Rheumatoid Arthritis Community

I have RA as well as degenerative disc disease and COPD so I have all the symptoms of RA but also fatigue, depression, eye pain, dry eyes, shortness of breath, as well as sciatic nerve pain, muscle spasms, chronic back pain, and now my hair is falling out (methotrexate side effect).
Lot's of fun!

I was diagnosed with RA about a year ago. I have several of the symptoms listed, like the depression, fatigue, muscle weakness and fever when I have a flare. My doctor thinks the first 3 are due to fibromyalgia. I'm glad I finally said something about the other symptoms so the fibromyalgia can be treated. In the past I only told my rheumatologist about the joint pain, thinking that everything else was due to the stress of living with RA as well as being a single mom and working full time.

I have severe fatigue when I get stressed, I sometimes feel feverish, my thigh muscles are much weaker than they used to be. I just got on drops and spray for the Sjogren's syndrome. My wrist bones on the outside are very large and my pinkies on both hands feel like they are being smashed in a vise and they are starting to curl. I am not currently depressed but I can see how one would be. My rheumatologist just quit his practice so I am searching for a new doctor. I used to never get much sleep but he prescribed alprazolam to help me sleep and it helps a great deal, I don't wake up with black circles under my eyes anymore.

fatigue, eye pain, dry eyes, shortness of breath at times. Fatigue is probably my worst symptom.

socathy1,
Can you tell me about the "spray" that you use for Sjogren. I have this along with RA.
Thanks,

Recovery from food additives

In the last year I have discovered that health is a balance of the immune system.
People with a good immune system that try's to fight off bacterial infection's, that eat
food's that are made with food Additive's like xanthan gum, MSG, aspartame and meat glue products are all fermented with bacteria.

When these products are eaten your body see's them as bacterial infection and try's to kill the bacteria. Your immune system goes wild it thinks that you have eaten food that has went bad and is full of bacteria.

Every body has had the flu or a cold the same process's that fight this type of infection. Start happing when you eat foods that are made with food additives. But, if you eat them every day, your immune system stays in over drive and that means you will develop autoimmune disorders. Most people have at least one autoimmune disorder and by the time you reach age 50 you are suffering from many more.

In the last year my family and some of our friends have started eating food that don't
Contain fermented additives. It was hard to do at first, but with a little time reading labels in the store, we soon figured out what products we can eat. When it come down to it if it is not caned or cured in salt water, dried to preserve it, frozen or fresh straight off of the farm we try to not eat it. I only drink coffee, water or milk.

The results of this has been very good, most of the people that have stuck with it have found a lot better health. It's is easer to have a smile on our faces when we feel good.

If you are trying to be health through life be careful on what you put in your mouth and you know all good things in moderation.

Dwight.

Oily skin and pores full of white gunk that I could squeeze out of my pores.
I had this condition as fare back as I can remember it turns out that my kidneys were inflamed and not removing waste products out of my body. My skin was allows very light in color and I would sun burn very ease. When I changed my diet now my skin tans and I do not sun burn so ease. Now if I squeeze the skin on my nose all that come out of my pores is clear liquid.

Also as I got older I develop skin tags, arthritis, lot's of pain swilling, sinus headache,
Stiff neck, bumps that suck off of my joints, thick skin on my hands feet elbow and knees, floaters in my eyes, pore balance, could not eat salty foods would make my ears ring so bad that I could hardly hear and make my lag swell, large vanes that stuck out on my lags, gas pain on left side of my belly, hemorrhoids that stayed swelled up and would
Bleed part of the time, the filling that some one was poking me with pins, shouting pains, tingling and numinous, muscle spasms, win my wife would touch me she sad that my body was humming, could only sleep about 4 hours a night would be hurting so bad I would have to get up and get moving. If I brush my teeth about 2 hours later people would say my breath smelled bad this happens if I use tooth paste with xanthan gum in it, life was hell.

When I figured out what was making me sick and changed my diet and my kidneys have started working and removing the waste product out of my body. My health problems have gone away. In the last year my skin tags started itching and then they fell off. My skin is no longer puffy, the thick skin on my hand, feet, knees and elbow has gone away, my hearing, balance, pain and muscle spasms have stopped the bumps that I had on my joint have went down, my hemorrhoids, large vanes on my lags have went down.
I can eat salty foods and it doesn't make my ears ring or make me swell up.

About the only think that has not gone away all the way is the tingling and numinous in my upper back and around my neck.

If I eat something that set off my ammine system this is what I go through.

About 2 hour's after I eat something I should not have eaten my heart start to beat
faster that normal, I feel like I have drank to much caffeine, I feel weak,
These septum stop after 5 to 10 minutes, then through the day I'd brake out in sweets then at night when I would sleep then I sweat all night, my ears ring, joints, hands, feet get stiff, mid back pain comes on after I have been sleeping for more that 6-7 hours. When I get up the pain gradually subsides and later on during the day it is almost gone.
I would describe the pain as a dull ache but the pain sharpens and gets worse when I twist my torso or flip from one side to another when I have been in bed for longer than 6-7 Hrs.
My urine turned clear this normal last for 3 days as this food go's through my intestine. Then when I got ride of it the sweats stop. Then during the night I would wake up with my side aching and I have to go pee my urine will be dark in color smells very strong, then over the next 2-3 days I will get to filling better and my urine get lighter in color.

I hope this info will help people that have been in pain like I was.
Life is a joy compared to what I whet through since I was in my 20,s. I am 51 and loving life.

Dwight

have 9 of the systems you have listed above. I am in constant pain. I am waitting on approval for medicine.
I amin so much pain that I have had to accept the fact that I have this teribble type of two different arthitis RA & OA. I hurt from my head to my toes. My walking is starting to get slower and more labored, My fingers hurt I am trying to keep working but its getting harder and harder to do. I applied for ssi when I was first told that I have this years ago they turned me down flat. I wish they had to go through
this I bet they would sure enough approve me getting ssi then. I hurt so bad that I cry sometimes with the pain, the stiffness, the soreness, the swelling.lately I wish I had an aid to help me walk on flat ground, I have to climb stairs its a nightmare. I have to go so slow. I am afraid I'll fall We live in a 2nd story apt.When I go out with my family they tak e
off and leave me behind. My life has became a nightmare.
I push myself most days to work a part time job as a cook
in fast food. At this time I just don't know what to do.

I would also suggest that you take vitamins/supplements for joint pains. Hercules Joint Health contains carefully combined nutrients, shown to provide joint health benefits. Hercules Joint Heath is a unique blend of three natural ingredients formulated to protect the joints. For more details please visit - http://www.herculesvitamins.com/product_template.php?page=jointhealth

Ask your Dr. for a prescription for Folic Acid. My hair was falling out and I started taking it and it started to thicken up again. It also helps with digestive problems due to the methotrexate. Many people with RA take it. Good Luck.

I Was diagnosed 2 months ago. I have fatigue slight fever eye pain and dry eyes. These symptoms are worse than the pain

It really amazes me that all of these issues are explained with my recent RA diagnosis. The fatigue has been an issue since my mid 30's, hoarness at times, muscle weakness is a regular, excrutiating eye pain for almost 20 yrs (scleritis), shortness of breath, all of the heart test I could imagine earlier this year due to chest pains, carpal tunnel - also 20 yrs, and dry eyes for as long as I can remember. The fatigue was thought to be depression by my old Dr - that treatment stopped as soon as it started. I've never felt depressed, not badly, just very lethargic...

Dwight , I just read your post and I love it.. Thanks so much... I am going to try what you have suggested cause what do I have to loose... Thanks again... Patti

Hello,
I use a wonderful product called moxxor for inflammation. The most powerful all natural anti-inflammatory Omega 3 and antioxidant on the planet. My knee and ankle have benefited tremendously from it. I have sprained my ankle several times which would make it swollen all the time. After a couple of months taking moxxor the swelling dramatically decreased.
The best thing about this product is it is all natural. Please feel free to check out my website www.peteshealthyproducts.com for more information on this products.

I appreciate your time.
Pete

I was diagnosed last year, as well and have many of the symptoms above too. I also have bad jaw pains where it is difficult to chew at times. It is very hard, but we have to keep on going and try to be positive, even though it is painful.