Don't Even Think About Stubbing Your Toe.
My RA diagnosis is going on 3 years now. I am on Hydroxychloroquine and Methotrexate and both do help.
I still deal with pain.
It is manageable and I can even distract myself and have moments where my RA is not upfront in my mind. As per normal, some days are clearly better than others.
What I am finding more in 2023 than before, is that I am a house of cards.
One more hurt or pain and I nearly crumple. That is so not me. Well, I guess now it is.
If I bump my, ( insert any joint on the body,) I am immediately sitting down and evaluating my situation with plenty of Now What s and Oh my goodnesses plus a few Are You Kidding Me!s
Next a take a few minutes to feel sorry for myself.
I honestly haven't decided if my pain is simply worse or if my pain tolerance is going down. I do know I really don't want to put up with any additional pain or discomfort.
Can anyone relate?
Hi
. I wonder whether your body might be more sensitive due to further progression. You are still on the frontline medications for RA. There are many, many other treatments available that can slow your progression and possibly even put you in remission. Have you considered asking your doctor for something new, maybe a biologic? Thinking of you and wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member) Thank you for your kind reply.
I have only been on Methotrexate for about 3 months so I feel like it needs more time to settle in. I am not sure I have given it a fair shake yet.
I hope you are doing well. ❤️
Hi
. You are correct that methotrexate can take a while to reach full effect. This site notes that "Methotrexate can start working for rheumatoid arthritis within 3 to 6 weeks and symptoms continue to improve over 3 months:" https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/long-methotrexate-work-3554038/. That said, at three months you are on the outer edge of the improvement, so if your RA continues to feel uncontrolled you may want to discuss options with your doctor. This article from our editorial team gives an overview of RA drugs and medications: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/drugs-and-prescription-medications-for-ra.
I also feel comfortable saying that it is probably unlikely that your pain tolerance is going down. Studies show that most people with a chronic condition like RA have an increased pain tolerance. My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), recently had a reverse shoulder replacement. I was telling the surgeon in a follow-up appointment how I have to keep an eye that she doesn't over do it because pain is such a normal condition for her. That said, there are certain things that seem mild compared to what she regularly deals with that can set her pain off, such as anything touches her feet the wrong way. Off the top of my head I can't remember, but there is a scientific name for this sort of pain.
Know that people here get just how hard it is to deal with the RA pain and trying to get the right treatment to control it. This community is here for you. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
My sense is that it doe not matter. I think as I have gone on, my pain tolerance has increased significantly. But so what? Am I better off than before? I do not think so.
Lets face it pain is a warning sign from our bodies that something is not working correctly. What is the best outcome? Minimal pain is the goal. I hope you find ways to get it more under control. Worsening pain is not a positive regardless of why. I hope you feel better soon.Hi
. I just want to stress how much I agree with . There is all kinds of research documenting the adverse consequences of long-term chronic pain (for example see: https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/12/7/996/1840819). Pain is a warning system and pain unabetted messes up that warning system. Probably better than any research study, our contributor Daniel discusses the impact of chronic pain, including on the brain here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/acute-chronic-pain. All of this is before even discussing other physical damage. Every person's RA is different and thus what constitutes control is different, but it is paramount to get the best possible control. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
