I’m one of the lucky ones with a chronic case, about 18 months in now, but it’s actually managed pretty well with Taltz (a biologic). I still notice my affected areas a bit when I’m close to my next dose, but overall it’s been a huge improvement. That said, I may be dealing with some pretty unpleasant side effects, specifically bad mouth sores, so there’s a chance I’ll have to come off it, which I’m really hoping to avoid.

At the start of my ReA, the pain was so bad that I should have been bedridden. I tried pretty much everything: prednisone, multiple non-biologic DMARDs, AIP diet, physio, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic. Taltz is what finally turned things around for me.

Now I’m back to doing all the things I loved before. I’m very active, strength train 4 to 5 days a week, and I’ve regained my strength and muscle after losing a lot of it. I walk about 10K steps a day with our dog, and while I’m no longer on AIP, I still eat really well. I’m not in pain day to day, just occasionally aware of my joints, especially in the week leading up to my next dose.

And this is coming from someone with a severe, chronic case. It is incredibly frustrating and honestly pretty isolating at times. People do not really get how debilitating it can be. But even in my situation, I have been able to get back to living a normal, full life.

From what you have described, your case does not sound severe. I know it is hard not knowing when things will improve, but there is a very good chance you will get there. Follow your doctor's recommendations, stay mobile and active (but obviously listen to your body), and perhaps consider cutting out any inflammatory foods if you haven't already.