Living with OA and RA and something else.
They never told me about chronic fatigue and inflammation because I can't take NSAIDS. Has anyone else experienced this?
Chronic fatigue is one of the more insidious issues of living with RA. I have been on my RA journey for decades now and fatigue loves to rear it's ugly head when I can least afford it! As for inflammation, that kind of comes with the territoryu when it is rheumatoid arthritis! Did you docs recommend an alternative? Keep on keepin' on, DPM I am sorry you weren't given a heads up in the crushing fatigue that can come with RA,
! It seems like such a minor symptom in a long list of symptoms that I think sometimes, doctors overlook it. Like, "Yeah, yeah, you might get more tired with RA, but watch out for that joint pain." And, yes, watching out for joint damage is important, but that nonstop fatigue is one heck of symptom to have sneak up on you! And, I think since doctors don't really know how to effectively treat it, they can gloss over that symptom and hope you don't end up having it. Ugh. If only ignoring a symptom worked and made it never appear; wouldn't that be nice?
As far as the NSAIDS issue, my son-in-law in unable to take them as well and relies on acetominophen when he has to take something. Also, steroids like prednisone can help with the inflammation and fatigue. But, as, always, talk to your doctor about what medications you can try to help with the inflammation and pain.
As far as the fatigue? Well, having lower pain levels can help you feel less fatigued, but I have yet to come across any medication/treatment/exercise/diet that can offer reliable, long term relief from the fatigue. That said, it doesn't hurt to try things to see what might help you.
Either way, I do hope you and your doctors find some options you can try and that you get some lasting relief!
Best, Erin, Team member.Hi
. You mention not being able to take the NSAIDs. Has your doctor discussed DMARDs or Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs? There are the traditional DMARDs (see this article: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/traditional-disease-modifying-anti-rheumatic-drugs) and the biologic DMARDs (see: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/biologics) and the targeted synthetic DMARDs (see: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/targeted-synthetic-dmards). DMARDs are different from NSAIDs and, in fact, are often quite different from each other and act differently in the body. Your rheumatologist should be able to discuss these various options with you and what differentiates them. Hope this information is helpful and that you can get some relief. Best, Richard (Team Member) I have been on Cimzia for two years now and I am going through a major unwanted weight loss. Have loss one third of my weight. So now on to a bone scan for answers.
Hi
. It is certainly understandable that the weight loss would be concerning and it is good you are getting this checked out. This is especially true in that weight gain or loss was not a found side effect in trials for Cimzia, with the exception of weigh loss tied to some sort of infection, which Cimzia can make people more susceptible to (see: https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/cimzia-certolizumab-make-you-gain-weight-3570822). Of course, there are a lot of other potential causes, so really hope you get some answers soon. Please feel free to keep us posted. Best, Richard (Team Member)
