If you have RA, keep working w/ your Dr. I have this and it is very active. I do relaxation therapy, cherry juice, heat and cold compress, use the Homedics products to massage the neck , feet, back plus the neck thing you put in the microwave. I cook my oatmeal w/ cinnamon and ginger. Anything and everything that you can do. When pain won't let up, I take a Tramadol. During the day I take a mobic then later ex strength Tylenol which helps. I will try the stretching to see if that works. If I sit over 5 mins, I have trouble walking. A brace (got from the Dr) helps my ankles and got one for my wrist.
I have reactions when given the IV drugs such as Rutixan and Actemera, can't take Humeria cuz had breast cancer but that one was so great while I took it. Dr. put me on prednisone for the reactions (high dosages) and I blew up like a balloon. I was frightened of getting diabetes or heart disease from it. Get lots of rest and don't get involved in anyones baggage as that causes stress that produce flareups. I can't take the other things like Orencia, due to a lung problems. When you are able to walk, do so as excercise does help. I hope you get better. They do have pain management clinics and you may want to discuss a referral w/ your Dr. Hugs.

Thanks for this thread. I knew I was getting sicker and sicker. I looked up the side effects of Celebrex.. Yikes!!! I had about 10 of them, some very serious. Now we are trying Voltaren topical gel. Doc also recommended considering Tumeric, preferably in capsules. I guess the moral of the story is don't settle and do communicate with medical folks. Of course, what works well for one may be a really bad idea for another.

About a year ago I was having a lot of pain in my knees. I'd had 3 cortizone shots over a few months and they helped for a little while. I went to the "health" department at one of the food stores that always has staff to help and answer questions. She gave me a weeks worth of samples of ZYFLAMEND softgels by New Chapter. I took 2 a day and after a week, my pain was almost gone. I bought a large bottle and have taken it ever since. It has worked so well for me that I recommend it highly. I take a lot of prescription drugs for Diabetes, Cholesterol, Hyper-tension, and Thyroid, so I did get my Doctor's approval before taking the supplement. It's so much better than taking another prescription. God bless all of you.

I've heard that the wheat was genetically altered. How did you find out? I'd like to know what else is being engineered, that is really scary.

I beg to differ, Tramadol is from the opioid family.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

You won't find out from the mainstream media. I follow natural food blogs and the political scene. Recently, in CA there was a vote to label foods containing GMOs. Monsanto, among others spent obscene amounts of money on disinformation campaigns to discredit organic farmers and the organic movement. Ask yourself why would they not want this food labeled? Is it because you and I wouldn't buy it? You bet!
I found the information about our wheat in a talk on TED. A young housewife began digging and has launched a campaign along with so many others to bring this info to our attention.
3 years ago, I didn't see how the claims that some made that our entire food chain was ruined could be true. Now I see it. Sad.

My husband has been on a totally wheat free diet for over two years now. It has not made one bit of difference in his arthritis pain or flexibility of his joints. Wheat free diet will not work for everyone. Since he is on this diet I am on a much reduced wheat diet. My wheat comes only from my bread - no wheat products and no wheat ingredients in our purchased food. Hasn't made a difference for me either.

And it won't make a difference unless you have a sensitivity. The point around this is that we have unprecedented obesity, allergies, autism and diseases like arthritis are showing up earlier in younger people. High fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, Genetically modified wheat, corn, soy, sugar beets are flooding the processed food industry. Yesterday, I read where a woman who writes a pressure cooker blog had raging hypoglycemia for many years when she lived in the US. It all stopped when she moved to Austria for 3 years and Italy for 3 years. She was eating the same food labels (they have Kraft in EU too) but not sick. She had decided it's because the GMO among other nasty additives are outlawed in Eu.
I'm glad you know you don't have a wheat allergy, but there are many who are eating gluten free because they feel sick otherwise....and if you eat gluten free, you gotta feel sick because that stuff is nasty!

Here is the video of Robyn O'Brien talking about what happened to start her on the path of finding out about our food. If it had happened to most of us, I think we would have had the same reaction! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWXrRftyOMY

[QUOTE=leighway;5877578
, but there are many who are eating gluten free because they feel sick otherwise....and if you eat gluten free, you gotta feel sick because that stuff is nasty![/QUOTE]

My GD was born with Celiac Disease and my husband developed it at age 70. She likes the gluten free food as she has never tasted any other. We finally found a bread that my husband says tastes like bread, and he has simply removed all other wheat based dishes from his diet, dishes like pastas, pie crusts, etc. The cakes and cookies that Betty Crocker GF mixes make taste like cakes and cookies. There is an abundance of canned fruits, vegetables, and now some canned soups that are GF. His diet is not bad, just not as varied as it was. Mexican food is very easy to find GF, Italian not at all. The diet is more expensive than a regular diet, to us that is the most obnoxious thing about it, not the taste. He simply doesn't eat the bad tasting GF foods. I find it no problem to keep a GF kitchen for him and a regular one for me.