Reply to an Answer

  Wanting to feel good is not being selfish.  Wanting to feel good is normal.  Maybe it's because I'm a writer and therefore a smidge oversensitive about words, but if your doctors are somehow suggesting that you're being 'selfish' for not being satisfied with what you have, then you need to find another doctor.   However, depending on how you define 'feeling good', it may not possible.  The unfortunate reality about living with RA is that it has a significant fatigue component.  The medications that help control RA also tend to have fatigue as a side effect.  The trick is to find a medication or mix of medications that maximizes the good effects of the drug(s) and minimizes the bad, but you can expect to live with a certain amount of fatigue and stiffness.  Having a rest in the afternoon can help and taking it easy on bad days will also help you retain/build energy.  Vitamin supplements, meditation and yoga or tai chi can also help.  Over time, you'll adjust to your new energy levels - it's a pain in the neck, but you'll adapt.  That said, being able to get out of bed in the morning is not the only criteria for a medication working the way it should.  There are other options you can try if you're unhappy with your current medication, but I would suggest a more in-depth discussion with your doctor about expectations and possibility of improvement before you explore other options.  Talking to other people who've had the disease for a while will also help you assess whether your expectations may be too high or if the medication isn't working to its maximum potential.  Over time you will learn the difference between symptoms that you have to get used to and symptoms that mean you medication isn't doing what it should.