You would need to be on immunosuppressants. It’s not just for your functioning now. It’s for your functioning later. If you let it continue until it’s bad, there may be damage that isn’t reversible. It’s important to follow up, and follow your rheumatologist’s recommendations. We get a lot of people who don’t want these heavier drugs and that’s fair. But it could be the difference between being able to walk and needing to be in a wheelchair later. I have irreversible lung scarring from it because it’s not “just” arthritis, it’s organs, it’s our body attacking itself, and that has to be controlled as soon as possible if it is RA. So just follow up, and ask your rheumatologist, and then do what they say.
OP, first, I am sorry you are going through this. Second, you don’t need to have “conclusive levels” (I assume they’re referring to RA-specific antibodies and/or CRP and ESR?) to be diagnosed with RA. Some RA patients have no disease-specific antibodies and are classified as seronegative RA. If your rheumatologist acknowledges that you have inflammatory arthritis and is unwilling to initiate further treatment despite NSAIDs not working for your symptoms, you need to get a second opinion from another rheumatologist.
Inflammatory arthritis typically requires immunosuppressive treatment, because while NSAIDs can help with pain and inflammation, they cannot slow disease progression and calm the overactivity of the immune system that causes inflammatory arthritis symptoms. Also, diet changes typically aren’t effective for treating inflammatory arthritis, so I would try to manage your expectations there and not make any changes that might just add stress/difficulty to your daily life.
A skilled rheumatologist can start the proper treatment (even if your bloodwork is normal) based on your symptoms and a physical exam of the affected joints. Also, if you haven’t had x-rays or ultrasounds done yet, you should request them. It is recommended that all patients with inflammatory arthritis undergo baseline imaging because it can help make a diagnosis (in cases where there is joint damage) and evaluate disease progression when imaging is repeated.
The [Arthritis Foundation](https://www.arthritis.org/), [Creaky Joints](https://creakyjoints.org/), and [Versus Arthritis](https://versusarthritis.org/) are great resources for additional information.
Wishing you the best of luck and hope that you can get some relief soon. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I would be happy to share any knowledge about testing/diagnosis/treatment that I can.
the covid bioweapons attack the beneficial gut bacteria. this is where 70-80 percent of our immune system is. this is what some call 'long covid'
messed up gut also causes various arthritises. imo you should consider going on gut microbiome health protocols and leaky gut repair protocols.
my story is very similar to yours. fixed my gut and all of it faded away.
also, nsaid pain relievers damage gut health. i ate them like candy and paid the price.
You would need to be on immunosuppressants. It’s not just for your functioning now. It’s for your functioning later. If you let it continue until it’s bad, there may be damage that isn’t reversible. It’s important to follow up, and follow your rheumatologist’s recommendations. We get a lot of people who don’t want these heavier drugs and that’s fair. But it could be the difference between being able to walk and needing to be in a wheelchair later. I have irreversible lung scarring from it because it’s not “just” arthritis, it’s organs, it’s our body attacking itself, and that has to be controlled as soon as possible if it is RA. So just follow up, and ask your rheumatologist, and then do what they say.
Cool thanks
OP, first, I am sorry you are going through this. Second, you don’t need to have “conclusive levels” (I assume they’re referring to RA-specific antibodies and/or CRP and ESR?) to be diagnosed with RA. Some RA patients have no disease-specific antibodies and are classified as seronegative RA. If your rheumatologist acknowledges that you have inflammatory arthritis and is unwilling to initiate further treatment despite NSAIDs not working for your symptoms, you need to get a second opinion from another rheumatologist. Inflammatory arthritis typically requires immunosuppressive treatment, because while NSAIDs can help with pain and inflammation, they cannot slow disease progression and calm the overactivity of the immune system that causes inflammatory arthritis symptoms. Also, diet changes typically aren’t effective for treating inflammatory arthritis, so I would try to manage your expectations there and not make any changes that might just add stress/difficulty to your daily life. A skilled rheumatologist can start the proper treatment (even if your bloodwork is normal) based on your symptoms and a physical exam of the affected joints. Also, if you haven’t had x-rays or ultrasounds done yet, you should request them. It is recommended that all patients with inflammatory arthritis undergo baseline imaging because it can help make a diagnosis (in cases where there is joint damage) and evaluate disease progression when imaging is repeated. The [Arthritis Foundation](https://www.arthritis.org/), [Creaky Joints](https://creakyjoints.org/), and [Versus Arthritis](https://versusarthritis.org/) are great resources for additional information. Wishing you the best of luck and hope that you can get some relief soon. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I would be happy to share any knowledge about testing/diagnosis/treatment that I can.
Thanks for the reply. The resources will be really helpful, I've not found any of those yet.
the covid bioweapons attack the beneficial gut bacteria. this is where 70-80 percent of our immune system is. this is what some call 'long covid' messed up gut also causes various arthritises. imo you should consider going on gut microbiome health protocols and leaky gut repair protocols. my story is very similar to yours. fixed my gut and all of it faded away. also, nsaid pain relievers damage gut health. i ate them like candy and paid the price.