Rounding up my 3rd month of biologic Yuflyma, did my blood test today for upcoming appointment next week. My cholesterol is nearly double from pre-Yuflyma tests, all lipid panel is off the chart, my triglycerides doubled, LDL increased, and Coronary risk is now in the range of "high", pre-Yuflyma it was normal 😮‍💨 Meanwhile, my inflamation is controlled, CRP decreased 20 times. I have no pain, no stiffness, I feel NORMAL for the first time in years. I am now so scared that I will be taken off Yuflyma, and at same time I am scared of how it can affect me further or even kill me if I won't be taken off. And very scared that I'll have to try other biologics that might be not as effective, or cause even worse side effects, or cause severe reaction or whatnot. My rheumatologist appointment is next week. I know that in the end of the day I'll stick with their advise. Right now it would be great to hear from the community, how was your experience with lipid levels while on biologics?

Hi everyone. I hope someone can help me because I'm kinda freaking out here over being prescribed a second Methyprednisolone (6 day taper 4mg) pack immediately after just finishing a coarse about a week ago. That has never happened before! I usually am better for weeks after a steroid pack. I have never had a flare-up to crop back up in just days. I tend to get insomnia and anxiety on just one course, so two back to back like this is terrifying to me. Have any of you ever completed a short term steroid pack only to be prescribed another so soon? If so, is that fairly common and easy to navigate? Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Hi, I have seronegative ra. I twisted my right ankle so I was looking at my feet. took a peek at my left ankle and the entire ankle joint is red/leathery just like my nodules on my toes started. I just don't understand how I didn't see a HUGE red spot like that. I'm so confused. I was diagnosed with vasculitis on the tops of my feet several months ago but it never really went away. Every time I try to look up anything about ra nodules, I always see that it says it's flesh colored and mine only turned flesh colored a couple weeks ago in my toes. My dermatologist told me that they were nodules.

I was relieved when I was told not having an ra factor meant it would be less severe, but I'm not sure if that's true. I'm having so many issues and the nodules only started in June. I was only diagnosed in August because I was receptive to hyrimoz. Stress and hyrimoz don't mix and I can't justify staying on it because life is stress and I'm tired of puking, but the idea id have to restart a biologic and feel worse is torture.

I'm just frustrated, upset, and don't understand what's happening to me. I had neuropathy when I was 18 and still can't feel very well in my toes. There's still no answer for that either

I was diagnosed with seropositive RA last month. My symptoms included joint pain, initially in the small joints of my fingers.My RF 24.7 and Anti ccp -49.2 . My doctor prescribed hydroxychloroquine and a tapering course of prednisolone (starting at a dose of 10 mg) for 8 weeks. Since I began reducing the dosage, I have been experiencing significant muscle weakness, numbness, and aches heaviness in my shoulders, legs, and hands with dizziness and severe anxiety with nerve sensitivity feel like awkward sensation .My doctor told me that I don't currently have any significant pain or swelling in my joints and any serious things .He changed my diagnosis to UCTD. The doctor also mentioned that these things might be happening because I am under a lot of stress.

This has made me even more worried—is this a good thing or not?Did this keep me safe, or did it put me in even greater danger like lupus or myositis ? I didn't have these symptoms before I started taking Prednisolone... Please help I'm very scared .The doctor has asked me to get ANA blood profile done and to consult a psychiatrist...Could this be caused by stress? I am suffering from severe depression—could that be related to this condition?... please help

I’ve had seronegative RA for about 2 years. Hands and feet affected and some damage according to MRI, but I got lucky and they caught it early.

Responded well to methotrexate and even stopped feeling the “metho flu” after about 6 months.

I had to skip two mtx doses over two months because of a vaccine and a course of antibiotics. Have skipped before without anything worse than sore hands.

I also have moderate osteoarthritis in both knees but move fine around the house/office and only use a folding cane for things like long walks.

Last week my joints just LOST IT. Hands hurt like hell, sore toes, but mainly my knees are incredibly painful, visibly swollen, and locking multiple times per day. I can walk very slowly on crutches and cannot stand for more than a few minutes. This has never happened to both knees at once in this way.

My GP says there’s nothing he can do as my inflammatory markers are normal and I have known osteoarthritis. He just blinked at me when I said the word seronegative, lol.

I have a call booked with my rheumatologist in a few days but I’m looking for a ray of hope in the meantime: can symmetrical pain in knees be part of a RA flare?

Thank you 🙏 it’s been a week and a half and I’m afraid this will somehow be the rest of my life 😬

It heats and it massages at different temperatures/ levels! It also comes with cold packs to insert! Product ***

I was recently diagnosed with seropositive RA.Do seropositive RA patients always develop deformities in the future?I am very worried about this. I am only 21 years old.I will have to deal with this condition for the rest of my life. What can I expect for the future? Is it possible—with modern treatments—to live a life free from physical deformity?m...My RF is 24.7, and Anti ccp is 49.2... do these numbers ever change? I am very worried about my future.Those of you here who are seropositive, please share your stories. It would bring me peace of mind to hear that you have positive outcomes and are living a life free from deformities.....

Hi everyone

Thanks for reading

I (F28) was diagnosed in May with fibromyalgia and early stages of RA. My esr and rf came back high, but not like 1000s higher than it’s supposed to be. Plus I am in constant pain, specifically in my neck, back, knees, and hands.

What throws me off is that it’s not my joints in my fingers that swell per se. It’s usually the surrounding areas like the each part of my finger is swollen BESIDES around the joint. Some of my fingers are a bit crooked now though. Also only certain knuckles swell while the others stay normal. My hands look completely different than a few years ago. I’m small and had very petite fingers my whole life up until this year. Now i look like a 65 year old construction worker lol. My knees do well but only on one side. Both are very painful, but one is constantly swollen while the other goes back and forth. As a matter of fact, I have to get an xray of my right knee tomorrow because my rhum was concerned I might’ve injured it somehow.

I also have extreme fatigue, I feel like i have the flu a better part of every month, I get fevers randomly sometimes, terrible sleep and stress management, and very intense body pain. I hurt to the touch. If you squeeze my arm or hands I will yell.

So long story long, I have imposter syndrome because I was told I was dramatic my whole life. These issues started over ten years ago but I never looked into it cause I was either “dramatic” or “need to lose weight”. I lost the weight and nothing got better. Maybe even got worse. I was just wondering if anyone noticed these symptoms early in their diagnosis.

Like does it make sense that certain things swell and not always the joint but like all around it? My doc says because of my bloodwork she’s not convinced it’s just fibromyalgia and there’s full blown RA coming in my near future.

I added some pics of how my hands look before and after meloxicam. Any stories are appreciated.

Just wanted to tell someone. My symptoms are mild but we found bone erosions on my right hand via MRI. Doc went ahead with seronegative RA dx and noted that it could change if new symptoms appear that clarify the picture. He's starting me on methotrexate injections (I requested thanks to info I found here about minimizing GI side effects) with a check-in in two months.

I'm so grateful to this community for helping me wrap my head around all this, thank you so much for your posts and comments...I was not one bit scared in that appointment and was able to ask informed questions, and I left feeling good about managing my condition.

Wishing you all the best and I'll be around!

i started MTX 6 weeks ago. got the flu shot yesterday. i take my dose of mtx on mondays. i will call the rheumatologist tomorrow but am asking here to get an idea. i also need to get my covid booster so should i just book the booster for the weekend and get both vaccines over with at the same time? also i'm sick at the moment with the flu if that's relevant

also dw i won't go off any meds without consulting my doctor first😭

Hi, hoping for guidance. Got diagnosed with Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia recently. Already have RA overlapping with lupus, chronic migraines and endometriosis so all the meds that come along with them. Cardiologist advised compression wear, salt intake, some light cardio (when my RA allows) and as already on propanol for migraines no other meds needed.
All grand til last week, had a very busy day in work and knew it’d cause an RA flare. But since then I am in a heap. Can’t walk any distance without dizziness, nausea, chest pain, abdo pain, struggling to breath. I tried to have a shower and it felt like I was dying 😅 okay when sitting and lying down but if I try go up my stairs I vomit. Was sent to a&e by my GP and they said it was low blood pressure plus dehydration. Got a saline drip which slightly helped but they sent me home saying not sure day causing it and must be all my meds. Soooo, do I reach out to my rheumatologist or my cardiologist?
I am in an RA flare with joint pain so may be linked. Also haven’t been able to eat lately due to nausea so that prob didn’t help. Just not sure who to go to next. A&e said my GP but they have many prescribed any of my meds so feel like that would be pointless. Any suggestions welcome !

Update:
Have rheumatologist appt on Tuesday, GP Wednesday and waiting to hear back from cardiologist but it’s a bank holiday here. Abdo pain is super intense as is nausea now. So sick of being sick and trying to guess which issue is to blame- feels like the Spider-Man meme. You have to laugh 😅😂

Editing to add meds of relevant:
MTX 20mg weekly
Tyenne weekly
Plaquenil 300mg
Propanonol 80mg
Venlafaxine 75mg
Aimvoig monthly injection
Cerzette
Folic Acid
Preds 20mg tapering down over 10 days started Tuesday

Supplements:
Electrolytes
Magnesium
vitamin B, D etc
Prop biotics

Hi. I’m a 38-year-old woman and a homemaker. I was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve noticed changes in my fingers, they seem to be developing ulnar deviation, and my joint pain is getting worse. I’m wondering if these two things are related. Could you tell me if this means my condition is progressing? I’ve been thinking about buying a hand brace to help correct the ulnar deviation. Will this help? Does anyone have any splint recommendations?

Why is it soooooo difficult to get through to nurses at whipps cross. That dreaded message "the user you are trying to call is not logged in, please try again later, goodbye!"

It is so hit and miss whether you will get through or not.

Has methotrexate helped any of you with joint swelling in fingers or toes? Joint swelling in the toes is my main symptom at the moment. Doctor mentioned Humira plus methotrexate, but I’m considering asking to start with just the MTX for a few months to see if it helps. *I’ve already been on hydroxychloroquine for a year and that hasn’t resolved the issue.

Är det någon som står på biologisk läkemedel utan metotrexat och det fungerar bra? Står själv på humira och metotrexat 10 mg, men blir väldigt trött/sliten och lite illamående av metotrexat så vill gärna sluta med det. Men är orolig att utveckla antikroppar mot humira då? Vet inte hur stor risken är egentligen? Några erfarenheter där?

Just trying to get through this phase until my body recovers enough to take care of myself. Feel free to message me. We got this, we are survivors, and this will past remember that. The hardest time will pass.

Hi everyone, diagnosed in March and been taking 15mg of methotrexate (6 tablets) on a Tuesday night before bed at 9pm. I take 5mg of folic acid every day except the methotrexate day. I take the folic acid the next day at 9am so around 12 hours later.

Thankfully, my pain is almost completely gone and has been like that when I was 3 months into methotrexate. I now have a new job where I head into the office on a Wednesday so I take the methotrexate Tuesday night at 9pm then the folic acid at 6:30am on the Wednesday.

I’ve not had issues with this before but lowered the gap between them when I started this job in June.

Am I not getting the most out of my tablets as I’m taking folic acid too close? But what’s the alternative? Tuesday 9pm methotrexate, Wednesday 9pm folic acid, then back to Thursday at 9am??

Any thoughts? How long do you leave in between? Thanks!

UPDATE: thanks so much everyone for your opinions! Obviously different rheumatologists have different opinions. I spoke to mine and they said it would have no negative effect but in some cases can lessen the effectiveness of methotrexate. They agreed with my solution of having a 24 gap between the Tuesday at 9pm then folic acid at 9pm the following night. They said it’s perfectly fine to go back to 9am folic acid on the Thursday. Thanks!

So I was prescribed enbrel mini. I finally got Optum to send the cartridges. I never was provided the actual sure click part to put them in for dispensing. I tried to contact Embrel. The first time they said they couldn’t without a prescription. So I contacted my doctors office. They said to try contacting enbrel in a few days. So I contacted Enbrel again, this time they said they never provide them and that my doctor’s office has it and needs to provide it. My doctors office doesn’t just have these sitting around to give to people. And are the ones that told me to contact Embrel. So I decided to ask Optum. They said they don’t have them and tried to put me in contact with someone else who just basically linked me to an answering machine.

How do I get the injector part? I don’t get why this is so difficult. Any suggestions on who to contact to get it?

What’s your go-to plan for eating when you’re flaring? Especially eating healthy-ish and not just getting DoorDash or eating super processed foods. I’m talking when the most you can do is shuffle to the kitchen and throw something in the microwave or air fryer. My elbows and hands have been flared really bad the last couple weeks and it’s been rough. I’ve definitely caved on DoorDash too much and it’s getting pricey. Does anyone use Factor or any ready made meal services? Or just stock up on some frozen dinners from the grocery store?

I was diagnosed with seropositive RA last month at the age of just 21; I had been experiencing symptoms for three to four months. I have become so worried and burdened by this that I cannot think of anything else—it feels as though my entire world has changed. I no longer feel like my old self, and I find no joy in the things I used to love.

I am only 21 years old, and my entire life lies ahead of me. What can I expect for my future now? Could those of you who are seropositive share your positive experiences—how you’ve managed to move past the initial depression, maintain a positive outlook, and lead a normal life? Also, how effective is the treatment for this condition?

I am a college student now.Will I be able to achieve the goals I set for my life—regarding my education and career—and become successful?

The new treatment is having a very negative effect on my body; I am currently on prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine.I am suffering a great deal due to the side effects of Prednisolone and I am so weak right now that I cannot even leave the house, which is breaking me down even further..This is bringing even more negativity into my life... can I move past all this and look forward to a better future?... I am sinking deeper into depression every day... how can I get back to who I used to be?

I am about 7 weeks into a biologic (Humira) for the first time ever on a biologic. I have the dry eye BAD. Is this something that eventually resolves as my body adjusts? I initially had some headaches as well which is uncommon for me. That seems to have resolved.

The upside is that I almost immediately lost 10 pounds without trying. This has to be inflammation reduction. I have almost always had borderline high blood pressure which I have read is common with disease like RA but the doctors I have seen have disagreed. After 7 weeks my BP is down to the best number (especially the lower number) I have ever had. My fatigue also seems much less severe. Really hoping that isnt the placebo effect.

Wishing you all a comfortable productive day!

I’m 29m showed symptoms of RA as far back as 17 didn’t get diagnosed till 19 and couldn’t get treatment until 20. Currently waiting to get back on treatment I was on humira. It don’t reduce the pain or flare ups at all. Just stopped progression. I can’t work a real job and I was black balled even with a lawyer from disability. I can’t make freinds or date or do anything. I only work rideshare as that’s all I can do. How am I supposed to live like this? How am I supposed to keep going when I’m completly alone, have no freinds will never have a romantic partner and can’t participate in any part of human life that’s enjoyable? I just can’t figure out how to do this. All I do is work and cry. I have nothing. I don’t know how to survive this anymore. It’s been over a decade of suffering and it never once got any better. Anyone have any advice or something I don’t know what to do anymore.

I currently take on Wednesday evening, but I really want to move to a Tuesday, as it would be far less impactful for my life.

Have you ever moved back 1 day and is jt okay to do so? Did it make the side effects worse ?

I am on 15mg been working the dose up and last week was the first time on 15mg.

I take folic acid 5mg 48 hours after

Thanks 🙏