My battle to be diagnosed means my joints were severely damaged by rheumatoid arthritis, explains Anoushka Anand

Anoushka Anand, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis true story, arthritis digestI was unofficially diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2007, while on vacation in India. For the next three years, I experienced painful daily symptoms while fighting an uphill battle with my GP, as he did not believe that I had rheumatoid arthritis and would not run any tests, advising me that what I was suffering from was probably growing pains that would settle with time. Instead, my symptoms worsened.

It was only after I became acutely unwell that I demanded my GP run a full blood test, to rule out any serious illnesses. Upon the return of the blood test results I received a phone call from my GP to tell me that my rheumatoid arthritis factor had come back positive. I was urgently transferred to a specialist hospital where I am receiving very good care.

Medication

Unfortunately I had a severe allergic reactions to sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine, the DMARDs I was first prescribed. I was then put on methotrexate, which I took for just over a year before suffering another severe allergic reaction.

I was then started on biologic therapy (etanercept), which eased my symptoms. I could get out more, without really struggling. After 18 months, again I had an allergic reaction so was prescribed a different biologic drug (infliximab), which I was on for a little over two years.

Five months ago I was switched to Remsima, a biosimilar to infliximab. One of the nurse specialists gave me a leaflet to read just before my first dose of Remsima, which provided basic information on the medication.

The switch has been fine; I haven’t experienced any problems. The new drug has kept the swelling of my joints (and therefore my pain levels) down to a minimum so I am still able to get around a lot more.

But due to my late diagnosis and since my diagnosis, I suffered severe damage to some of my joints and have undergone multiple surgeries to remove damaged tissue and cartilage in my joints. I am now under the care of multiple specialist orthopaedic teams, medical teams and am currently on crutches awaiting another surgery on my knee.

Anoushka Anand is a phone line support volunteer for The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and writes for Arthur’s Place, a magazine and social network for young people with arthritis. Visit www.arthursplace.co.uk for more information.

Click here if you would like to submit your story to Arthritis Digest.

For more in-depth features, interviews and information, subscribe to Arthritis Digest magazine, a popular title that’s published six times a year. Click here for the digital version or tel 0845 643 8470 to order your had copy. You’ll know what your doctor is talking about, what new drugs are in the pipeline and be up to date on helpful products.