My BF(35M) got diagnosed with RA and AS 2 years back. He has okay days and bad days, the pain gets pretty bad at times and he struggles to sleep. I try to be there for him as much as i can, we don’t live together yet so i do my best to support him. But can you all please help me or give me some suggestions on how to be here for him better? I really want to make him feel supported. He is a strong man trying to work out, pursue his treatments but it does take a toll on him sometimes. Also, we’ll figure everything out together but you all living it, how can life look like with these conditions? (I apologize for my ignorance around the condition since its not something talked about in my society or surroundings) Thanks all and courage to you all warriors!

I have PsA and have been on different immunobiologicals over the years, all provided for free through the public health system in Brazil, where I live.

I really want to get a master's degree somewhere in Europe, and was looking at France, Germany, Spain and Portugal. I would really appreciate any information about how to access those meds in European countries. Is it easy to get them as citizens? What about as an international student?

Although I don't want the disease to run my life, I'm trying to be realistic about my possibilities at this point. I simply can't stop treatment for two years and paying for them out of pocket is out of the question. Any information would be super helpful.

Hey friends, does anyone have any recommendations for a relatively stylish pair of loafers/dress shoes for wide feet?

My feet swell up like crazy when I have a flair up and I can usually get away with wearing my work heels but with the cold weather I need a little more coverage for the dogs.

I’ve been searching high and low and at this point, I am open to men’s or woman’s loafers. I’m a women’s size 8 for reference. Any recommendations welcome!

Hello, following surgery on my foot to fuse a joint where I had arthritis that was very painful, I'm just starting to mobilise again. After weeks wearing a blocked sandal that tips your weight back on your heel, my ankle objects strongly to walking normally again. Just wondered if anyone else has similar experience and what helped?

Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) has been a transformative journey—one filled with challenges, but also immense growth and strength. When I first received my diagnosis, I won’t lie, it was overwhelming. But as I’ve navigated this path, I’ve come to realize that while RA may have changed the way I live, it hasn’t defined me. In fact, it’s helped me discover new ways to thrive.

My RA journey started with small signs—stiff joints, knee pain, and sometimes mild fever. At first, I brushed it off as just part of the daily grind. But as symptoms grew more persistent like swollen eyes and fingers and swelling on my knees , I can not even walk, I knew something wasn’t quite right. After a series of tests and doctor’s appointments, I was diagnosed with RA. In that moment, it felt like a lot to process. But soon after, I realized something important: I wasn’t alone.

The truth is, getting an autoimmune diagnosis like RA can be scary. But it’s also a starting point—a chance to take control and make informed choices about how to manage the condition. I learned to embrace the diagnosis, not as a setback, but as an opportunity to understand my body better and work with it, not against it.

Did physical therapy pose any benefit to anyone with shoulder osteoarthritis ? I have such a limited range of motion I’m so scared that it would just exacerbate my injury I don’t know what to do . I texted my doctor my concerns as well but I’m nervous it will fall on deaf ears

Hi, I'm 17 and have had osteoarthritis diagnosed since 14 but have been affected for longer. Used to do more physical activity such as karate, gym and walking but got told to stop as it was accelerating the thritis, since I have stopped doing any physical activity, im scared to even walk but I've started to pick it up again in hopes of building muscle around hips. I had a shift for work yesterday which was 4 hours waitressing and next day I can't move, cant dress myself and can barely use the loo, both parents have a form of arthritis (mum same and dad different) they think I should get a hip replacements (or change doctor as he keeps saying I'm "cured") and my doctor said a long time ago I could if it's really bad but I really don't want to and I'm not sure if he will agree anymore, there isn't a constant pain and it only gets bad if it flares which I can feel coming so can take painkillers beforehand. I'm open to anything that will help, but I'm also wondering if I should be doing more exercise as maybe it's the muscle around that's weak or maybe I have something else that's causing the pain? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! :)

Landed a job this month that is opening a door to my dream career within the company. Ultimate goal is a position that will mean much less standing time than at the present but it could be months or 1-2 years before there's an opening and I get choosen. Meanwhile there's no alternative than pretending all is well to keep my current job. After 6.5 hours standing up, going up and down stairs and carrying products to and from shelves to counter, my one foot is unbearable. Once I stop to rest, the next time I put my weight on my foot hurts and I have some balance issues. I'm not ready to give up as this is my way to a more permanent dream job and the company is very reasonable. I get along with everyone including my boss; she shares some similar hobbies and it's amazing to be able to relate with my boss for once.

I need all advice and recommendations. I don't have health insurance yet and I'm hoping to not need to see the dr for as long as I can as I'm saving for a diploma that can help me achieve my goal in the company. Once I'm at that position I'll have insurance.

I can invest in braces, device and all within reason.

This diagnosis is not entirely a surprise as I have been going to the doctors about pain since I was about 16, but actually being told it’s a permanent condition has really opened my eyes. I know I for sure need to build up some strength in those muscles, what has helped you? I’ve been looking at swimming as I can’t really afford something like a pilates class right now, but I’ve always been too self conscious for exercise if I’m honest lol, feel like I’m about to be thrown in the deep end!

Also, any suggestions for pain management and walking aids I can use for getting about uni? It’s a lot of uphill walking and I feel crutches are so in the way all of the time.

Has anyone here tried arthritis rings? I recently bought compression gloves and they have helped okay with hand pain due to rain and pressure changes. I suppose arthritis rings work more as splints/braces. Has anyone tried them together or separately or has a preference? I want to hear opinions!

Hey all, my poor hubby is a /big time/ hand clencher when he's sleeping and it's affecting his hand and finger joints as a result. He has a crooked left pinky which makes things a little more difficult as well. I want to get him hand braces to sleep in but I don't want to get the wrong thing and end up making everything worse. To top it all off, he broke his pinky and never got it set back properly, so it's a kinda crooked. I don't want a brace fitting improperly due to that lil crooked finger and causing an issue. The other problem is he has very large hands as well so we need a brace that will fit a larger hand. If anyone has any suggestions as to types of braces or keywords I should be using while looking it up that would be fantastic. We sadly don't have the money to see a hand specialist nor get something custom fitted, which I'm worried (due to the broken pinky) might be what we need to end up doing in the long run. The poor guy is only 33 and he sleeps on his hands to try and prevent him from clenching but then he ends up scratching his own face and I'm so scared that he's going to poke his eye out one day or just continue to make his joint pain worse. So any suggestions, brands, types, etc would be super helpful! Thank you!

Curious how others deal with this. The pain in my hands (mostly in base of thumbs) makes shaking hands very painful. I would try and avoid it, but it’s necessary in my line of work. I dread it every time I need to do it.

How do others deal with this? Can meds help alleviate the pain? I have just tried OTC options and nothing helps much.

Still waiting on the confirmation but it's looking like reactive arthritis. It started about 2 years ago. I had a UTI and ended up in the hospital with a 104 fever and not being able to move my ankles with the rest of my joints (weirdly except for my knees) hurting, this lasted for about 2 days before the symptoms disappeared. The infectious disease team at the hospital got involved and never figured out what happened, but I already had my suspicions.

2 weeks ago I was diagnosed with pneumonia and the symptoms returned. I guess it could be considered not as severe or even worse depending on how you look at it. I had a fever that got up to about 100.8, no where near as bad as last time but I also had and an extra symptom, tachycardia. When I went to the hospital my heart rate was 145. I also had joint pain with the ankles being the worst again but not as severe as last time, these symptoms lasted for a day at the most and disappeared. Now I'm left wondering what's in store for me next time I have an infection. For years every few months to a year depending I will have bad ankle pain usually in one ankle, it'll last for a few days and go away and now I'm wondering if this is also related.

What has your experience with reactive arthritis been?

... Is that I'm coming down with the stomach bug my kids are getting over.

I was remarking to my husband about how much better I felt out of nowhere today. The pain that's been plaguing me for the last few weeks just disappeared. It didn't hit me until I started feeling nauseous that I wasn't hurting anymore because my immune system had something legitimate to fight.

So, yay for no pain, but boo for a stomach bug.

My doctor said my methotrexate is just for my hand, and Im also on Enbrel. My hand is doing pretty well, but what actually helps with lower back pain? Can anyone share their experience? I’m in pain all day every day from that part of my arthritis.

36 M who developed significant, insidious low back and neck pain (OA on MRI), buttock pain, and bilateral shoulder and knee tendinitis over the past year (with an MRI of both knees showing bilateral quad and patella tendinitis and an mri of my shoulders on the way). My labs (ANA, CRP, etc.) are all normal, my weight is normal, I walk 5 miles a day (again, movement is helpful, and knee braces make walking bearable),and I’m HLA negative. However, my butt, back, and neck pain is all much worse with rest or sitting and better with movement (though this sometimes irritates my buttock pain somewhat - go figure), I wake up with a good bit of morning stiffness and pain, and I get a positive response from NSAIDs across my back, neck, buttocks, knees, and shoulders. My SI joint mri (below) showed “non-specific” trace marrow edema and joint space loss, which the radiologist say could be degenerative. No history of injury explains any of this, PT (repeatedly) hasn’t helped, and none of the tendinitis has resolved or has a clear cause. I rely on ice packs and movement to get thru the day.

My rheum thinks I am in a “grey zone,” may (if not probably) have non radiographic ax spa, and wants to try to get me on biologics. Does that sound right here? What does this sound like — could it just be OA? Wondering if I need a second opinion or if it sounds like I’m in good hands.

SI joint mri report impressions: There is mild bilateral SI joint space loss which is nonspecific given the absence of discrete SI joint effusions, synovitis, osseous erosions, or ankylosis. While there are no imaging findings to confirm an inflammatory sacroiliitis, the mild joint space loss could be degenerative or reflect sequela of prior inflammation. There is trace marrow edema in the left S4 sacral segment which is nonspecific given this is not subchondral in location.

Has anyone gone through with facet joint arthritis?

How was your experience?

I'm 18f and I am overweight which ive heard could be a reason anyway. When I was 16 I fell and broke my wrist and it didn't heal right so I now have post-trmuatic arthritis (diagnosed) in that wrist. I also have arthritis in my other wrist because of my little brother. I developed "mommy wrist" from holding him all the time (also diagnosed arthritis). Anyway I've noticed recently I've been getting the same pain in my ankles and fingers. It's the same kind of pain as my wrists and I've heard arthritis can spread but I'm only 18? I feel like I'm too young to already have it spread to 2 places. I did hear that my weight can be a reason and that it's not spreading but it's new pain from my weight? Idk

I have chronic joint pain in 4 joints. I've been a heavy coffee drinker most of my life. My machine broke so I went without caffeine for 2 weeks or so. I took the opportunity to reset my caffeine addiction. I expected the first 3 days to have a headache. What I didn't expect was joint pain well in excess of normal. I got my machine yesterday, had a couple of cups and I can walk without pain today (mostly). For other health reasons, I can not take any NSAID and Tylenol doesn't work for me. Does caffeine mitigate anyone else's pain? I have a single data point, hard to tell.

I got reactive arthritis November 10th, 2015. When I first got got diagnosed which took awhile after that they didn’t know why yet. Couldn’t find any infection. Had white discharge but no infection in culture. Had a sinus infection but was just inflammation polyps.

Took awhile to figure out but the year before that I had a tooth that broke in the upper back. Dentist filled it. Never stopped hurting so I kept going back asking for it to be pulled but he wouldn’t pull a healthy tooth. Apparently he missed the infection and it spread into my jaw causing the inflammation in my sinuses.

Had reactive arthritis for two years before a different dentist xrayed my roots and found the infection be missed and my infected jaw.

Started with root canals that failed, before getting those teeth pulled. Arthritis is a lot better but still unbearable.

Something about my reactive arthritis, it’s also cause Peyronie’s Disease which is inflammation and scar tissue of the penis. Just like arthritis damages my joints, I damage my penis on a daily basis. It actually pops like if you would crack you knuckles without me even touching it. Sort of like bubble wrap popping. I know it sounds insane but the truth. Over the years, 2015 till now, I’ve been stuck with it constantly getting worse. And now, at a point I’ve almost lost the whole thing, and my urologist is planning for a penectomy in the near future because there’s nothing else that can be done. As far as they know, this is the first time in history Peyronie’s has gotten this bad someone’s lost almost their whole penis. Sorry for the tmi btw.

Sulphasalazine, methotrexate, Humira, Remicade, plaquenil, indomethacin, prednisone, nothing has helped orally to stop this.

The only thing that’s ever helped was when I was on Vancomycin by a picline for the jaw infection. Was for two weeks. After a week arthritis was gone! Until about a week after, arthritis came back. Before my C reactive protein was at 0.7 which I know isn’t a lot, and after dropped to 0.0. Until it can back and now sits at usually 0.1-0.3.

Desperate to stop this before my life changes completely. But I think I’m stuck. When I got these teeth taken out, the oral surgeon broke them out and left the roots of the main tooth that caused this. No oral surgeon will go back and extract them cause they’re right below my sinus and could damage my sinus getting it out. They say it’s normal to leave root tips and happens all the time.

Making this post as a Hail Mary if anyone has any advice, tips on stopping this. I used to be a well built guy, working out, bodybuilding, extremely athletic, 5’8” 160 and because of this arthritis, can barely walk, can’t lift any weights, and now will never get married or have a family. Severe Neuroforaminal stenosis that killed my neck and cost me my job. Been looking into physician assisted sucde in Belgium. Hard to even take care and provide for myself.

Had ReA for awhile now and done a lot of research in the past. Was hoping maybe someone freshly diagnosed had some treatments I haven’t tried yet that works.

Sorry for the tmi.

I'm pretty active for 59. I love hiking and gardening. I have been diagnosed with pretty advanced arthritis in my cervical spine and I suspect my lumbar also but no diagnosis there yet. I am fine when I'm up and moving around. When I'm doing things I often push myself to go a little longer because I know the second I stop and sit down, I'm done. It has come to the point I HATE to sit and relax because then it's so hard to get back up from the pain and stiffness. I have been prescribed Celebrex but no relief. My back and hips hurt so bad when I sit and relax it's horrible. But when I'm moving I feel fine. Why is this and how do you cope with this if you experience this ? Thanks kindly

My Mom, 50s, has hip arthritis that flares up when it's cold or when it rains; we live in Canada. Winter is coming up and she already is in pain and I can't stand it.

We have the wrap around heated wrap that clips at the neck and she'll use it on her hip at home, but I was wondering if there was something wearable and cordless that heats so she can wear it when she leaves for work, takes it off during bc her office is heated and then put it back on when she commutes back home.

When I Google it, I'm seeing dual heating and icing packs that wrap around you or compression shorts or something like this: https://www.sunbeam.com/pain-relief/general-muscle-pain/goheat-cordless-heating-pad/SAP_2094371.html

So maybe I got to do more research but I thought I'd ask!

Thank you in advance!

Hey everyone, just wanted to share some recent success I’ve had with my osteoarthritis. I have it pretty bad in my L4-L5 and right hip. I’ve done a lot of different treatments, including 6 nerve blocks, medications, osteopath etc.

I started reading about the gut microbiome earlier this year and the role it plays in controlling inflammation throughout the body. I started trying to eat 30 different plants a week about three months ago to build my microbiome back up - apparently the microbiome loves diversity. If you aren’t feeding your microbiome with enough plants, it will eat away at your gut lining and cause major inflammation in your body (this is my non scientific explanation - it’s worth looking up). Today I have about a 50% reduction in pain overall and am shocked that it has been this helpful.

And no doctor ever recommended this - not surprisingly. I’ve started to look at food as medicine and at my body and its systems in a far more holistic way, and it’s changed a lot for me.

It’s worth a Google! Wishing everyone a comfortable Sunday!

I was experiencing terrible fatigue from taking methotrexate so my doctor changed the dosage of folic acid. I went from 5mg six days a week to 5mg two days a week (the two days after taking 20mg methotrexate), and 10mg the other four days a week. Would this decrease the efficacy of methotrexate?

Everything in double quotation marks is a direct quote from this adult rheumatologist I saw.

So in August I got really sick with a heart infection and was taken of all my DMARDS, anti inflammatories, and biologics. For a while we thought it was my biologic affecting my heart till they found the infection but my pead rheumatologist deemed it too dangerous for me to take my biologic.

I’ve been diagnosed with idiopathic JIA for over a third of my life. An issue that started was my rheumatologist refused to see me till my heart infection was sorted but that can take over a year and during the month that followed, my physician became increasingly angry at her as he discovered she had been ignoring worrying bloods, over prescribed meds, and most worrying to him: saw me less that 2 weeks before I was in a resuscitation bay in the er with this infection and at that appointment with her I had been complaining of chest pains, bad bp and pulse, etc. So my physician decided I can’t go back, plus I’m getting too old. So he called in a favour and called essentially the best rheumatologist in my province and one of the best in my county. This guy ignored him even though they are friends (like have braais friends). I ended up in hospital for a week getting high does solumedral and pain meds and my physician personally phoning this guy every other hour. Eventually he gets annoyed enough and answers and I get a push in appointment a week later. When we eventually see him, he is dismissive of me. He never asked about me as a person. Where I live, doctors typically ask about you like where you study, if you have siblings, and especially at my age how’s studying going, my friends, family, etc. Examining me he was extremely uncomfortable, he waited for my mom to be in the room which I mean fine but weird. He did not examine many of the joints that bother me the most. He never looked at my spine movement, or my hands or my hips. Then he was doing something weird (don’t know what it was) and pushed my face and I made I weird expressions cause why he poke my face? and he said “let me guess that hurt too” with such a smug look on his face. When we sat down he said “I don’t believe you are in any pain at all”. Admittedly, I don’t believe my physician would have given me 7g of solumedrol for fun and I don’t believe this professor remembered that. We then explained procedures I had and he told me to go have one again that nearly killed me. He also gave me no advice or solutions for my pain. At the end of the appointment I blatantly asked him if me losing 15% of my weight in 6 weeks, can’t do most tasks independently at 19 and being in excruciating pain is fine and he said “that is not my issue.” I left crying.

I went for scans that showed no inflammation which was frustrating but I know I should be thankful for. All my MRI showed was some benign masses that according to him we must just “ignore, they will either disappear or become a problem.” Then he told my mom I must just come back to him when I have an actual flair and this is when she reminded him I had just had cortisone before I saw him, he said I really should stop that, it makes people gain weight. Best one was “ she may have a collagen disorder but ignore that, she doesn’t need a biologic or any medication”. And that was it.

I am just done. My physician was furious considering how good friends they are and how much he trusted him. He said you can’t take the Joburg Gen out of some (I don’t know what that means). I don’t know what to do. I have lost so much weight since August. I’m struggling to walk cause of my lower back, hips and knees. I know it’s good there isn’t inflammation on my scan but also frustrating. Like why did I have scans right after high dose cortisone? I’m in agony. I can’t do anything I love anymore. All I do is sleep, on my phone for a an hour before my hands swell too much, eat once, then sleep again. I’m in agony. My physician said just pain meds till I finish exams but what then? Who will I go to? How do I know it will be different? What do you mean a collagen disorder I must ignore? What do you mean I have masses in my back? I don’t care if they are benign, they are there. I’m just so frustrated.

I know this is so long but does anyone have any advice on what I can do? I’m in such bad pain, I’m only 19 and live in a developing country. Preferably non-medical right now cause I’m tired of being poked and touched. I’m just so overwhelmed and in pain and frustrated with this all.

I got diagnosed with reactive arthritis when I was 21, but my reactive arthritis is really weird...
It's weird because:
- it only ever affects one knee (5 flare-ups on the left knee, 1x on the right knee, over a 10 year time span)
- it doesn't hurt (Yes I know i'm f'ing lucky!) it's just very swollen, lots of fluid in and above the joint
- I can function normally, except for bending it while putting weight on it, that's the only thing that hurts. So I can't squat, but walking, climbing stairs, carrying heavy things, all good.
- I always feel it though, it feels like someone tied a water balloon to my knee. Heavy, stiff, uncomfortable, but no pain as long as I don't bend it with weight on it.
- it's completely unpredictable: Ok I had the flu or some minor thing, will it trigger a flare-up? Sometimes it did, many times it didn't! If it does get triggered, which knee will it be this time? Will it go away by itself or not? It makes no sense.

Does anyone else's reactive arthritis behave like this?!

The backstory:
The first time it happened, the swelling didn't go away for more than 1 year, that's how long it took me to get a diagnosis. I got sent from one doc to the next, they called me a "medical mystery". Steroid injection only helped for about a week, then the swelling was back. Same for draining the fluid, it came right back. Lab analysis of the fluid brought no clues. Chinese acupuncture made it worse! Massages, resting it, cooling it, warming it, tiger balm, gentle exercise, whatever house remedies, you name it - they all did nothing.

Eventually, a rheumatologist diagnosed reactive arthritis and put me on methotrexate, and it went away within a month.
I also got on methotrexate when the second flare-up came, same result.
But after that, I refused to take methotrexate again because the side effects were worse than a swollen knee. It shut my immune system down so bad, I was always sick while on that stuff: half a year of flu and stuffy nose, UTIs, skin infections, etc....

Luckily, each time another flare-up happened, after a month or so, the swelling went away by itself.

Except for this time. Now I've had a left-knee flare-up for about 2 months and this time, it doesn't seem to think about going away by itself. I'm worried I will have to get on methotrexate again, that devil's stuff, I don't want to. And I'm reading all you guys' experiences here on Reddit, very different from mine, and I'm so confused.

I'm having some confusion about a recent diagnosis I had. My medical record says that I have osteoarthritis, and I got a letter with results from an MRI saying that it showed "some signs of wear and tear arthritis which your physiotherapist will be able to advise you on."

I went to my physiotherapist and she hadn't seen that letter at all, but had seen the scan results, and didn't mention arthritis at all until I asked about the letter, at which point she said this was incorrect and that I just had regular wear and tear on my joints that a lot of people have and that it's normal. I believed that but was still confused, and I've now checked my medical record only to discover osteoarthritis was in my list of diagnoses. So I'm just really confused. Is it just a problem of phrasing? I can't tell whether or not I'm supposed to have it based on this confusion. Are they just the same thing with different phrasing? If anyone could help me understand at all I'd be very grateful, but I'm also aware it's best to check with the doctors when possible. (edited to add a paragraph break)

On the list for a full hip replacement...having second thoughts. Need advice from those who have gone through the thought process. 58 years old.

A year ago, I was running 10K. Previously, I had (what I thought to be) some soft tissue injury, caused by a stumble two years prior. On again, off again discomfort treated with physio, dry needling, chiro, etc etc. After a while, I got imagery and was diagnosed with moderate to severe arthritis. Here's the clinical description:

Overall bone mineral density appears diminished, suggesting the presence of generalized osteopenia/osteoporosis. At each hip, worse on the left, there is evidence of moderate joint space narrowing associated with osteophytic spurring, typical of osteoarthritis. Advanced to moderate degenerative changes in both hips, worse on the left. The changes are typical of degenerative osteoarthritis.

I am medicated with various pain killers and beta blockers. When medicated, 3x a day, i have what I would call mild discomfort. 1-2/10. I always walk with a "mild" limp, and sometimes feel it on the other side. My affected side is weak, tho, and sometimes I stumble and the leg twists a bit, and I get shooting pains. Without pain meds, for example when I wake up, it's mroe of a 4-5/10, and my sleep is affected. Early in the day, I need to be very careful that I don't stumble. Over the past couple of weeks, I feel different. A different kind of discomfort, clicking and popping a bit. So I definitely feel it getting incrementally, if slowly, worse.

I cannot run without pain. I can walk shorter distances, but probably cannot hike without difficulty. I have less strength on the affected side, obviously, and sometimes, especially first thing in the morning or at night to go pee, i feel wobbly.

So here's the thing: I've had my consult, and I'm on the list. 4 months of waiting until I pull the trigger. What I'm wondering about is whether my situation is serious enough to warrant a replacement. I know my hip will not get better, in fact, it will only get worse.

I have no data that would inform me of whether the final outcome would improve my situation. I know it's a bit of a dice roll, and that on the downside, if things don't work out, I could be worse off.

But if things go well... what is the upside? What is the best case? **COULD** I be totally pain free? 100%? 90%. Just curious to get some insight from those who have gone through the process.

FTR, I am 98% certain that I will go through with this. I'm just looking for some silly ass reassurance.

Having a flare of inflammatory arthritis which is slightly different than my normal. My wrist and elbows are sore but not swollen (I usually get dramatic swelling) but there are emerging wee bruises, about the size of a 5p. They aren’t purple or red so not vascular, just looks like a bruise you’d get from a knock or bang. Does anyone else get this?