I’ve had severe seropositive systemic RA for 8 years now. My pain control needs have varied during thar time. After a point over the counter meds just don’t cut it. For some years I was on Vicodin, and I found this med very good, no pain, no side effects, no habituation. Some become habituated, but if you look at the stats the number is low. There are certainly quite a few at risk for addiction, and each is a tragedy, but for others the risk is low. With Rituximab my pain was in control, but after 4 years I can no longer take it as it was causing hemodynamic instability. Now on new meds, not as much control, much more pain, but no bad side effects.
For years I had trouble sleeping. I tried all the meds, but they were borderline effective and the side effects were bad. My docs talked to me about trying medical cannabis. At first I resisted, but after much research I was amazed at how many studies show benefit, and there are no competent studies showing ill effects.
So, I gave it a try. At first I used medibles (cannabis cookies) for sleep. WOW! I’ve now slept well for years. Encouraged, I trialed using the cannabis for daily pain. The results have been great! Less pain, no side effects, and I was able to discontinue the pain meds. I make my own cookies, honey, and other concoctions. All have worked well. I’m in Maine, and medical cannabis is legal, safe, highly accepted and available.
Depending on the laws where you are I’d recommend looking into it, do your research, and try if it looks right for you. For me, it’s been a God send.

Good luck finding the right solution for you!

You deserve effective pain relief. There are many forms that this may take. But insist on being heard and don’t let providers off the hook without an effective pain control plan. RA is a serious condition known for causing pain. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR PROVIDERS TO NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS YOUR SYMPTOMS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOU AS A PERSON!
Hang in there!

I have tried cannabis with THC for sleep and it works better than ambient with no side affects.

Yes, I tried cannabis too. I found that it just kind of took the edge off slightly. Maybe I wasn’t doing a high enough dose or the right ratio of CBD to THC. Maybe I’ll give it another shot. I found that the drops under the tongue don’t work well. Edibles seem to work the best. Ibuprofen stopped working for me, and I am definitely afraid of an opioid addiction. I tried acupuncture years ago and had the needles in for about a minute before I was in severe pain and begging them to get them out of me. I tried a copper bracelet and it gave me pain. Maybe that means I’m allergic to copper.