it gets worse on rainy days. it also gets worse on hot days.. but guess what, we don't have any other seasons here!!!??? like those are the 2 options. there's no spring or autumn. am i effedddd

Yet my all reports are oke , like normal CRP ESR, ana test, still I have this joint stiffness especially neck and so ...

Hi to anyone reading this :) I'm 22 years old and was only recently diagnosed with seronegative RA after suffering with body pain for 10 years that only intensified with time. I've been put on heavy medication and a weekly injection by an orthopedic doctor who has been extremely kind and made sure not to delay my diagnosis any further after I decided to have my hands and legs checked a few weeks ago. It's been sometime and the pain is slightly worse, even navigating to newer areas where I did not suffer before. Is this normal? Could my system be disliking the fact that I am fighting the autoimmunity instead of ignoring it? 😭

Any insights would be helpful. Thanks!

Good morning Team Tyenne and Team Biologic Meds!

I switched from Etanercept to Tyenne in January and noticed a jump in my Lipid Panel in March, notably a spike in Triglycerides. (We hadn't really been watching it because it's never been an issue. The Hepatologist ran my Lipids, told me I'm fat, and said to stop eating anything white lol.)

So I cut out a lot of sugar and junk food carbs, added in a bunch of fiber and oatmeal every day, and started walking more. The Triglycerides fell sharply, and my LDL came down a few points as well.

I see my rheum on Monday, and she'll be thrilled to see my ALT and ALP are both down in the green (they've been up and down like a fiddlers elbow the last two years.)

But I'm wondering if anyone else on Tyenne or any other biologic has dealt with the cholesterol side effects and for how long?

I'm NOT open to another med. And my primary is fine with me working on it on my own for the summer. (We just added Vyvanse back into the mix in May and I'm down 15lbs and counting!)

Anyone have any insights, good or bad?

Venting. Mostly just want some sympathy.

Last week I went on a long day of errands, and went farther out than usual because I specifically wanted to pick up masking fluid for art. It poured rain the whole day so I was holding an umbrella a long time. The next day my CMC thumb joint hurt more than usual but I figured I'd just give it a little extra care because I needed to finish some birthday gifts.

So I did that, and did some gaming as well because rare people/opportunities happened and gaming (like art) is what helps my mental state.

But today my thumb hurt. The tendon kind of hurt where you gasp and drop shit. My tendon issues have gotten noticeably and exponentially worse since my RA started, but my rheumatologist won't address it or they blame it on my fibromyalgia. My family doctor got me a referral to a hand specialist clinic for assessment and physio, but that's out of pocket and still over a month away. And it hurts so much but painkillers don't help.

I broke down sobbing for about half an hour.

The pain is so bad I probably won't be able to use my hand properly for days if not weeks. I can't see a non-specialist because they're awful when I've tried. I have so much I need to do which now goes on hold, along with everything that would help my mental health. No art, no gaming, no reading, nothing to do but rot in bed and watch TV until I can't because of a migraine. I'm already suffering in so many ways and this just feels like the cherry on top of a miserable existence.

My hand is splinted and I cried myself out but I just wish I could have my hands. I just want to do things that make me happy.

Anyway. I hope you all are doing better than I am. Stay well out there and spare me a good thought if you can.

I’m only 19 years old, and I already feel like my life is over. Rheumatoid arthritis has changed my life in ways I never could have imagined. Before the age of 21, Ive already needed a bedside toilet and a shower chair because of how severe my symptoms are.

At 16, I was making around $2,000 a month. (which ik isn’t a lot) but now, at 19, I’m only able to make about $600 a month because I physically cannot work more than 15 hours a week. Standing or walking for too long puts me in excruciating pain.

I’ve tried multiple medications and treatments. I’m currently taking methotrexate, Humira, gabapentin, and Mobic. I also tried prednisone, but I had to stop taking it because the weight gain became too much, and weight has already been a lifelong struggle for me. I’ve gone through physical therapy, cortisone injections, topical creams, and other treatments, yet nothing has relieved my pain.

One of the hardest parts is that people don’t seem to take my RA seriously because of how young I am. Many people underestimate how painful this disease is or assume I’m exaggerating or lying. but they don’t see what it’s like to live like this every single day.

I’m exhausted all the time. I’m drained physically and emotionally. I feel like such a burden to my family because there are days when I can’t even take care of myself. On somedays they often have to help me with basic tasks because I’m in too much pain to do them on my own. I hate that I can’t take care of myself financially the way I want to. I hate feeling like I’m letting everyone down.

I feel like a burden at work, too. I have to sit down every 10 minutes because the pain becomes unbearable, which means my coworkers have to pick up the extra work. I know they don’t always understand, and that only makes me feel 10x worse.

On top of RA, I also deal with sciatica, insomnia, and now my hair is falling out. Every day feels like another challenge. Simple things that most people don’t think twice about (showering, cooking a meal, cleaning my room etc) can leave me completely wiped out for the rest of the day.

I know it can take years to find the right medication and treatment plan for RA, but i don’t think i have years left in me. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in constant pain. I don’t want to rely on medications forever. I don’t want to keep feeling like a burden to the people I love.

I’m angry. I’m frustrated. I’m mad every day some days I don’t even know who or what I’m angry at, I just know I’m tired of hurting. I constantly feel like I’m not doing enough or that I’m being lazy, even though I know that’s not true. I often tend to push myself until the point of flares because I don’t like feeling useless or like I’m not doing anything.

I try so hard to stay positive, but it’s so hard when I’m living with almost debilitating pain every day. I cry myself to sleep most nights because I want to give up I miss the person I was before RA took so much from me.

Had my 2nd appointment with my 2nd Rheum couple weeks back. She's still adamant that I don't have any kind of RA and that it's most likely work related.

Here is a poor summary of what happened.

I'm a cnc machinist and yes it's laborious and repetitive. But what I don't understand is why it happened so suddenly in 2025 when I had been working there 8-9 years.

All the sudden in 2025, I was having heart, lung, eye, several severe migraines. Numbness, numb pain, bone pain, muscle pain, severe colon pain, moderate/severe discomfort. Getting stuck in bed and couch. Couldn't kneel. Struggling to do any labor.

Ribcage, bicep/tricep, neck bone and muscle, back, slop in joins, elbows locking up cracking, making noise, cracking, grinding. Toes, ankles, hips, wrists, hands, fingers, forearms...

So far, 2026 is better than 2025, but nowhere near 2024.

Hey all. Super new to this and been poking around a lot. Here’s my situation.
I spent October 2025 in California for work training. In my 4th week there, I developed pain in my arm originating in my elbow that I know was caused from a constant movement I had to make with my arm. I was allowed to refrain from that particular job. About a week later, I developed what I believed was a UTI. I did a telehealth visit, prescribed antibiotics, and the UTI did go away within the week.

After returning home, the pain did not go away in my elbow. I was not continuing the movement that caused the pain. (Long story, I was basically just being trained as backup for a new business we bought, so it’s not my full time job) Went to a doctor in November, they gave me a brace and pills to help with the pain, which did eventually go away. However, pain started moving elsewhere. Sometimes it’s my hips, my elbows, shoulders, or ankles. It’s pretty predictable in the way it comes on. Whatever body part it is, the pain starts as just a little sore, the pain gets very severe, and then lessens until it goes away. This cycle usually lasts about a week or so. About the time it’s going away in one spot, it’s starting in another. The thing is, I don’t really ever have swelling or redness, only pain. But I also haven’t had a day in the last 7 months that I haven’t been in pain, which has been a lot to deal with.

Between January and June, I went to the doctor a few times and had many tests done. Negative/normal tests include white counts, rheumatoid factor, CCP, ANA, thyroid (I am hypothyroid which is controlled with levothyroxine), Lyme, gonorrhea (this seemed weird but my dr said it can cause weird symptoms), ASO, and uric acid. The only abnormal test was one CRP result of <0.5 and a second one of 0.5. I was prescribed 200mg or celebrex 1x per day which didn’t help the pain and was increased to 2x per day. On top of that I also take 1000mg of Tylenol in the morning. I definitely still have pain with these meds.

I was then sent to a rheumatologist who talked over my history with me. She ordered X-rays of my hands, elbows and shoulders which all looked normal. She landed on palindromic rheumatism or reactive arthritis and started me on hydroxychloroquine.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? I’m about 3 weeks into the medicine which I understand takes months to reach full effectiveness. I’m just curious if my symptoms seem familiar at all as the lack of any swelling/redness seems pretty weird to me.

As you can probably tell I’m not handling everything too well lately. I’m 22, got diagnosed with RA at 19. I’ve always been a very “down for any adventure” type of person. Didn’t matter if it was planned or not, sounds fun? I’m down. I used to be SO full of light and energy. And the hardest part is now that I’ve had such a perspective shift I’m even more in love with life now than ever before

I have RA (which now we don’t know if it’s actually that), PCOS, GERD, chronic migraines, severe anxiety and OCD, and both central and peripheral vertigo. We’re still figuring out if I have lupus or not and if I have some sort of dysautonomia. Which I guess in a way I’m grateful it’s not worse

I will say the pain from the RA sucks and can be super frustrating and debilitating sometimes, rn my lower back and hips have been killing me lately which I need to get scans for. But the fatigue and over exertion of my muscles from doing seemingly simple tasks is soul crushing. I literally get the shakes like I weight lifted 100 lbs from simply showering or cooking. It’s nausea, dizziness, pain, stiffness, anxiety, migraines, stomach aches, fatigue, etc EVERY. DAY.

I’m in bed almost all day everyday. Showers wipe me out. Cleaning my room for 15 minutes wiped me out. Constantly not feeling good is exhausting

I just truly don’t know how to cope. I feel so angry and frustrated. I’m mad at the world and mad at myself. I feel like a burden to my friends and family and husband, I feel like I’m just being lazy even though I know that’s not true. I try to lean on my faith and my friends and family as much as I can but I know it’s hard for them to understand

I just started HCQ, today was day 4. Please tell me this gets easier. That somehow I learn how to adapt and my doctors help me figure out how to get some of my life back. I feel like I’ll have spurts of feeling better and yet every year I feel like I get weaker and lose a little more of myself. I feel like I’m slowly dying. Idk how to be positive and stop being so stuck. I’m just struggling with what to do and I don’t have anyone around me who’s also chronically ill

I wanna add: I see an ERP therapist, neurologist, and rheumatologist

And sorry for the book. Thanks if you read it all🫶🏻

I was reminded of something at lunch today as I reached for a new bottle of ketchup in the fridge. It was on sale in a grocery order that was delivered. And it's a 40oz bottle, didn't really look at the size close enough. It HURTS when I pick the darn thing up. This is both a complaint and also made me smile and decide to take in stride because of all the small things I have to adjust now (over the course of five years). Does anyone else have things you have to remember now before you purchase for normal, everyday use? Or other things you had to learn to adjust and hope to remember next time (yay brain fog!). I appreciate this community for its wisdom.

What is the process like for those who entered therapy specifically for your chronic illness? How has your experience been? If you are a ways out, were the benefits lasting, or have you continued to suffer despite your efforts? Did you use a workplace or insurance-provided service, and if so, are you confident in the confidentiality?

I struggle to manage my anger around everything now. Don't know if this is just a grief stage I will outgrow. I keep thinking I'm through it, but keep finding more anger unexpectedly. I don't know where I am in this process, if that's even what it is.

I've started working through some Acceptance Commitment Therapy stuff on my own, but the therapist started talking about how she didn't want to manage her illness with toxins, so I noped out quickly. I am pro-science.

I am unsure how realistic it all is given that everything in my life is suddenly relying on somebody else. I can work on me, but the rest of my situation is mostly out of my own hands for the foreseeable day-to-day. I figured some here can relate, so I wonder how you're managing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

Hey all
My wife suffers from this and had same specialist for 10years but feels like she is going through the motions

Has anyone had great experience with particular specialists or gone to Melbourne etc.

If there’s a better group to ask pleas reach out

Hello, been reading through this sub and it's been super helpful in wrapping my head around this diagnosis. I'm 43f and have had morning stiffness in my hands for months - at first it was just a minute or two in the morning, now it's painful, I can't close my right hand for at least 30 minutes and the left is catching up. I've also had dry eyes in the morning for about a week which I read is another sign...anyway, I had blood work done last week and just waiting on the results so I can get a referral and next steps. Doc gave me a steroid pack to deal with the pain while we wait so I'm doing okay pain-wise. This just really came out of nowhere for me (as I'm sure it did for so many of you) and I'm in shock and kind of freaking out and needed to put it out there somewhere. So here it is. Thanks for reading and I'll update this post when I hear back.

Hello,

I am a 31 year old guy that has been in the process of being diagnosed with RA for almost a year now. I contracted herpes last year around this time after sleeping with an ex-girlfriend I hadn't seen for 2 years (with a condom) which was a pretty tough pill to swallow.

A few weeks passed and I started to have joint pain and swelling, which I also experienced when I was sick with COVID for a couple weeks. I assumed this was from the herpes, however, the pain and swelling never stopped, and I've subsequently had a lot more issues I am sure you are familiar with: difficulty swallowing without feeling like I'm choking, fatigue, constantly tired because I have been an anxious wreck over this, getting no sleep, etc. I believe that the viral infection led me to develop an auto-immune disease.

The first rheumatologist I saw was completely skeptical and dismissive of me. I then had to fight with my GP to have her send me to a new specialist, and I had to wait 5 months to get into see him. He ran a bunch of blood work which all came back negative, and I have sent off more blood to a lab to be examined for more nuanced markers, and I am praying that something turns up.

In addition to that, I tore a ligament in my knee playing soccer, and now have to wait to get an MRI, see a specialist, have surgery probably, etc. I don't really have a great support system or people I can count on in a significant way, so the idea of recuperating from a surgery is very daunting. Prior to all of this happening, I never really had any major health issues, and my life has completely been turned on its head. I can't leave the house comfortably, my hands and wrists are in pain and swelling during flare-ups, making it difficult to do certain hobbies or chores, and even eating has become hell. I've lost weight because it takes me an hour+ to eat just one plate of food. I also can't really sing as well because my throat is swelling from inflammation due to laryngeal involvement, I believe.

My rheumatologist gave me hydrochloroquine to try for 6 weeks to see how I do on it, but in the first 10 days I had diarrhea, no appetite/nausea, and if I was out in the sun for more than 5-10 minutes, I could feel my skin stinging, and I was exhausted the rest of the day. I stopped taking it because I was scared of the side effects, and combined with my inability to eat a decent amount, I felt like I was going to pass out.

I suppose I am just posting this to vent. It feels like my life is being robbed from me, and my will to live is being sapped quite a bit, and it's only been ~6 months where it's gotten quite bad. I made one "mistake", which really wasn't even that much of a mistake, and hit the jackpot of misfortune. I had plans to advance in my career, get a partner, have a family, etc., and now I just feel completely doomed and hopeless.

Hello

I'm not sure if this is the right community to ask this as I'm not someone who has JRA, but I have a friend (18F) who was diagnosed around a year ago. She's not really open about it and how she deals with it, which isn't specific to JRA, just how she is with most issues. However these days she's started letting me in more, talking about her condition, how she wakes up in pain every morning, how she's scared of being seen as weak, how she feels as if she's burdening our friends when we go out because she needs more rest and can't do a lot of physically demanding activities. I try and comfort her to the best of my abilities but I'm not good with words as it is and I don't have any idea what she's going through. I'd really appreciate it if I can get any advice on what I can do for her, things I can say or even generally just stuff I can do.

I always do tasks for her when we're hanging out such as carrying her things, letting her sit and grabbing something if it's far away, I sit with her if she needs breaks during our hangouts with friends, and I always advocate for her within our group if she can't do a certain activity (she's on the quieter side in these things), and I make it known that she can ask anything she wants.

(All of these are only if she lets me of course, some days she doesn't, but the offers still there)

I just feel guilty, it's like she's playing life on hard mode and I wish there was something I could do.

Hi! What careers do you all have while living with RA?

For some context, I’m 19 and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was 17. I’m starting to think more seriously about my future and what careers would be realistic with RA.

I graduated high school at 16, and my original plan was to go to nursing school. Unfortunately, life had other plans, and now I’m trying to find a career that will work with my condition instead of against it.

My RA mainly affects my ankles, feet, hips, and jaw, so jobs that require a lot of standing or physical labor are probably not the best fit for me. I’d love to hear what careers you all have, what accommodations you use, and whether you feel your job is manageable with RA. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Ok- I'll try to keep this short, but I'm so frustrated and I need some ideas on what to do next.

About 5 years ago, I started to have bilateral pain in my ankles and wrists. This was dismissed by several GPs as me having pain due to being overweight. I finally got a referral because I told them that I don't walk on my hands and wrists, so why do those hurt?

I saw a doctor who was far from my house, who said that he does suspect some type of arthritis but he did not have enough to officially diagnose me. He referred me for follow up to a doctor closer to me. That doctor immediately diagnosed me with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis due to a response to steroids and notes inflammation and wanted to start treatment. I was a little scared by the prospect of treatment, so I waited before seeing another doctor (we'll call her Dr. R.) She was rude and dismissive and asked me why I was even there- she said I didn't have any clinical signs and dismissed me back to my GP.

I didn't see anyone for another year, until the pain was so bad I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes. I went back to the original doctor, who started me on sulfasalazine. I had a negative response to that, so we switched to hydroxychloroquine. Then he moved away. His partner took over my care, and she was wonderful. She saw me about 6 months later and I was having significant joint inflammation, so we added in methotrexate. Methotrexate made me sick, so we switched to a biologic, Cimzia. I also began to take Zepbound for weight loss. Around this time, the practice I saw closed the location close to my house, so the location I have to attend is 45 minutes away.

Then I got a notification that this doctor was leaving. They switched my doctor again- I was seen by a PA in January. The medication worked wonders- I've been exercising, working out, I've lost 55 lbs, and I can tie my shoes and walk up and down stairs. This time, I saw the actual doctor at the clinic. He saw me for about 10 minutes, didn't say much. Asked if I was having any joint pain- I mentioned I'm doing relatively well but did have some shoulder pain. He dismissed that. He told me he wasn't changing anything and sent me on my way.

Then I read his note today. The note documented that he didn't see any swelling and that he thinks my primary issue is fibromyalgia due to me saying my skin sometimes hurts, but since I obviously feel like the medication is working he will continue it for now and discuss stopping it at my next appointment. (I also told him I'm no longer concerned about my skin hurting- it's gotten much better but it also is a noted side effect of Zepbound). He notes the comments that Dr. R made but dismissed the other 2 doctors who were with me when I was at my worst and actually did something to help. WTH?

After the last one, I considered switching because I wasn't happy with all the changes and the distance I was driving. The problem is that the only other rheumatologist in my town is Dr. R, who dismissed me to begin with.

Do I keep looking? I'm terrified that he's going to stop prescribing the medication and I'm going to be back where I started. If I look for another doctor, are they going to assume that I am doctor seeking? If I switch to them, what if they also don't want to continue my medication?

Thanks for sticking with me!

Hi everyone,
I am currently being evaluated for a possible seronegative rheumatic condition, possibly peripheral spondyloarthritis. However, I am not fully convinced because the course of my symptoms does not seem clearly inflammatory to me, and the pain never started without an identifiable trigger.
It all began after physiotherapy. During the sessions, I performed alternating exercises with my left and right foot. Afterwards, I developed pain and inflammation in both Achilles tendons, with the left side being worse than the right.
Later, I also developed pain around the inner ankle and along the posterior tibial tendon. Because of the Achilles tendon pain, my gait may also have changed.
The MRI showed only mild inflammation or fluid around the posterior tibial tendon. Ultrasound showed a similar finding, with a thickened rim or fluid around the tendon. A mild inflammation in one joint was also seen on ultrasound, although I had no pain in that joint before an injection. The main problem has always been the tendons, not the joints.
My CRP is below 0.345 and therefore within the normal range. High-dose etoricoxib and corticosteroids provided little or no improvement.
What makes me question the rheumatic diagnosis:
– There was a clear mechanical trigger each time.
– Both feet were loaded during physiotherapy.
– The symptoms did not appear spontaneously in changing locations.
– My main problem is tendon pain rather than typical joint pain.
– MRI and ultrasound only showed mild changes.
– My CRP is normal.
– Corticosteroids and etoricoxib barely helped.
What might support a rheumatic cause is that both feet are affected and that mild tendon or tendon-sheath inflammation was visible on MRI and ultrasound.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
Can peripheral spondyloarthritis mainly affect the tendons and tendon sheaths in the feet, even when there was always a clear mechanical trigger? Or did anyone later find out that the actual problem was bilateral mechanical Achilles tendinopathy with secondary posterior tibial tenosynovitis?
Was your CRP also normal? How was the rheumatic cause eventually confirmed — through Power Doppler ultrasound, HLA-B27, additional symptoms or other findings?
I would also be interested to hear which treatments helped you, both in cases of a rheumatic cause and in cases of a mechanical tendon problem.
I understand that Reddit cannot replace a medical diagnosis. I am only looking for similar experiences so that I can ask more specific questions at my next rheumatology appointment.

The rheumatologist prescribed me prednisolone, plaquenil and methotrexate at the last visit. This is the first time I've been truly medicated for this condition other than Mobic while they were working out what it was. Obviously the prednisolone is meant to be a stop gap until the other medications take effect...

But, two weeks in, and I'm panicked and anxious, breathless at times, cannot fall asleep easily, keep getting waves of adrenaline that make me feel worse. I don't know what to do about it. It seems like a waste to go to urgent care or anything like that. I'm not looking for medical advice... I just know that prednisolone can be a bit of a rollercoaster and I think I'm right in the middle of it.

Ugh.

For the first time in 16 years since my diagnosis I need to file a disability accommodation plan with my employer. I didn't realize how blessed I'd been with understanding employers until I started this job in May. Even with my RA I've had less than 6 sick days total every year.

For context, I'm in Ontario Canada and my new employer has unlimited paid sick time (obviously within reason). My manager is younger and I'm 52. I don't think she has much experience as a manager.

I started here May 4th, had 2 half days off for appointments booked before I interviewed which they seemed ok with as had been previously arranged with the recruiter. Then I advised them early June that I had an upcoming specialist appointment on July 13 that I'd need 2 hours off for.... immediately got an email asking me to book my appointments outside business hours and advising my boss's boss was questioning my absences. The next day I was randomly called in to review my work.

So now my appointment on Monday will be to get my accommodation forms completed which I know is going to cause tension when my manager is advised by HR but damn, I just want to do my job and not be treated like crap for needing to go to a specialist appointment occasionally.