My name is Sharon, I am 64 years old and have had RA for almost 4 years now. I am currently pretty much in remission, and have been for over a year, with only occasional flareups.
At my worst, my hands were so swollen that my fingers looked like sausages and I could not close my hands into fists at all. I could not open a bottle cap or carry a coffee cup in one hand. My knees and ankles were so sore I couldn’t climb stairs or squat down. Car and plane rides were torture.
I am one of the lucky ones, however. Methotrexate works for me like magic. I take 7 tabs once a week now and one 220mg aleve every morning along with my folic acid. With an occasional tylenol, I am about 90 percent functional. I was originally taking 440 mg aleve twice a day, but began to get severe dizzy spells from it. I cannot take any other NSAID because of allergy problems.
I don’t know how long the MTX will hold me in remission, but I am grateful for this pain-free time.
Sharon