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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Rheumatoid Arthritis

31 replies

Angels1111 · 28/01/2026 10:09

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.

OP posts:
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:
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.

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

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 😕

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.

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.

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