After 20 + years with Type I, I was diagnosed with RA. What is the incidence of Type 1 and RA? I hate the RA after 10 year with RA I am a mess. I can barely walk, sit, stand sleep etc. If you suffer from two chronic, auto immune diseases let me know what they are and how your doing.
Hi There Rick:
It’s Nice to meet you. :o) I’m Glad that you found Tudiabetes. I feel for you
and I relate. There seems to be a fair number of Diabetics with RA(some
mild, moderate and severe). One of my Friends, has severe RA(dxd. about
3 yrs.)also, he’s a Type 2(about 5 yrs.). My older Brother(Juvenile D)didn’t
have RA, but I know my younger Brother(Juvenile D) did(although he wouldn’t
get it dxd.) even though I told him to.
I had Juvenile Diabetes for about 22 yrs., then I got hit with severe RA at age
25. Mine was gradual. After about 2 yrs., it was well set in. That’s when
depression set in.
My Rheumy said that he’ll never let me get crippled. When he said that, I just
thought, “Ya well, Good Luck with that wish, my Dear”. He does a lot of research,
he’s a Professor, a Consultant to Health Canada, etc. A Wonderful man.
You must have severe RA right? That’s one bad disease, eh? I do not know
what mild or moderate RA is like but I Very much resent the way this disease
is portrayed on the majority of websites. They make it sound more like a walk
in the park. It’s a deadly and complicated autoimmune disease just like Diabetes
is. If the drugs don’t work or People can’t afford the drugs then there is no hope
of control.
Sorry about the rant. I just really hate that disease. If you want to talk, I’ll
certainly get back to you. ; ) Feel better.
Hi Rick,
I am so sorry to hear about your RA. It respects no one. I too have it along with osteo. The swelling and pain and extra calcifications are just unbelievable. I resent the ads on TV about how you can just take Aleve and be pain free all day. I really can’t stand for anyone to trivialize this horrible disease. I have trouble walking, using my hands to dress, bathe, cut my food and pick up my babies. I thank God my doctor understands the pain. He gives me pain medicine to help get through my days. But with kidney failure I can’t take the special meds for the RA. I will keep you and all who have this painful disabling disease in my prayers. Do everything and anything you can to get through.
Hi Rick!
I too have both type 1 and RA.
My D was dxd 31 years ago, and my RA was dxd when I was 16, so that makes it 17 years thus far.
I am doing well, thankfully~ and only take celebrex to control my RA symptoms.
It stays pretty much in a remission stage most of the time, I only suffer flare ups during weather changes and such.
I do think that the fact that my D is more in control in my adult life has something to do with it-
I suffered quite a bit before and after my dx, and was on several medications to treat the pain and inflamtion, but was able to be taken off the meds after about 2 years.
I wish you all the best!! Take care!!
I have had RA for about 10 years. I have been taking Reimicaide for eight years and really it worked pretty well until last September. in December my doc adjusted my the does of remicaide so it was closer together (down to every five weeks) then in January he doubled up the dose. In March we had to call it quits and get a new biologic drug. Since then it has been miserable. I alos hate, I mean really hate the this damn disease.
At any rate in the mean time, my employer politely asked I seek long term disability, I am, and the wheels have pretty much come off the car. I had to stop school, doctoral program in FL, and things have really been disrupted.
I do know that the NIA is doing a study on multiple autoimmune disease patients, who have had at least two auto immune diseases in two generations. i do qualify however the first generation has to be living and unfortunately my mother is not. I always advise trails to the folks I know, so if anyone is qualified and interested please look it up. They are in phase 2 of the study.
Hello Rick, I have had Type 1 diabetes for 62 years. I was diagnosed in 1945 when I was 6. When I was in my late 40’s I was diagnosed with RA. In May of 2007 I was diagnosed with gout. Gout is an inflammatory form of arthritis caused by excessive uric acid in the joints. I take a medication that reduces the amount of uric acid in my body and so my gout is under control. My RA is not crippling but the pain and stiffness is always there. I have had RA for approximately 20 years. I have a hard time getting out of my chair and walking but then after a few minutes my joints are loosened and I can walk very well. I force myself to walk every day either outdoors or on my treadmill. I try to walk at least 2.5 miles per day. That keeps my legs in good shape. I do hand exercises to help my hands and fingers. I also have carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve problems. I do most things that I want to do but in moderation.
I hope you can find a new medication that will help you.
Hi Rick,
I was actually told I had the beginnings of RA before I found out I became type 1. Makes you wonder doesn’t it. Kind of which came first the chicken or the egg? lol! So far the pain is only in my right arm and left elbow. although most days I have to “hoble” for a few minutes before i can actually walk down stairs, guess it is getting toward time to mention that one to my pcp. The right arm is the worse so we have been trying to deal with that and find some kind of decent pain management. Don’t know if the feet are RA or diabetes although they keep telling me that my feet are ok. I understand the sleeping problem I have it too. some nights I am up all night which then affects my sugar and I end up with more lows than I should have. I hate the only sleep 2 hours then awake crap.
Hope you find some help with pain management because I truely believe everyone is entitiled to decent pain management. The problem is they think taking a pill will take the pain away when all it does is make it “managable”. Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Hugs!
Karen K
P.S forgot to mention was just dx in January for tpye 1 and I am 48, was dx last summer with the start of RA. Richard you give me hope as I too have carpal tunnel in both wrists, the rt one worse, and ulnar nerve problems in both the rt worse. I have had surgery on the rt wrist and elbow but continue to have severe pain in the arm, which has now moved up to the shoulder, dx with arthritis in the collar bone, spurs on the should joint. They have been trying therapy but that just seems to make it worse. not sure where we are going from there. i partly blame my life stype as a teenagers and young adult for the joint and muscle problems, i used to carry weight way to heavy for a young teen and to ride horses where I spent alot of time on the ground, lol. It sure takes its toll after awhile, but i have also spent 18 years working in a factory doing repetitious work that caused considerable damage.
The trouble getting up but after a few minutes loosening up sounds like me most of the time, i have noticed that since my dx with tpye one I feel cold all the time and that that causes alot more pain that i did have before. Don’t know if I am just getting old and feel the cold more or if the two are connected, if anyone has any clue it would be interesting to find out. thanks all. sorry this is so long but sometimes it is hard to find answers when you mention this stuff to docs and they “poo-poo” you.
Karen I have suffered with cold for so many years. I wear sweaters when the temp is in the low 70’s. I don’t see anyone else doing that, well maybe on rare occasions. It gets worse as I grow older. I have totake a sweater with me to air conditioned buildings even in the summer time.
By exercising my arms and legs I have managed to be able to use them very well and I have avoided the medication. If you find the RA and nerve damage pain unbearable you should talk to your doctor about medication. Do you already use a med for that pain? There are some good ones out there, so I have been told. Good luck!
Richard,
What do you take? I take darvocet and when I look at one I go to sleep.
kkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Rick
oops, my forehead hit the K key. LOL
Karen, I hate it when the doctors “Poo-Poo” me. That is why I always take my pet elephant to the visit. i let them know that if they “poo-poo” me my elephant will “poo-poo” their office. In the war of Poo, my elephant is a champion. LOL
Well if you cannot tell its Friday and I am feeling much better today. It comes and goes of course. Today it went tomorrow it wil come, we all know that.
Has anyone used Rituxan for RA? If Orencia cannot be continued, I understand that I may have to go to Rituxan. I have read the side effects and frankly it is scarey.
Rick
Richard, Well it is nice to know I am not alone with feeling cold. It is just very unusual for me to feel cold I have always been one to feel hot when everyone else is comfortable and now i am shivering while everyone else is comfortable.
Right now I take darvocet for pain but I think we are going to have to change that. Doesn’t seem to be working as well anymore. I have to watch what I take due to the anti inflammatory meds causing my pancreas failure. so i can’t take anti inflammatories that used to work. I think I am going to be calling my doc though the hot rice bag only gives me just so much relief.
Hi Rick I have RA, lupus and MCTD and it sucks. I been on so many meds and NOTHING have been helping with my pain, swelling, stiffness. right now my drs have me on Ultram, Plaquenil, and Methotrexate. I just now came home from the hospital last night after being there for 12 hrs. bec I was in so much pain they gave me dilaudid and morphine for my pain then told me to follow up with my Rheumy on Monday. Last Tuesday I finally saw a pain Management Dr which was a waist of my time because all he did was tell me there was nothing he could do for me for me to keep seeing Rheumy that pain management will not help me bec its the RA,Lupus and MCTD. I been waiting so long to see a pain management Dr and when I finally was able to see one and to hear him say there is nothing they could do for my pain. was heart breaking to me. I have a hard time just getting out of the chair and walking I get so stiff and my joints hurt so much. but I do my excerises everyday no matter what. I get up and walk and I do my hand exercises, walk on my tradmill. I refuse to give up. just doing everyday things is a challenge for me. my new pains now are my elbow and my wrists had an emg done and it shows a pinch nerve in my elbow. Did I mention that I also have Raynauds,TOS, OsteroArthritis and Fibromyalgia.
Karen, you mentioned the cold omg I’m always cold it can be hot as you know what and I am cold. told my drs about that and they all told me this is part of the autoimmune disease.
Rick, My dr told me they was going to put me on Rituxan also but I did some research on it and the side effects scare the you know what out of me. I been on remicade it worked for a while but then stopped working.
Sorry for the long post. This disease sucks big time and when you have RA, Lupus and MCTD it really sucks. but like I said I refuse to give up. I’m a fighter and I will fight this too.
Martha:
I used remicaide for nine years and it worked fine for me until it did not. When it stopped working, it really stopped. Since then I have been a mess. I am currently trying Orencia but i suspect I will be taken off because of an allergic reaction. I really doubt I can do the Rituxan, becuase the side effects are just so nasty. Well we shall see.
I am so sorry for the multiple issues.
Rick
If your family has different generations of autoimmune diseases, you may be eligible for am information trail. The trial is to determine genetic traits and probability of of certain autoimmune diseases.
Contact the web site for additional information. I would have been eligible for this study had my mother been alive. But since she is not I was not eligible.
http://www.madgc.org/index.php
Rick
Lately I have been having terrible upper back and neck pain. I looked online and saw some information on RA and upper back and neck pain. Has anyone else experienced this kind of pain. I started two months ago and now I cannot slepe more than four hours and only on my back. If I turn on my side i give a good holler and head for the darvecete.
Rick
Hi Rick:
I’ve had RA in my neck for many years so it’s always in pain. But no I haven’t had the back pain. I do get pain in my right lung occasionally but that’s probably because these biologics still aren’t working as we had hoped and my lung gets inflammed.
I just heard on the US news today that a study showed that Remicade and Enbrel and another one causes cancer for the Juvenile RA Kids. Well, if Adults have a high risk of getting cancer then of course the Kids would be at a higher risk. That’s really not news. Poor Kids. My cousin has had severe RA since he was 10 and he is now 44. One heart attack, quadruple bypass(I think he called it)and 2 new knee joints later. I think he said he’s on Interferon and something else.
Hi Rick,
I am so sorry about the pain you are having. Mine got very bad around the beginnng of December and I sleep about an hour and a few minutes each night. I know very well that you must get exhausted just trying to get through a day. Does the pain bounce your blood sugars too? I really try so hard to keep very tight control of mine, but sometimes the pain is just so bad and I get some really strange bounces. Last night my blood sugar was 105 before going to bed. I ate my little carton of yogurt (70 calories) with my 3 tablespoonfuls of ground flax seed and shot my Lantus, just like every niight. I had a really bad time with pain during the night and got up this morning to a reading of 368. I took another pain pill right away for the pain, but sometimes it is just hours before I can really walk around.
I wish the pain was as easy to bring down as the blood sugar is with the insulin. I wish you more sleep and better pain control. I would wish you out of this problem, but I don’t think that is any more likely than to wish the diabetes away. I take really warm baths and really warm showers and sometimes i can move a little easier. Usually I wait until the pain is easier and do all the exercise and work I can get done. Please do whatever works for you and feel better. My prayers are with you.
Saundra:
i sleep about two hours, with darvacet then I get up and stay up about one hour, usually take a tylenol then go back to bed for two hours, then I am up for the day. Mid morning I get a nap maybe an hour and maybe an hour at about 4 PM. It is a miserable life. i mean good grief i live for sleep and sleep to try to live.
It’s awful. thank goodness for darvacet though i ma buring through it at a high rate. i also am sucking down tylenol like a mad man. I suggest you all buy stock.
Rick