Adam Thomas has revealed he is now in “excruciating pain” due to his ongoing battle with arthritis, as he shared a new update with his Instagram followers on Wednesday.
The former Strictly star, 36, who has opened up about his experiences, admitted he can now ‘barely walk’ due to the debilitating nature of the condition.
Adam previously revealed he has been in pain every day for two years and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis last year.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and for which there is currently no cure.
Sharing how he is doing now, the Waterloo Road actor posted a black and white photo of himself wrapped in a jacket alongside a long caption.
Adam Thomas has revealed he is now in ‘excruciating pain’ due to his ongoing battle with arthritis, as he shared a new update with his Instagram followers on Wednesday
The former Strictly star, 36, who has opened up about his experiences, admitted he can now ‘barely walk’ due to the debilitating nature of the condition
He wrote: ‘The pain is quite unbearable at the moment, it’s like my whole body is seizing up! The pain was bad before, but now it is much worse. How come?’
About his treatment he said: ‘Now I wish I was never off methotrexate because I would suffer from this every day of the week!!
‘I just started my new medicine today, it takes twelve weeks to take effect and even then it may not work, so I’m not sure what I can do until then to ease the pain? I had my steroid injections and it literally lasted a week.”
Adam further revealed that he was seeking further treatment for his intense pain, stating: ‘I can’t go on like this.’
Revealing his daily struggles, he continued, “I couldn’t even get dressed on my own this morning, couldn’t drive to work, I mean I can barely walk and my wrists and fingers feel like they’re broken, that’s no exaggeration!
‘Without work I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed today. It got better all day with a huge amount of painkillers!
“But wow…the last few days have been scary. I cried to myself a little today, it can really get to you!!
‘I’m not saying this for a sob story or for sympathy, I’m just trying to raise awareness about this disease and what so many others are going through, good, bad, ugly…I’m lucky that I have a great support system and not many people do that for everyone who is experiencing the same thing and is alone! I see you, I feel you!!
‘It will get better, don’t give up. x If you know someone who is suffering, just call them and report.”
Earlier this month, Adam revealed for the first time that he is having “difficulty walking” as he updated fans on his health amid his battle with arthritis.
Earlier this month, Adam revealed for the first time that he has a ‘difficulty walking’ as he updated fans on his health amid his battle with arthritis
He first announced his diagnosis in August last year as he prepared for the BBC series Strictly meant he could hardly anticipate his dance debut last September.
Adam has since kept fans updated on his condition and shared a lengthy update on how he’s doing, revealing that the side effects of methotrexate injections were ‘just too much’ for him so he’s trying a new type of drug .
In addition to rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate is also commonly given to people suffering from psoriasis, Crohn’s disease and cancer.
The main side effect of using such a drug is an increased tendency to contract and suffer worse from infections such as Covid-19 and the flu.
He wrote: ‘So for those of you who know, I have been on my methotrexate injections for a while now and the side effects were just too much for me, I’ve had enough so I’ve decided to stop taking them…
‘I’ve been off it for about five weeks now and haven’t taken anything and the pain has definitely increased. I’m finding it hard to walk again, especially in the morning, and my wrists and fingers are just as bad, if not worse!
“I’ve been taking a lot of painkillers to get through it and they’ve helped ease the pain where I can train, but the next day my body is just in pieces.”
He first announced his diagnosis in August last year as he prepared for the BBC series Strictly, meaning he could hardly anticipate his dancing debut last September (pictured in February)
Adam has since kept fans updated on his condition and shared a lengthy update on how he’s doing, revealing that the side effects of methotrexate injections were ‘just too much’ for him so he’s trying a new type of drug .
Last year, Adam said he could hardly make any progress on his dance debut in September
He told his followers that he was back in the hospital today to try something different, adding, “I know a lot of you have recommended the biologics, but in order to continue with this I need to take at least two different medications have tried. First.
‘So I’ve tried the methotrexate tablets and injections and now I’m switching to sulfasalazine tablets. It’s a long process, but I just have to stay positive!’
Sulfasalazine is another medication used to treat inflammatory diseases that can lead to nausea.
Adam continued, “The thing is, I have never been pain free!! I was in pain EVERY DAY for over two years and as you can imagine, it certainly takes its toll.
‘The only time I can think of where I haven’t been pain free is when I was doing Strictly… 4-5 weeks of pain was unbearable to the point where I physically couldn’t continue. brave face, but I really suffered! .
‘Even though I was in pain and suffering physically, in my mind I wanted to keep going and the team with the strictly mentioned steroid injections to ease the pain a little and it worked tremendously!!!
“I was still fucking dancing, but the pain was gone. And so I’ll be honest, I just need some breathing space to feel normal again and I got that again today! So fingers crossed! I know it’s not a cure, but it just gives me some time until the other meds kick in!’
He closed the post with words of motivation, writing, “I really don’t talk about this to anyone, and the reason I’m sharing this is because I know many of you are suffering, but I want you to know that we have to stay strong!
‘No one will understand what we are going through. It’s hard, some good days, some bad, but we can’t let ourselves be defeated. I refuse to give in!!”
He previously updated his fans in February when he shared photos from a hospital visit, noting that he “didn’t want to suffer in silence anymore.”
Adam was accompanied at the hospital by his wife of more than six years, Caroline Daly
Adam is married to wife Caroline and the couple have son Teddy, nine, and daughter Elsie, five
He previously updated fans in February when he shared photos from a hospital visit, noting that he “didn’t want to suffer in silence anymore.”
It was unfortunately not pleasant to read, as the star revealed that the past year has been ‘the toughest period of my life so far’.
Adam was accompanied at the hospital by his wife of more than six years, Caroline Daly.
When he was first diagnosed in August 2023, he described how the diagnosis came after another eight months of pain.
“It’s had a huge knock-on effect for me personally, but not just for my family!!,” he wrote in another Instagram post.
‘And I’d like to thank @carolinethomas23 and the kids for embarking on this journey with me, as I know it’s been challenging and frustrating at times, but hopefully we’re on the right track now!
‘I don’t know much about the condition yet as I’m still learning, but what I have done is learned a lot about myself and the fact that without it all I would be lost!’