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Question - Swell in ankle and hand

Since my remission in Nov 2015, this is the first time I have this problem. May I know if anyone has similar problem and if there is any advice please?

I did highlight my ankle problem to my rheumy, she said that it may not due to RA, so she would schedule a X-Ray for me before the next appointment. My next appointment will be in Apr 2021, so it will be a few more months down the road.

The swell in my ankle started since about 2 months ago, and the swell in my my hand started since about a week ago. I am not sure if this will get better by Apr. Anyhow, not much improvement after so long and they are a little bit painful when touch.

Your advice will be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Amy

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Amy_Lee

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23 Replies

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Niao2 years ago

Could they be ganglion cysts? I have similar things and that is what the Rheumatologist told me. Some other little lumps he said were rheumatoid nodules. He didn't go on to give any advice as to what to do with them but I don't think there is much to do unless the cysts get so big they are causing a problem, in which case they can,I think, be aspirated . Hope you get some answers. Xxx

Amy_Lee in reply to Niao2 years ago

Thank you so much for the reply, no treatment or advice too from my rheumy except to schedule for a X-Ray in Apr. I will check what ganglion cysts is all about. Anything will be appreciated as I can start checking from there.

Amy_Lee in reply to Niao2 years ago

I have just Google a few medical websites of ganglion cysts. This is the first time I come across this name. Thank you so much, Niao. It sounds very much like it, so I shall see if it will go away in future. Apparently no treatment needed, only when it affects the mobility then doctor will do something about it.

Niao in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

I hope it is this too but, obviously, if things do get any worse maybe a call to your doctor would give some reassurance . All the very best Amy_Lee. Xxx

Amy_Lee in reply to Niao2 years ago

I will give it a few more weeks, if there is still no improvement, then I will walk in to see if there is any luck for me.

Niao in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

That's good but I hope you don't need to.🙂

bubblyalex2 years ago

I am sorry ... too early on on this to know. Do send those photos to your team ... xrays all be good but helpful for them to see the photos because xrays don’t always show things up.

Niao in reply to bubblyalex2 years ago

Very true, good advice! X

Amy_Lee in reply to bubblyalex2 years ago

Do you mean to send the photo to my rheumy team? Over here we see our rheumy personally and she had seen my ankle when I saw her last month. After the appointment, the swell on my hand came up, so I will only wait for the next appointment to show her later. Of course, I will let her see the photo then.

bubblyalex in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

Send it to her now so she can make decisions with X-rays now. April is a long away and you don’t want to be stuck with irreversible damage.

Amy_Lee in reply to bubblyalex2 years ago

In Malaysia, the procedure is very different, normally our rheumy will only entertain us when we see them during our appointment. Anyhow, I will try to walk in to see if she will entertain me.

bubblyalex in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

Oh I see. Good luck 🤞🏻

Amy_Lee in reply to bubblyalex2 years ago

That is the reason why I ask in here hoping to find more information before I know how to Google the information.

bubblyalex in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

It is so great that we can all come together here thanks to the NRAS for advice all over the world. 😊

Amy_Lee in reply to bubblyalex2 years ago

Agree! In this way we can share a lot of different experience then we can decide the best for our own problem.

Zara0123 in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

Hi Amy sorry I'm a bit late answering your question. I too have this lump on both hands. They appeared one after the other. Mine are further up between my wrist and thumb I have them in the same place on both hands and they were quite painful especially in the morning when they first appeared. It felt like they were attached to something inside in my hands. They use to hurt during the day too. These lumps use to rise and be more painful at certain times randomly. I think I had had them for 8/9 months but when I was put on prednisolone the pain went away and I forgot about them. They are still a bit raised and have never flattened completely but are not painful anymore. Maybe because I take Mtx now. But they were very painful before that. Sometimes really painful. I use to put voltarol gel on the lumps at night. A friend said to me it could be a ganglion cyst but mine were in both hands so not sure if they were. I actually thought it was just swelling on my bone. Never got round to showing it to Rhematologist or Dr so I'm not sure what these lumps were. I use to put voltarol gel on the lumps at night and wear arthritis compression gloves as I use to have a lot of swelling on my fingers and wrists and my hands were very painful through the night. The images I saw when I researched ganglion cyst the lumps were very big and obvious mine were not and I don't think your is unless for some people the lumps are big. Are your lumps hard or soft when you press on it. Mine are hard like when you press on a bone.

Amy_Lee in reply to Zara01232 years ago

Hi Zara, thank you so much for the response, I certainly appreciate it very much.

When I google ganglion cyst, it did mention that the cyst can be very small to quite big. I will check again in this.

The one on my hand is a bit hard but the one on my leg is softer. My rheumy touched and checked on the one on my leg and said that it may not be due to RA. She scheduled the x-ray for me to determine that. I am not sure how x-ray can help to determine it.

This is the first time I learn the ganglion cyst, hence no experience in this yet. Need to find out more in this. It is good to get responses from people who have similar problem.

Zara0123 in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

Hopefully the x-ray will give you an answer to what the lump is. I feel mine is related to RA as it happened in 2019 and that's when all the other swelling was quite bad for me. Mine was not painful when it appeared but became painful soon after. Hopefully yours will not be painful as you are on Mtx.

Amy_Lee in reply to Zara01232 years ago

How is your RA condition now? Did your RA started in 2019?

Zara0123 in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

My RA started about 5 years ago. But it became worse about 3 years ago. I mentioned to you before that to avoid taking Mtx I tried herbal medicine and more herbal stuff and then last year in January I had a appointment with my Rheumatologist and he said my inflammation markers were very high and I really needed to start Mtx but I wanted to tried Cbd oil so he gave me 3 month and said after that I'd get in touch with him and start Mtx. He also told me Cbd oil would not work but he'd give me a chance to try it. I did and it didn't work at all. It cost £60 for a bottle and only lasted 10 days and I took it for 10 weeks and it made no difference to my condition so I got in touch with my Rheumatologist in April and was put on Prednisolone due to Covid and then in June started Mtx as my Rheumatologist said it was safe to. The stiffness I use to feel which caused unbearable pain has completely gone thanks to Mtx and so has the swelling. I could not get out of bed or walk down the stairs. It was like dying a new death everyday. I use to feel scared to go to sleep at night as I knew I would wake up in so much pain. I don't like to remember those days as all I remember doing was crying the whole day as life seemed impossible to live. I wish I had started Mtx earlier. But I didn't have anyones support apart from my son's. The stiffness and swelling is gone thanks to Mtx but I still get pain and this cold feeling in me everyday, like I've got a fever. That cold feeling is in my feet and it makes me ache and I feel it around my kneck in my glands and in my thighs and it gets worse as the day goes by and I need to take 2 Co-codamol in the morning and two at night so I can manage the pain. I want to come off the pain killers but don't think I can manage without them yet. I have been on Mtx for 8 months now. I also have a underactive thyroid I take Levothyroxine for it and my iron levels came up as very low recently so I'm taking iron tablets for that. I hope I can come off the Co-codamol as thats my real worry. It's something I will talk to my Rheumatologist about when I next speak to him.

Amy_Lee in reply to Zara01232 years ago

It is indeed very hard for us to manage when RA is yet to be under control.

Like you, I also have thyroid issue. I have removed 2/3 of my thyroid a year before I was diagnosed RA.

I took max 20 mg Mtx, when my liver was bad then only my rheumy decided to reduce the dosage slowly.

In my case, I was declared in remission after about a year and a half treatment hence just give Mtx some time to put your RA in remission.

Zara0123 in reply to Amy_Lee2 years ago

I wonder if there's some link between RA and thyroid problems. I was told I had a underactive thyroid about 2 years ago, 3 years after being diagnosed with RA . Maybe one autoimmune disease triggers another one off. I hope and pray I can go into remission one day soon like you, but I have delayed starting Mtx so it may take me longer then you. As long as I get there in the end.

Amy_Lee in reply to Zara01232 years ago

I realize many RA patients also have thyroid issue, so I think somehow there is some kind of connection between the 2.

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