Hey all , as some of you have known santa has been having some computer problems . well I THINK that I now have a different computer set up to be able to post until I can get my other one working right. Both are peices of crap and 8 years old . My experiance with pred was bad , always. Weight gain, moodly , moon face ( still have that ) unexplained anger , but it did cool down the flares!! Exercise and RA , where do we start ?? It hurts to move yet if we lose weight we will feel better and it will be healther for us, but moving hurts and when we do force ourselves to " exercise " we pay for 2-3 days in extreme pain which can't be good for us ( trust me itsnot ) so what do we do ?
Here is what I am doing and I DO NOT , REPEAT, DO NOT RECOMEND ANYONE TO DO THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So please don't do this !!If you might do this STOP READING !! I am tired of the doctors not understanding the pain level I am in and them telling me I would feel better if I lost weight and although it will hurt I MUST exercise. Now I am 47 ( or 700 in santa yrs ) 5'10" and weigh 220 lbs so I am not light but I do not qualify for a subway commerical either ! I am awake by 6:30am to take 2 pain pills soI can get up out of bed ,, then off to the shower for hot water. Clean house including outside work of weed eating , repairs etc.Walk a min of 45 minutes ( about 1 1/2 miles ) do sit ups and other exercises on the tone a ball , prepare dinner, stay busy anyway I can til about 9:00 pm then kill the pain with alcohol ( with diet soda of course ) til time to retire.Of course there are other pain pills though out the day but thats life. I figure after all this time MAYBE they ( the drs ) are right about losing the weight so I'll kill myself to drop 20-25 pounds and re-evaluate. Like I said , I DO NOT RECOMEND THIS TO ANYONE SO DON'T DO IT !! Why do it myself you ask ? At this stage of the game ( RA 22 yrs , osa 7 yrs ) I am gonna do something , even if it is extreme ! I hope I did'nt bum you guys out and I hope you all do well with your plans to lose weight , Good luck and I'll check back often !
Santa, glad to hear you got your computer working, even if for a short while! Wanted you to know your post was very encouraging, because you are motivated!!
I too am 47 and am 5'1" and weigh 199 (WAS 185, but thanks to prednisone, it is now 199.) However, I am very grateful for the relief the pred gave me, as I was feeling that there was no hope for feeling better, ever, but the pred gave me back my life (I'm now on MTX & just started Remicade; weaning off pred.)
Anyway, I just joined on-line weight watchers (ack!) it's going to be hard but I know I have to do it...not only for the arthritis but for overall health too. Now don't worry, I'm not going to do exactly what you are doing; actually the dr. hasn't even given me anything for pain ), but I'm really, really going to try to do stretches in the morning & also get up early enough to walk before work??? I had gained alot of weight before I was diagnosed so I've been trying to loose for a couple of years, but I guess not trying hard enough. And I'm a little stressed now...going to visit my dad over the 4th and he is very concerned about my weight; he's going to be really disappointed to see I've GAINED!!
So thanks for sharing...(be careful with the alcohol ) and I pray we would all have the strength to stick with it each day. (I'm already starving...)
Thanks Tara , My post sounds a bit extreme ( did'nt seem so much last nite ) I was on a bit of a rift last nite ! when I get to talking about my drs. I get kinda worked up !! Hows the Remicade doing for you ? I have had 3 tx so far this time and just beginning to feel some relief . Good Luck !! Santaruss
hey guys and girls!! Wanted to give you an update. Been off work for 5 weeks now with RA and assorted problems. Got totally off Prednisone, finished my INH (for TB exposure); causes Lupus symptoms, and got a prescription for Provigil for Chronic Fatigue. I Have RA and Fibro and this month has been r o u g h. Each day I have been feeling stronger. Been walking daily, walking the dogs, watering the plants and landscaping, cleaning house, eating better and drinking water!!! Well, couldn't believe it....LOST 5 LBS THIS WEEK!! The Provigil is working!!! I have normal energy once again! Before, could not keep my eyes open and the brain FOG was horrible. Much more clear headed and feeling much better. My shoulders still feel like they are decomposing....LOL but everything else is greatly improved!!! Anyway, just wanted to share my good forture and encourage you guys and girls to keep it up!! Let's keep encouraging each other!!!
Karen in Texas; diagnosed RA and Fibro. '03; DIAG. SJOGRENS '06; SULFASALAZINE, MOBIC,PLAQUENIL,TRAMADOL,CYMBALTA, PREDNISONE, EVOXAC
That is GREAT Karen! Good to hear someone is sticking to their plans.
I have not been drinking as much water...I ran out of water....lol. I only like to drink bottled drinking water...tap water tastes metally to me. And well yesterday I ate half of an Italian Creame Cake. So, not doing to well.
26 years old.
Dx'ed: JRA @ 18 months old.
fruit salad, yummy, yummy
yummy, yummy, yummy, fruit salaaaad. -- The Wiggles
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my name is allison. i have just been diagnosed with UCTD, (undifferientiated connective tissue disease). I am an athlete and have slowed down (i do it for a living) so it is natural for my weight, muscle mass to change, i realize... but in less than 2 months, i have gained 10 lbs and am very swollen. i am tiny, so anything on me is abnormal and painful. i think, it is not the disease as much as it is the newly prescribed meds i am on. if anyone can reflect on any of my thoughts, i would appreciate it! i'm not so sure that i have UTCD... or it is the only ammuno dysfunction plagueing me. i have nearly all of the symptoms of hypothyroidism, and TSH/ free T4 results, (3 months ago) withing normal ranges.
diagnosed glaucoma, open angle (non steriodal) was on timoptic, (beta blocker 2.5 months) that i believed worsened fatigue, caused weight gain and terrible depression i was having for 6 months prior due to UCTD/other. asked for another drop. mood seemed to improve and swelling improved, not totally. my breasts are both unusually enlarged and painful. this has been only for a week. timoptic?
opthamologist discovered i was not making tears, put me on reststasis. seemed to help burning after a few weeks. and was examined several times and said my eyes looked good. any of the side effects mentioned include cyclosporine/restasis? i am not tolerant of most meds and am affected easily.
on plaquenil for 6 weeks. it has helped my chronic aches and pains and stiffness. i have had 2 positive, (weak) specked ANA results and a low C3 (74) and slighty elevated eosinophil levels, slighty low protein levels consistently, (4 months) everything else unremarkable. plaquenil does not seem to do anything noticable in the way of adverse side effects. maybe some mild stomach cramping in the beginning.
just before getting off of the timoptic, was so desperate, rheumatologist prescribed provigil. (been taking less than 1 week) i am a dancer/instructor. i have lost 80% of my work in last 3 months. 200 mg. made me a little edgy and anxious, so i use half the dosage and it seems to help fatigue and my outlook.
the back of my upper back, and my neck feels full and hot and thick and swollen, as well as my torso and chest. caffeine seems aggitate this. my left eye is always red and swollen. lately my right hand does not "work" well. pinky and ring finger just get stuck. in the beginning of all of this, i had 3 bouts of huge painful sores mouth, throat, terribly urinary problems, and of course, my eyes. any feedback is appreciated. no 2 specialists have diagnosed the same thing.
thank you,
allison
i also have indoor cats and i sneeze a lot lately. it seems that i have a lot going on at once. very difficult to sort out cause.
Welcome to the message board. I am so sorry that you are feeling so badly and not getting much in the way of relief. It is so frustrating to be sick and not be able to find anyone that can tell you with certainty what is wrong with you. your symptoms sound like many of the symptoms you'll find here in the RA forum.
The rheumatoid arthritis forum is the busiest place here on the boards and I know everyone would love to hear your story and get to know you. It would probably be a great idea to start a brand new thread in the RA forum introducing your self or just copy and paste this post. The "buddy system" does'nt get many visitors and I'm afraid you'll be overlooked here.
Everyone here is so warm and welcoming. You will learn so much and make so many wonderful friends. We all understand and can relate to each others struggles with autoimmune disease.
I have to get my son to Tae Kwon Do, but wanted to say hi, welcome and ask you to come visit in the RA forum....I'll look for you there.
Please add my name to the list. I weighed in at a 148 in 2001 and 5' 7", had 7 lbs to loose. After dx of BC, treatments for that, I weighed in at 172. Then RA hit...Put on Prednisone and went up to a whopping 192...Good Grief...What a de-moralizing time. Managed to loose 14 lbs but never no more than that. I know I am older now and it is harder to to loose weight after menopause and especially harder since the medication I take for BC ( Arimidex) takes away most of the estrogen that my body is making. but this is ridiculous...I exercise, till the cows come home, stopped using sugar in my tea, rarely have desserts and don't eat a whole lot of anything. Still nothing more than a few lost pounds here and there. And I mostly carry the weight in my FAT arms, never had that before. HELP....
i'm sorry you are feeling so poorly....and so bummed out. hope you find some answers here...i know as a new member myself, you will find encouragement here. i know a lot of people here talk of weight gains with the meds taken. i have always struggled with my weight ...even before the meds...so can't help you on that. i go to weight watchers....and with much struggle on a daily basis, have lost 15 lbs. i have not been able to exersize at all because of stiffness and pain. so loss is still possible....but at real slow pace. with my RA i have very dry itchy eyes. not wanting another med, i use tears drops 4-5 times a day. helps some. hope you find some answers soon.
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that I now have a different computer set up to be able to post until I can get my other one working right. Both are peices of crap and 8 years old . My experiance with pred was bad , always. Weight gain, moodly , moon face ( still have that ) unexplained anger , but it did cool down the flares!! Exercise and RA , where do we start ?? It hurts to move yet if we lose weight we will feel better and it will be healther for us, but moving hurts and when we do force ourselves to " exercise " we pay for 2-3 days in extreme pain which can't be good for us ( trust me itsnot ) so what do we do ?
I am awake by 6:30am to take 2 pain pills soI can get up out of bed ,, then off to the shower for hot water. Clean house including outside work of weed eating , repairs etc.Walk a min of 45 minutes ( about 1 1/2 miles ) do sit ups and other exercises on the tone a ball , prepare dinner, stay busy anyway I can til about 9:00 pm then kill the pain with alcohol ( with diet soda of course ) til time to retire.Of course there are other pain pills though out the day but thats life. I figure after all this time MAYBE they ( the drs ) are right about losing the weight so I'll kill myself to drop 20-25 pounds and re-evaluate. Like I said , I DO NOT RECOMEND THIS TO ANYONE SO DON'T DO IT !! Why do it myself you ask ? At this stage of the game ( RA 22 yrs , osa 7 yrs ) I am gonna do something , even if it is extreme ! I hope I did'nt bum you guys out and I hope you all do well with your plans to lose weight , Good luck and I'll check back often !
.) However, I am very grateful for the relief the pred gave me, as I was feeling that there was no hope for feeling better, ever, but the pred gave me back my life (I'm now on MTX & just started Remicade; weaning off pred.)
but I know I have to do it...not only for the arthritis but for overall health too. Now don't worry, I'm not going to do exactly what you are doing; actually the dr. hasn't even given me anything for pain ), 
but I'm really, really going to try to do stretches in the morning & also get up early enough to walk before work??? I had gained alot of weight before I was diagnosed so I've been trying to loose for a couple of years, but I guess not trying hard enough. And I'm a little stressed now...going to visit my dad over the 4th and he is very concerned about my weight; he's going to be really disappointed to see I've GAINED!!
) and I pray we would all have the strength to stick with it each day. (I'm already starving...)
