Can You Ever Stop RA Meds? The Honest Answer

Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Go Into Remission? 0:00

Welcome back to The Room Doc. Today we are tackling the single most common question I get in my clinic every single day. Can my rheumatoid arthritis actually go into remission? Before I go further, don't forget to like and subscribe to our channel and accept our gifts, the free book as well as a recipe of an anti-inflammatory smoothie. And let me also start with a story. This is a Story of a 38 year old lady that came to my Clinic. and I remember very clearly when I first saw her she was looking down at her hand that were swollen it was taking her 45 minutes every morning just to get her fingers moving enough to make her coffee she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and asked the question will I ever feel normal again or is this a journey that I have to live my life If you have recently been diagnosed or you've been struggling with pain due to RA for years,

Why Early Treatment Matters 0:54

you probably have asked that exact same question many times. Here is the truth that most people don't realize. Remission is not rare, it is a highly realistic goal. Based on available data, Between 75-80% of rheumatoid arthritis patients can achieve remission or low disease activity. You do not have to settle for a life defined by pain due to rheuma. there requires a strategy today I'm going to give you that three keys that give You the best possible chance to achieve remission and stay until the end I have also a checklist that will help you remember those keys so the key number one start early the window is closing.

Rheumatoid arthritis is most aggressive in the first few months. We call this the window of opportunity. It is typically the 1st 3 to 6 months after your symptoms begin. If we start aggressive treatment within this window, the data shows that 61% of the patients hit remission within just 4 months! If you wait, hoping it will go away on its own, that window closes.

Treat-to-Target and Adjusting Therapy 2:12

The inflammation becomes harder to stop and permanent joint damage can set in. That's why do not wait. Number two, treat to target. This is like a GPS recalculating your route of rheumatoid arthritis. When we start a medication, we don't just write a prescription and say good luck. We set a specific target Remission or very low disease activity. At three months, you should be feeling at least 50% better. By six months we want you to be at the goal or the target of remission. If you are not there, we don't settle.

We change the medication, adjust the dose or add a new therapy. we recalculate the route until we get you the destination of the remissions. Now the key number three and this is the most underutilized tool and we call that NASCAR ADVANTAGE N-E-S-C-A-R. We have talked about this a lot in our prior videos so go to those videos to learn more about what is NASCAR.

Lifestyle Support With the NASCAR Framework 3:24

Medication is the fire hose that puts out the flame of inflammation. But the lifestyle changes is what rebuild the house. You cannot reach true lasting optimization with medication alone. That's why medication with lifestyle change is a key for long term success in rheumatoid arthritis journey. And this is where our NASCAR framework comes in. Nutrition. Eating an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet. Exercise, daily gentle movement to keep your joints lubricated. Stress care, calming the nervous system to prevent flares.

Medication lowers the inflammation, but your daily habits build the resilience. That's why don't underestimate the power of lifestyle changes. Now the next question everyone asks is, once I am in remission, can I stop my medications? The honest answer is maybe. but carefully. Studies show that about 26 to 38 percent of the patients who achieve deep sustained remission can actually taper off their medication entirely. But listen to me very closely, this must be done gradually and under your rheumatologist supervision.

Tapering Medication Safely After Remission 4:42

Never stop suddenly. The good news is If we taper down and your symptoms start to return, 90% of the patients quickly regain control once we restart these medications. So you don't have to worry about it. Let's go back to Maria to see what happened to her. We did not wait. We started treatment immediately at month 3, she wasn't at our target, so we added a biologic. She embraced the Nescar lifestyle changes, changed her diet and started gentle daily walks. Nine months later, she walked into my clinic with zero pain, zero stiffness, and no swollen joints.

And she told me she spent the entire weekend playing in the garden. She told she spend the weekend in her garden with her daughter, completely pain free. That is what the remission is. If you want to screenshot the checklist right now, this is your roadmap to remissions in rheumatoid arthritis. Let me highlight. Number one. Start treatment early. Don't miss that three to six month window.

Mariau2019s Remission Success Story 5:48

don't let it close. Follow a treat to target strategy with your rheumatologist. Support your body with the Nescar lifestyle changes framework. never stop your medication suddenly and number five believe that remission is possible because for 70 percent of you it is you don't have to settle for a life of pain of rheumatoid arthritis with the right strategy you can have less pain more mobility and long lasting joy in your life. If you found this video helpful hit the subscribe button so you don't miss our next video and be sure to check the description below to download our free

Key Takeaways and Closing Resources 6:30

rheumatoid arthritis book and our favorite anti-inflammatory smoothie and we have also created a community in the school where you can discuss more about how you are doing the RA so join our school community. I'll see you in