Other conditions with the RA
I just wondered, how do you know if you are having symptoms of another condition or a symptom of RA? I have been Diabetic 2 for many years. I also have Sjorns disease, psoriasis of the scalp, and severe periodontal disease.
It’s difficult to tell and even when you know you have a secondary condition it gets hard to know what is coming from where, or even if it’s a new condition you have developed. It is quite frustrating, but we just haven’t o make our best educated guess as to what’s causing what. Is there something particular you are experiencing? Let us know if we can help. Keep on keepin’ on, DPM
Hi
. Just to reiterate what said, it can be very difficult to differentiate symptoms between conditions, particularly autoimmune conditions. Plus, they love to piggyback on each other. You mention Sjogren's and this article from our patient leader Nan discusses managing it with RA: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/dry-as-a-desert. I also noticed that you mentioned type 2 diabetes and psoriasis and want to let you know that we have sister-sites for those conditions at https://type2diabetes.com/ and https://plaquepsoriasis.com/ respectively. Hope this information is helpful. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team) It’s tricky. For a long time I thought I only had RA. Now if I get brainfog or tired, I take a glucose test and then act on the reading. Before the diabetes diagnosis, I just thought that was RA for years. Its rather disturbing that this was not detected until I switched primary doctors to one who referred me to tons of specialists to be tested for a variety of problems. Other problems that were discovered with bloodtests and an abdominal scan were liver and kidney problems caused by methotrexate. So I had to go off methotrexate. It seems it is always a balance of different problems and now I see all kinds of specialists every six months. But I do like glucose test strips and oximeters, so I know why I am tired.
Hi
. Thank you for sharing your story. Seeing specialists to get the proper diagnostics to find comorbidities can be essential. Once someone is diagnosed with a chronic condition like RA it is easy for other issues to simply be piled onto that diagnosis. My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here) wrote this article on the importance of seeing specialists: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/specialist-treatment. I've, thankfully, seen the difference it has made in her life. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
Since being diagnosed with RA, and being put on Biologics (especially ENBREL)---I have GAINED WEIGHT! From 130 to 200lbs in 10 years! Have OTHERS gained WEIGHT too?? And HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT? Ozempic like Oprah? I want to lose at least 50 lbs
I can totally relate to this frustration! I was put on steroids after I was diagnosed and gained 50 pounds. It's been a roller coaster dealing with it. I know some have had great success with weight loss medications. It's best to talk with your Doctor about this. One thing that has worked for me, I started walking. Somedays the most I can do is a few laps in the house, on good days I take a walk around my neighborhood. I also found some low impact exercise videos online that I do. Hang in there!
Debbie - RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member- my personal answer is not to buy clothes in a larger size. So far it has worked - for me - as an incentive to buy fruit instead of chocolate. Hope it continues...
