One year after diagnosis and symptoms are significantly worse
Just over a year ago I was finally diagnosed with RA after some issues with my skin and also gallbladder, though I’ve had symptoms that were written off since I was a child. Due to already having liver fibrosis and an extensive amount of allergies my Rheumatologist put me on Humira right away, but also can’t/wont give me much else to go with it. Methotrexate is out because of my liver, and I can’t take Sulfa drugs due to allergies.
The issue is that when I was diagnosed I would say symptoms were mild, even if they were in most joints. I would get moments of intense pain, but generally very little swelling and I could still function fine. Pain would last for a day or two. Now, however, I have experience some type of pain and swelling in at least one new joint every 3-5 days. And it’s swelling to the point I can hardly move the affected joint. Last week my knuckles swelled so bad they bruised. Today I had to get my ankle brace out and take my shoes off at work because my ankle started swelling.
Clearly the medication isn’t really working (it really only did for the first three ish months) but I’m also really concerned about the speed at which this has progressed. It took years to get to the point I was at before starting meds and now just over a year later I’m significantly worse off than I was before.
Outside of just venting, has this happened to anyone else? I’ve also been wondering if I could possibly have more than one autoimmune issue? I’m going to be seeing the doctor soon but doctors tend to be a bit clinical and like to hear others actual experiences.