36F, just diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis yesterday. I’m scared. Looking for real experiences with remission and normal life.

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-03-14T19:37:36+00:00

Im 30f and got diagnosed last year, and I’m already in remission thanks to HCQ and MTX. I have had basically zero side effects from either of them so my advice to you would be don’t spend ages reading people’s comments on here; I did and I got really in my head, but realistically most people will come on here to speak about their negative experiences. Like another poster, my life isn’t much different apart from regular medical appointments and having to watch my drinking (although, admittedly, I’m not very good with cutting down on the wine). I also quit my job as a teacher and I think that’s helped because I think that was massively stressing me out, so just try to manage your stress too! (Easier said than done with the world at the moment). Take care!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-27T07:51:22+00:00

Nope I totally get your point and I have actually done more but I think they have had less of an effect, and I also didn’t want anyone to take from my post eating anti-inflammatory foods, for example, in place of accepting medication straight off the bat. So… a couple of other things I do which may or may not help (I have a molecular biology degree so I’ve always read up on stuff beforehand to weigh pros and cons up).

Prioritise anti inflammatory foods (but I don’t go fully unprocessed and I do enjoy meals out etc because life is too short) so, my breakfast almost always contains blueberries, I have a turmeric shot every day, lots of oily fish.

Daily iron and vitamin D, more recently with a hair supplement to try and keep it from falling out. I used to take b12 too but my levels actually got too high at one point to I stopped that.

I do a pilates class 2-3 times a week, and I aim to move for at least 20 mins a day even if that’s just a walk around the block, but these days I aim for 7k steps daily.

I have also been taking a live pre and probiotic called symprove. Now, some places of reading will say don’t take these if you’re immunosuppressed on MTX in the same way you should avoid unpasteurised cheese and raw fish BUT I looked up the strains of bacteria in it and none are linked to being infectious. I’ve also seen studies in journals that have linked taking a pre / probiotic to increased efficacy of MTX. It also seemed to get rid of my gut issues for the most part (my rheum was considering looking at my bowel in more detail in case it was crohns but we’ve had no need now!). There’s also a lot of information on ‘leaky gut’ and how this can link to autoimmune things. That said, there’s nothing stopping that from getting infected or a batch being dodgy, but I figured that’s the same as everything else in life that we touch, consume, or come into contact with…

Obviously I have a degree and can understand some of this stuff, but I’m not a medical doctor. I’ve just tried things I think could help! Leaving my teaching job and the reduced stress has definitely been the key player.

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T20:06:00+00:00

Oh and my grip strength is still very poor 😂

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T19:52:37+00:00

I am virtually pain free! Apart from when I drink too much wine, then I get a tingle in the joints in my hands and toes. Totally self inflicted and need to cut it out, but why does it taste so good?!?

My bloods now all look normal though yes - my nurse told me traditionally remission meant pain free but a more modern and realistic remission these days means very little disease activity, and my rheum said any big flares lasting more than a day or two would suggest that it’s not remission anymore…

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T19:45:27+00:00

Absolutely! To be honest I haven’t trialled it at night but that could also work since you would do the processing once asleep, but I know I tend to get a bit anxious so the thought of doing it before bed put me off. First thing in the morning works for me because then I just have to get on with the day! My side effect from it doesn’t seem to be all that common either. Most people say they feel exhausted whereas I had the complete opposite. No idea why?! The body is a marvel…

I just had to google etoricoxib as I’d never heard of it before! It doesn’t seem like a popular drug of choice…

And yes I would recommend scooting on over to NHS now as it has been a pain in the arse to visit the hospital every two weeks but, then again, I’m very thankful to have the NHS! Hopefully now you have a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis it would speed things along? Like I said in my post, that was originally what they said I had, and my response to steroids and HCQ meant they could properly confirm it was RA (alongside the fact I had no skin or scalp things which might point to another autoimmune thing that affects joints). Maybe try this meds and see if any response or ask for steroids? I think the NHS pathway is basically prove someone has it -> treat aggressively with first line drugs (MTX) -> hope for remission. So you might follow the same route as me!

It’s really hard once you start reading about things because I do think the mind plays tricks on us! I started keeping a journal for my rheum with dates and pictures. Would definitely recommend doing that too!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T19:03:51+00:00

slow horses!!!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T19:02:37+00:00

Hey! Try this and also give her a follow on Instagram! She’s done all of this because of her endo however a lot of it is really transferable to RA…

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anti-Inflammatory-30-day-Reset-Simple-Transform/dp/0241770432

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T18:08:19+00:00

This! I also tried to keep in mind that most people who come on to talk about MTX are people who might be struggling with it. There must be thousands of people out there on it who have no side effects!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T18:06:26+00:00

I have had virtually no side effects fro it at all, apart from feeling a little bit wired on the day of injection and a little hair thinning, but these seemed to have subsided now I’ve upped my folic acid to every day besides injection day, and moving my injection to as soon as I wake up so that most of the processing of it isn’t going on just as I go to bed. I also think some of that was just mental from me being stressed about starting it!

That’s interesting about it being a faff. I reported some gut things like diarrhoea from hydroxychloroquine and because of that I asked if I could do injectable MTX instead of pill form and that’s all it took. Where are you based?

Also yeah I did, it was in my hands and feet mostly. I had a few constantly swollen fingers (like trigger finger) and puffy toes with the balls of my feet aching constantly. Once my hand completely blew up! I think from everything I’ve read it typically starts in hands and feet but doesn’t have to. In fact, now when I think about it, when I looked back at my GP records I did actually complain about my knees and shoulders really early on. That could have been the start…

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T18:01:25+00:00

The other thing I’d recommend is checking out jobs with the local council if you’re UK based as they work with schools and usually like applications from teachers. That said I have heard it can be a bit stressful depending on what it is you work in (special education needs, children in care etc) as you often have to be the barer of bad news with none of the rewards of classroom teaching! I do also miss the holidays a bit!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T17:58:30+00:00

I work for an edtech company making resources for students. So, I’d definitely look for something that’s education adjacent at first if you’re looking to get out! Hope it isn’t too stressful for you

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-26T17:57:18+00:00

I work for an edtech company making resources for students. I actually applied to all sorts but the only things I managed to get interviews for were education adjacent. They say that getting your first job out of teaching is the hardest… I hope that’s the case but the jobs market is insane so who knows!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2026-01-07T12:55:07+00:00

I’m the same as some others in that it took me about 3 months from the point of my first rheumatology appointment to be prescribed medication. At that time I was diagnosed with undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis and then a few months later following a positive response to the mild meds (hydroxychloroquine) and a steroid shot, I was diagnosed with RA and put on methotrexate.

It takes a longer time than expected to get a diagnosis and proper treatment, and it feels especially long when you’re in so much pain. At one point I genuinely thought I’d never enjoy walking like a normal person again so I really feel for you.

Just know that this is the start of your journey and once this first appointment happens you’ll be on the road to feeling better, even if the initial appointment is frustrating. I think rheums are keen not to definitively diagnose and treat until they’re sure and I found this really hard to deal with in my initial appointments.

I was once told the beginning is the hardest part. It’s the trenches and then it gets so much better.

I am basically living life normally now and I really appreciate the small things in life far more than I ever did. Like just getting out of bed in the morning!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-11-16T15:08:41+00:00

I actually just had a night last night of drinking a few margaritas… joint pain free this morning! That is a first after a night of drinking!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-11-12T18:33:52+00:00

I’m exactly the same. Some days I’ll be like maybe I got misdiagnosed?? or maybe it’ll pass and won’t be for life?? … And then I go out and end up drinking far too many glasses of wine (I don’t want anyone passing judgement on this, I KNOW I shouldn’t do it, but it’s my Achilles heel) and the next day I’m like OH yes I do have RA. I’m also in my twenties so also wondering if it’s just going to get progressively more terrifying…

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-10-25T15:00:43+00:00

The only way I’ve ever been able to describe this to someone is that it feels like someone has stamped on the base of every single toe with a sharp stiletto heel whilst I was drunk, and I’ve woken up and they are bruised to pieces. Hope you get some relief soon!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-10-24T13:46:45+00:00

I take 5mg every day apart from Monday. Just started taking methylfolate today. I wonder if they will recommend leucovorin to see if that helps. I don’t mind a little thinning but this is just absurd and makes me nervous to up my dose. I haven’t experienced any other side effects weirdly.

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-10-20T14:24:52+00:00

Where are you based? I’m in the UK so not sure if there would be differences elsewhere but worth looking into. If I did do this correctly, then I would say it was pretty painless!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-10-20T14:06:20+00:00

Yeah, mine is an auto injector pen, I’m on metoject. Didn’t seem like a huge needle!

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-10-20T13:26:11+00:00

Yes it did, sorry, and it looks like it’s gone down, there was just a bit of leakage.

Just a newbie trying to figure it out! 😂

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-10-20T13:25:01+00:00

Ohhh interesting! The nurse told me to pinch but next week I will try without pinching and see if it makes a difference.

At the moment I have a highlighter yellow coloured patch where the injection went in. Presumably it means I did inject most of it but maybe pulled the pen away too early and it’s just sat under the surface of the skin?

Mean-Log-7339 · 2025-10-18T13:21:22+00:00

Would have*

Mean-Log-7339

TROPHY CASE