From methotrexate to arava...My doctor and I finally threw in the towel on methotrexate. I've been on it for 12 weeks and at most it gives me relief for three days out of...reactions3repliesTreatment
Switching RA Medicines – Don’t Wait Too Long or Try Too Many...I’ve been on 7 - count them - 7 different biologic medicines since being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I started with several anti-TNF biologics and then moved to several others...reactions12comments
New Study Brings Hope: Scientists Discover How to “Switch Off” Autoimmune Diseases...The beginning of September has brought with it some very exciting news for those of us living with rheumatoid arthritis! Scientists have made an important breakthrough in the fight against...reactions2comments
I have what now?...I’ve always been a busy girl, someone who takes on a bunch of things at once because we only have one life on this Earth and I’m determined to make...reactions9comments
Ready, Set, Jab!...Man developed survival instincts for a reason, and stabbing yourself with a needle runs counter to all of them. A few months after I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in...reactions2comments
Mad At Myself...I was diagnosed with RA when I was 20, a year after I had my daughter. I woke up one morning and felt like I was hit by a truck...reactions2comments
Newly Diagnosed and taking Methotrexate...Hi, I'm a 42 year old woman newly diagnosed and taking Methotrexate. I am on my 6th week of the drug... 4th week at full strength. I have noticed that...reactions3repliesTreatment
bumps or nodules on feet...Does anyone with RA and/or a connective tissue disease have small soft bumps on their feet? They've appeared on both my feet in clusters around the heals in the last...reactions2repliesSymptoms
Off the Spectrum...I never really knew where to place myself on the spectrum of rheumatoid arthritis. When I was a small child, I didn’t know anyone else with RA so I couldn’t...reactions4comments
Thrown into the Deep End: Concerns of a Novice Caregiver...After that painful, sleepless night in the fall of 2006, Lisa finally received a diagnosis. What caused the pain and discomfort in her extremities? It was rheumatoid arthritis. Although the...reactions7comments
Tamara Haag...Tamara was previously a health leader on RheumatoidArthritis.net. Diagnosed with RA in 2000 at the age of 22 (following years of precursors, symptoms and misdiagnoses), Tamara has been balancing the...
Before diagnosis joint issues...When I was young I seemed to always have a joint that hurt. My knees, wrists and ankles seemed to be injured very easily. I was diagnosed with TMJ also...reactions4repliesSymptoms
Flare ups...What are your flare up like? I have what I think are micro-flares. I'll get sudden, sharp, shooting pain in my fingers or toes. I also get aching major joints:...reactions7repliesSymptoms
Time for a biologic?...I was diagnosed with RA a few months ago and have been on methotrexate since with minimal result. My Dr. has broached the subject of Humira a couple of times...reactions2repliesTreatment
Rheumatologist Finally Concurs!...This past Wednesday after much pain and misunderstanding plus misdiagnoses I was told, "we've been treating you for gout and apparently we've been treating you for the wrong thing." The...reactions3repliesNewly Diagnosed
The Importance of Medical Alert Bracelets And RA...I first considered getting a medical alert bracelet when I began teaching undergraduate students. While I knew that they would be able to call 911 if I ever had a...reactionscomments
What’s All the Noise About? Joint Sounds and RA...When battling rheumatoid arthritis, staying in one position for long is not feasible as joints become stiff and uncomfortable. After a few minutes the urge to stretch hits. When doing...reactions5comments
Traveling and Vaccines Shouldn’t Go Hand In Hand...Few people understand what it's like for someone with RA and fibromyalgia to go through security at the airport a day after having the pneumonia 13 vaccine. I wasn't able...reactions6comments
The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: Balancing Acts & Difficult Decisions...The RA Pregnancy Chronicles is a series of posts that share my experiences being pregnant while living with RA. This post was written during Week 30 of my second pregnancy.Life...reactions4comments
RA and Herpes...I don’t believe in coincidence. Karma, yes. Fate, yes. Coincidence, no. This is especially true in medicine. If you are trapped for hours in an airplane full of hacking, sneezing...reactions7comments
