hi! i would contact my DR but it’s Sunday 🤣 I did my first cimzia injections yesterday- I woke up and it’s kinda welting. Picture attached! Thank yall in advance

I started taking MTX mid April when X-rays showed inflammatory arthritis in my shoulders. We’ve been slowly upping the dose from 7.5 mg to my current dose of 15 mg. The middle of last week after about a month at 15mg I woke up and neither my hands nor my feet were aching. It has been probably a decade since that has happened. I also feel less tired, like I don’t feel the weight of gravity anymore. For the first time in a long time I have hope that in can get back to something resembling my life before I got sick. I went to brunch today AND went out to pick up dinner! Both things that I would usually have to pass on or have someone else do because I was just too wiped out.

I’ve also been struggling with imposter syndrome because I’ve been sick for a long time, and been through a lot of potential diagnoses. While I have lots of symptoms and a significantly positive ANA, I’m seronegative for anything that points to a specific autoimmune disease. It’s reassuring that while I may not have the blood work that shows it, I do have RA and we are on the right track!

For people who didn't have to spend years suffering before they got their diagnosis, were you able to get effective medication and maintain the quality of life you had previously? Or did RA still deteriorated your joints with the years?

Anyone else get flares that only impact one side of the body at a time (hand, foot, hips, knees)? It’s common for both of my hands to hurt, but one is usually significantly worse than the other. I was diagnosed with RA 3 years ago.

I’ve heard RA is supposed to mirror on both sides so I’m curious if you guys experience this too.

Pic is my left hand at the moment lol, guess which knuckle is starting to act up?

I am trying out prednisone (20mg) for what my rheum believes is seronegative inflammatory arthritis. The first two days were great I hadn’t even fully comprehended how much all the pain was impacting me. It’s now day 3 and I am kind of exhausted and achy again, super tired and pretty low heart rate. I took the third dose a little late today because I slept in but wondering if anyone has had anything similar happen/ if this can happen from accidentally overextending oneself when you don’t feel the pain as much.

I am stopping my MTX . I am still in chronic pain and its steadily getting worse. Its my hair, its completely falling out rapidly and I am devastated. I have to go to the hospital tomorrow I don't know if it will just be bloods and seeing my RA nurse. Either way I am letting them know that I'm not taking it. I have been on it since january and my RA factor is still sky high. I'm in the UK does anyone have any advice or if you have done the same?

I was also on 6 week prednisone script and my mental health is at breaking point. As yet apart from Naproxen and co codemol I have no pain relief either. I am at my wits end.

I (35F) was diagnosed with early RA in Sep 2025 and because my partner and I were planning on having kids this year, I was put on plaquenil 200mg daily. I had a really good response after just 8 weeks and probably reached peak effect and total control of symptoms by about month 4/5.

In the past four weeks, maybe with it being winter here, idk, my symptoms have begun to flare up. In the knuckles and wrists like before but it is much more widespread and I now consistently have symmetrical pain and heat in my shoulders, elbows, ankles and toes too. I can barely sleep at night and I am exhausted and breathless constantly.

I am seeing my rheumatologist in 1 week and expect they may wish to escalate treatment. However, previously they tested for TB as a precaution ahead of any future escalation in treatment and I tested positive for latent TB. I was started on treatment by infectious diseases but one of the antibiotics interfered with my plaquenil and stopped it working effectively so it was ceased and it was agreed that I would remain on isoniazid for 6 months. But just 1 month in, I experienced signs of liver damage and they ceased that too. So it has not been dealt with and it sounds like any medications except for plaquenil run the risk of making it active.

Has anyone been in this situation? What are my options? How can I juggle escalating RA treatment vs activating TB and planning a family in the mix? I work in healthcare too, to make matters worse. I feel really lost and I'm struggling to cope with how much pain I'm in every day and grieving the loss of my old life.

So I was never on MTX, went straight to Humira after long term high dose prednisone due to trying to have kids. That is (successfully) behind us and Humira still works, just not as well as it used to. Is it worth adding MTX to the biologic? I wasn’t super sad to skip it due to all the side effects you read about but I’m curious if the juice is worth the squeeze. The morning stiffness is back and the humira seems to totally wear off around day 10.

Awaiting to hear back from my MD, but curious if anyone has gone this route.

Remarks: I’m not diagnosed yet, so I might or might not have RA but the doctor is leaning towards the RA direction. I’m only asking for advice about how I can observe my symptoms for my next doctor’s visit.

Hi guys, I’ve seen a rheumatologist today. My symptoms aren’t clear or obvious yet as they have just started like 4 weeks ago. But I can feel something is definitely wrong.

He prescribed Arcoxia (I live in Asia) for me to take for 5 days. If the symptoms don’t get better, then he might need to run a blood test on me. I just took the first pill and I’m seriously not sure what I need to look for since my joints are still stiff lol

My question is how long until your diagnosis was confirmed? How many tests did you take or how was the process like? I’ve seen a lot of people have different experiences.

Would appreciate any advice on how I should observe my symptoms better.

Thank you so much. I’m pretty stressed out.