RA disappearing ?
I got diagnosed at 17 years old with RA. I took prednisone for years and had a very hard time weaning off it it. I also took methotrexate when I was first diagnosed. First in pill form and eventually doing an injection once weekly.
I am now 26 and managed to get off prednisone at around age 19 and managed my pain and inflammation with the MTX injections and diet.
Last year, January 2021, I forgot a week of my MTX and was curious what would happen if I stopped taking it cold Turkey. I did, and I have not felt ANY joint pain or inflammation since then….
Curious if this has happened to anyone else? Is it possible to age out of JRA if that’s what it was?
, I'm glad to hear that you are feeling good without joint pain or inflammation. That's great. It is possible to experience remission with RA. My own remission is drug-induced remission, meaning that if I stop medication symptoms of the disease come back. If you haven't discussed it already, this would be a great topic of discussion for your next rheumatologist appointment. It's very important to let your doctor know when you change how you take your medication(s). Best wishes, Lisa, RA Team Member I mean I literally stopped allllll meds over a year ago now!! I’ve seen my rheumatologist and all tests came back fine. She was surprised by it for sure but not concerned as I feel completely fine. Just don’t know it all seems to have completely disappeared when at one point I couldn’t even hold a pencil or walk up stairs or barely get out of bed. Just curious if anyones had a similar experience 🙈
I had a very similar experience. Prednisone when I was young and then a bunch of years trying to get off it and onto something else. I eventually found something that works but that was only because my rheumatologist kept trying for years. Literally, years, no exaggeration. You should definitely check with a physician before altering any medication regimen, but your rheumatologist should definitely listen to and hear your concerns. Let us know how it goes! Keep on keepin' on, DPM I mean I literally stopped allllll meds over a year ago now!! I’ve seen my rheumatologist and all tests came back fine. She was surprised by it for sure but not concerned as I feel completely fine. Just don’t know it all seems to have completely disappeared when at one point I couldn’t even hold a pencil or walk up stairs or barely get out of bed. Just curious if anyones had a similar experience 🙈
That is really exciting that you haven’t experienced any recent issues with RA. As mentioned previously, remission is possible on or off medication. I was diagnosed at 19 and it took a while before I found the right medication combo but eventually I went into a drug induced remission for YEARS. I had very minimal and minor flares during that time but they were so few and far between and very mild it was heavenly. Unfortunately my medication did stop working and the RA came back but after another year or so here I am at 27 and back into what I would consider a drug induced remission. This time the minor flares are more frequent but I have no real joint swelling or redness and no joint damage - just a few stiff mornings and nights! Definitely talk with your rheumatologist though about your thoughts and feelings regarding medication changes. Fingers crossed the RA stays at bay for you🙂 I mean I literally stopped allllll meds over a year ago now!! I’ve seen my rheumatologist and all tests came back fine. She was surprised by it for sure but not concerned as I feel completely fine. Just don’t know it all seems to have completely disappeared when at one point I couldn’t even hold a pencil or walk up stairs or barely get out of bed. Just curious if anyones had a similar experience 🙈 
Hi
. Glad you are doing so well. As noted in this page from Johns Hopkins on juvenile idiopathic arthritis (the new name for juvenile RA), there are some cases were children seem to simply outgrow it: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/arthritis/juvenile-idiopathic-arthritis. It is also notes that there are cases where it lasts a lifetime. We have several contributors that fall into the latter category (my wife, Kelly, was diagnosed at two and has had a severe case for over 40 years). It is great that you saw the rheumatologist and had the blood work done. Hopefully your remission will be lasting, but sometimes it is not, so you may want to speak to your doctor about whether to monitor. Our contributor Wren wrote here about her multi year remission: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/remembering-remission. Wishing you the best. Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
I don't have your version of RA, but years ago when I was on MTX [no biologic, as I'm on now], I was working overseas, had to stay longer, and ran out of meds. Like you, I figured I'd just see what happened. Well......several weeks later I had a flare that was so bad that it took me almost a year to regain lost ground. My advice: if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
