The effects of living with RA as an 18 year old and how to help manage them
I have been diagnosed with RA for a few months now and am struggling with the side effects of it after coming off of steroid medication. I have experienced extreme fatigue most days even after getting a full nights sleep - has anyone else been getting this? I have also experienced brain fog/a fuzzy head whilst having problems remembering things. I was just wondering if anyone had any of the same issues and whether they have any tips of dealing with it (change of diet, physical activity etc) when I am not able to be very active due to the physical side effects of RA.
Hey Izzy. I have had RA since I was nine years old, and I went through puberty and high school, etc. with it. Things have changed since then but they haven't changed THAT much, so I know what you are dealing with. I dealt with fatigue, pain, and exhaustion when I was dealing with my RA at that age. What makes it worse is that everyone else has so much energy and stamina at that age. It makes it that much more visible. You are definitely not alone in experiencing it, so I can say that for sure. As for something that can help remedy it, well, that's a different story. I wish I had some sort of magic pill or wand that could cure RA fatigue, but it's so different for everyone. I know I need 9 hours of sleep if I want a full, well, "full," energy day, or even a shot at one, and also no alcohol or anything like that which, I'm sure, isn't easy at 18. I don't want to bring you down, though, just keep trying different routines and remedies and you may end up finding a method that works for you to at least alleviate enough of it to make things bearable. I always carried meds around with me to every party, get together, etc., and I always made sure I was the one driving so I could head home if I needed to no questions asked. On the other hand, it took me twenty years almost to find the food triggers that made me worse. It ended up being sugar and, to a lesser degree, wheat carbs. It may be worth doing some trial and error to find some of yours, but it may take a while. I know it's probably not the answer you wanted to hear at 18 but will just leave you with the fact that me and other community members here know EXACTLY how you feel having it at a young age because we did also. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help and remember - you can always come here to chat, vent, or talk to others who get it. Keep on keepin' on, DPM Thank you so much! That’s really helpful for me to know and some great tips in there. I’m going to try out a gluten free diet for a couple of weeks to see if that has any impact. Thank you so much!
Hi
. I don't have a whole lot to add to what said. My wife Kelly Mack (a contributor here), was diagnosed at age two and has had a lot of the same experiences as Dan. I noticed that you mentioned the prednisone. Has your doctor started you on another medication? I ask because, in general, prednisone is not considered long-term and research shows that early control is best for avoiding long-term damage (see here for example: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38561181/). I also mention this because doctors often don't really know what to do directly about fatigue, so they treat the overall condition and hope fatigue comes along for the ride in improving. I also want to share with you this article Dan wrote simply titled "Fatigue Stinks. That's It:" https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/morning-fatigue. Besides the excellent insight from Dan, I highly recommend reading the comments section for further information, including on some research into the underlying causes of autoimmune fatigue. Hope this information is helpful and please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing and to ask questions. Best, Richard (Team Member)
