thankyou all so much this was very helpful to me! I just wasnt sure because some of the meds sound like they make everyone so sick and I wasnt sure what the best choice would be and I can get just like you when it comes to the noise and all my kids are 10 and younger so it can get pretty loud in my home. If taking the meds are going to give me a better life then I am all for it and I would do anything for my kids. I just really hope I dont have M.S too because I will have alot more meds to have to take everyday but they are pretty sure that is what it is because I dont think R.A cause's lession's on the spine.