Rheumatoid Arthritis

Angels1111 · 2026-01-28T10:09:42+00:00

I'm in the early stages of diagnosis for this. It's come on quite suddenly with pain and stiffness in my joints every few days. Although have suspected something is wrong for a while. GP wants to do another blood test in 6 weeks to see if was an infection instead of RA. So I'm unlikely to get any medical support for a while. Does anyone have a diagnosis and can help talk me through what's next? What exercises help? What makes it worse? What foods help? What makes it worse? Any other lifestyle changes? I'm not sure why I wake up fine some mornings and not others.

huffdragon · 29/01/2026 15:27

Nellielephant · 29/01/2026 14:33

You are correct huffdragon. I was getting ahead of the process. I just think that if the disease is aggressive the sooner the best treatment is started the less damage there will be to joints. Obviously NHS budgets restrict this.

Show quote history

Of course. Let’s hope the OP’s arthritis doesn’t hang around long enough for her to find out.

Nellielephant · 29/01/2026 14:33

huffdragon · 28/01/2026 23:05

I agree biologics are life changing but they aren’t the first line of treatment in the UK currently as they are very expensive. It can take a long time for some people to be put on them and some people do very well on the dmards. I’m just flagging this up so OP has a realistic expectation of possible treatment pathways.

Show quote history

You are correct huffdragon. I was getting ahead of the process. I just think that if the disease is aggressive the sooner the best treatment is started the less damage there will be to joints. Obviously NHS budgets restrict this.

AutumnLover1989 · 29/01/2026 04:32

Angels1111 · 29/01/2026 03:13

Thanks all, really helpful. I don't have any referrals yet as GP wanted to wait and see, as no previous pain or family history. However having been in pain in hands, wrists, shoulders and elbows all day yesterday and having woken up with throbbing knees all night tonight (it's now 3am and I have barely slept!) I will make an appointment tomorrow and see if they can make a referral or something, as whatever it is seems to have gotten worse.

It could still be a virus I guess. Fingers crossed. I had a sore throat the week before this all began, and then was fine for a week before the pains started. I now have a cold too🙈

Edited

I have no family history of it either 😕

sashh · 29/01/2026 03:36

Linking to a similar recent thread, I put quite a long answer on it but others have given their hints and tips

www.mumsnet.com/talk/autoimmune_disease/5474536-rheumatoid-arthritis-help-deperate?reply=149848992

ChemicalSymbolForAngst · 29/01/2026 03:22

NeverDropYourMooncup · 28/01/2026 21:09

Banning entire groups of foods is bollocks in my experience. If you followed all the 'this is guaranteed to work', you'd end up with

No nightshades
No acidic foods (at the same time as having apple cider vinegar because that's magically different despite also being a literal acid)
No fruit
No grains
No dairy
No meat
No fish
No seeds
No pulses
No spices
No food
No alcohol
No yeasts
No carbs
Low protein
No fat

at exactly the same time as other magic cures claiming all you have to do is eat lots of exactly the same things.

What does work

Rheumatology referral
Biologics
DMARDs
Steroids (now they can feel like magic - a long acting steroid pulse can have you feeling better within an hour)
Biomechanics (so orthotics, good shoes - and getting a larger size to allow for swelling/not squashing them up - good bed, good neck support, good posture, good chair and desk/computer set up)
Physiotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Eating a wide range of foods
Avoiding dehydration
Running repairs - compression gloves, bracing and/or taping whatever joint hurts today this minute
Not going crazy on exercise, but gentle stretching when not flaring badly or going swimming just to move or even just stand in the water
Keeping moving gently instead of staying absolutely still - doesn't mean staying on your feet, it can mean sitting down and circling them
Not getting too cold - or too hot (so heat pads and access to fans/aircon in summer or when flaring, cooler water when joints are hot, that kind of thing)
Not believing anybody who reckons they've found something that'll fix it without 'Big Pharma' getting involved

Paraffin hand and foot treatments can be soothing, as can warm oil massages, sweeping across towards the heart to help swelling drain rather than painful pressing/rubbing/etc.

Seconded.

I have inflammatory arthritis, @Angels1111, not RA but PsA which is similar, and frankly what helps most are biologic injections and Tai Chi.

Original poster

Angels1111 · 29/01/2026 03:13

Thanks all, really helpful. I don't have any referrals yet as GP wanted to wait and see, as no previous pain or family history. However having been in pain in hands, wrists, shoulders and elbows all day yesterday and having woken up with throbbing knees all night tonight (it's now 3am and I have barely slept!) I will make an appointment tomorrow and see if they can make a referral or something, as whatever it is seems to have gotten worse.

It could still be a virus I guess. Fingers crossed. I had a sore throat the week before this all began, and then was fine for a week before the pains started. I now have a cold too🙈

OP posts:

huffdragon · 28/01/2026 23:05

Nellielephant · 28/01/2026 22:52

My advice is to take the medication, Biologics if they are offered. Don’t hold on to hope that a change in diet will work. It won’t. I have had RA since I was 30, I am 73 now. I have multiple surgeries and joint replacements. This is mainly because the drugs available in the 1980’s did not control the disease. Biologics are amazing- I have tried several, one worked for 10 years, others had no effect. I am currently on RINVOQ which has been excellent.

I agree biologics are life changing but they aren’t the first line of treatment in the UK currently as they are very expensive. It can take a long time for some people to be put on them and some people do very well on the dmards. I’m just flagging this up so OP has a realistic expectation of possible treatment pathways.

Nellielephant · 28/01/2026 22:52

My advice is to take the medication, Biologics if they are offered. Don’t hold on to hope that a change in diet will work. It won’t. I have had RA since I was 30, I am 73 now. I have multiple surgeries and joint replacements. This is mainly because the drugs available in the 1980’s did not control the disease. Biologics are amazing- I have tried several, one worked for 10 years, others had no effect. I am currently on RINVOQ which has been excellent.

huffdragon · 28/01/2026 22:25

AutumnLover1989 · 28/01/2026 22:03

I was diagnosed with RA at 31. I'm now 52. Please be aware that RA doesn't always show in blood tests xx

This is true, I am sero-negative myself, and why you need to be under a rheumatologist so a proper diagnosis can be made. I believe diagnoses of sero-ve are now beginning to be changed to fit other types. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if mine was recategorised at some point.

huffdragon · 28/01/2026 22:20

MeridaBrave · 28/01/2026 21:53

clearly that’s a massive list but the triggers might be more limited eg gluten / nightshades - which might be restrictive but manageable.

Show quote history

The evidence isn’t there for gluten or nightshades AFAIK.

furrysocks · 28/01/2026 22:17

To be honest I found having RA bad enough without basically cutting out any pleasant food or drink.

I agree, get on the meds, steroids are great if you need them, try to keep your weight down if you can, stay warm and try to move as much as you’re able. Swimming is good. And develop an ability to ignore people who tell you their granny has arthritis.

AutumnLover1989 · 28/01/2026 22:05

Random but I find Chinese food gives me flares probably the msg 😦

AutumnLover1989 · 28/01/2026 22:03

I was diagnosed with RA at 31. I'm now 52. Please be aware that RA doesn't always show in blood tests xx

squashyhat · 28/01/2026 22:02

huffdragon · 28/01/2026 21:26

Some excellent advice here.

Show quote history

Wholeheartedly endorsed. Take the drugs. They work (30 years experience).

Clychaugog · 28/01/2026 22:02

RA is a bit of a bastard.
Lifestyle changes didn't help my Mum and she was prescribed methotrexate to slow down the RA's progress. Side effects were pretty unpleasant.
Hope your second lot of tests turned up something better for you, OP

MeridaBrave · 28/01/2026 21:53

NeverDropYourMooncup · 28/01/2026 21:09

Banning entire groups of foods is bollocks in my experience. If you followed all the 'this is guaranteed to work', you'd end up with

No nightshades
No acidic foods (at the same time as having apple cider vinegar because that's magically different despite also being a literal acid)
No fruit
No grains
No dairy
No meat
No fish
No seeds
No pulses
No spices
No food
No alcohol
No yeasts
No carbs
Low protein
No fat

at exactly the same time as other magic cures claiming all you have to do is eat lots of exactly the same things.

What does work

Rheumatology referral
Biologics
DMARDs
Steroids (now they can feel like magic - a long acting steroid pulse can have you feeling better within an hour)
Biomechanics (so orthotics, good shoes - and getting a larger size to allow for swelling/not squashing them up - good bed, good neck support, good posture, good chair and desk/computer set up)
Physiotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Eating a wide range of foods
Avoiding dehydration
Running repairs - compression gloves, bracing and/or taping whatever joint hurts today this minute
Not going crazy on exercise, but gentle stretching when not flaring badly or going swimming just to move or even just stand in the water
Keeping moving gently instead of staying absolutely still - doesn't mean staying on your feet, it can mean sitting down and circling them
Not getting too cold - or too hot (so heat pads and access to fans/aircon in summer or when flaring, cooler water when joints are hot, that kind of thing)
Not believing anybody who reckons they've found something that'll fix it without 'Big Pharma' getting involved

Paraffin hand and foot treatments can be soothing, as can warm oil massages, sweeping across towards the heart to help swelling drain rather than painful pressing/rubbing/etc.

clearly that’s a massive list but the triggers might be more limited eg gluten / nightshades - which might be restrictive but manageable.

MeridaBrave · 28/01/2026 21:52

MrsBuntyS · 28/01/2026 21:50

I agree on the diet stuff being rubbish. I was on a super restrictive diet when diagnosed 8 years ago. I am gluten free though, as I have coeliac disease. Unfortunately treatment options are a postcode lottery like everything else.

I was diagnosed privately after my GP did the c reactive protein test and my results were sky high. The wait for NHS appointment was over 3 months. No biologics are available in my area so I have been on DMARDS for 8 years. I agree with the above that you have to take the drugs, if it is RA, nothing else will really help you.

They can take up to two years to start working properly so it can be frustrating. I am supposedly in remission now after 8 years and am being weaned off the drugs slowly but I can feel my symptoms returning.

Hope there is a health budget for rheumatology in Your area and you will be ok. Where I am it is diabolical. Good luck.

It worked for my mum. She can’t have gluten (she use coeliac, even a trace of gluten gives her joint pain) or nightshades. She does take the drugs but had residual pain.

MrsBuntyS · 28/01/2026 21:50

I agree on the diet stuff being rubbish. I was on a super restrictive diet when diagnosed 8 years ago. I am gluten free though, as I have coeliac disease. Unfortunately treatment options are a postcode lottery like everything else.

I was diagnosed privately after my GP did the c reactive protein test and my results were sky high. The wait for NHS appointment was over 3 months. No biologics are available in my area so I have been on DMARDS for 8 years. I agree with the above that you have to take the drugs, if it is RA, nothing else will really help you.

They can take up to two years to start working properly so it can be frustrating. I am supposedly in remission now after 8 years and am being weaned off the drugs slowly but I can feel my symptoms returning.

Hope there is a health budget for rheumatology in Your area and you will be ok. Where I am it is diabolical. Good luck.

Twilightstarbright · 28/01/2026 21:45

There is a very interesting study from The Netherlands called plants for joints.

However my rheumatologist said it was v unlikely diet alone would take me off biologics.

Both myself and a family member with RA found losing weight to a healthy BMI helped.

PeloMom · 28/01/2026 21:34

My mother has this and cleaning up her diet helped massively. She follows anti inflammatory diet (google it, there are cook books too)

Craftysue · 28/01/2026 21:33

I've had rheumatoid for long time and mine came on really suddenly too - rheumatology department near me have an emergency clinic so I was referred and diagnosed really quickly. Have you been referred to rheumatology yet? There can be quite long wait times and the sooner your treated the less damage to your joints. I did ask my consultant about diet and he said that the only thing that he would recommend was to not put any weight on which makes sense. I find that if I eat bananas it makes it worse - no idea why.

huffdragon · 28/01/2026 21:26

NeverDropYourMooncup · 28/01/2026 21:09

Banning entire groups of foods is bollocks in my experience. If you followed all the 'this is guaranteed to work', you'd end up with

No nightshades
No acidic foods (at the same time as having apple cider vinegar because that's magically different despite also being a literal acid)
No fruit
No grains
No dairy
No meat
No fish
No seeds
No pulses
No spices
No food
No alcohol
No yeasts
No carbs
Low protein
No fat

at exactly the same time as other magic cures claiming all you have to do is eat lots of exactly the same things.

What does work

Rheumatology referral
Biologics
DMARDs
Steroids (now they can feel like magic - a long acting steroid pulse can have you feeling better within an hour)
Biomechanics (so orthotics, good shoes - and getting a larger size to allow for swelling/not squashing them up - good bed, good neck support, good posture, good chair and desk/computer set up)
Physiotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Eating a wide range of foods
Avoiding dehydration
Running repairs - compression gloves, bracing and/or taping whatever joint hurts today this minute
Not going crazy on exercise, but gentle stretching when not flaring badly or going swimming just to move or even just stand in the water
Keeping moving gently instead of staying absolutely still - doesn't mean staying on your feet, it can mean sitting down and circling them
Not getting too cold - or too hot (so heat pads and access to fans/aircon in summer or when flaring, cooler water when joints are hot, that kind of thing)
Not believing anybody who reckons they've found something that'll fix it without 'Big Pharma' getting involved

Paraffin hand and foot treatments can be soothing, as can warm oil massages, sweeping across towards the heart to help swelling drain rather than painful pressing/rubbing/etc.

Some excellent advice here.

huffdragon · 28/01/2026 21:26

Angels1111 · 28/01/2026 20:53

Thanks, this is really helpful. I am walking and stretching when in a flare, and find I need to rest a lot more than usual, and have more energy in the evening.
I'm so glad the drugs are good now. It's just so random as it's come on so suddenly for me!

Show quote history

Mine came on suddenly too. I couldn’t walk or get out of a chair. I had to wait a while to rule out reactive arthritis, which is what your GP is doing, but you can be referred to a rheumatologist to monitor you for that process and you will get better care and support from the rheumatology team with someone to call if you get into serious trouble. My team have helped me enormously. I would push for that as there are always waiting lists, though I got in relatively quickly. The first line drugs don’t work for everyone but they do for many. I know people who have been on them for years. It just depends on the severity of your disease.

menopausalmare · 28/01/2026 21:17

I haven't tried it myself but tumeric/ginger shots helped a friend's painful hip.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 28/01/2026 21:09

Banning entire groups of foods is bollocks in my experience. If you followed all the 'this is guaranteed to work', you'd end up with

No nightshades
No acidic foods (at the same time as having apple cider vinegar because that's magically different despite also being a literal acid)
No fruit
No grains
No dairy
No meat
No fish
No seeds
No pulses
No spices
No food
No alcohol
No yeasts
No carbs
Low protein
No fat

at exactly the same time as other magic cures claiming all you have to do is eat lots of exactly the same things.

What does work

Rheumatology referral
Biologics
DMARDs
Steroids (now they can feel like magic - a long acting steroid pulse can have you feeling better within an hour)
Biomechanics (so orthotics, good shoes - and getting a larger size to allow for swelling/not squashing them up - good bed, good neck support, good posture, good chair and desk/computer set up)
Physiotherapy
Hydrotherapy
Eating a wide range of foods
Avoiding dehydration
Running repairs - compression gloves, bracing and/or taping whatever joint hurts today this minute
Not going crazy on exercise, but gentle stretching when not flaring badly or going swimming just to move or even just stand in the water
Keeping moving gently instead of staying absolutely still - doesn't mean staying on your feet, it can mean sitting down and circling them
Not getting too cold - or too hot (so heat pads and access to fans/aircon in summer or when flaring, cooler water when joints are hot, that kind of thing)
Not believing anybody who reckons they've found something that'll fix it without 'Big Pharma' getting involved

Paraffin hand and foot treatments can be soothing, as can warm oil massages, sweeping across towards the heart to help swelling drain rather than painful pressing/rubbing/etc.