Shin and forearm pains??

[girli1111]

Hello! Havn’t posted for a while.... I have RA and on methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine sulphate, officially ‘in remission’, but fatigues always! In the last two weeks one ankle has swollen painfully, and the knee on the other leg.... I out this down to end of term exertion as I’m on my feet all day with 4 and 5 year olds... but now I have really bad pain in both of my shins and both of my forearms.... and I’ve not experienced RA in these places before. Any thoughts? Pain so bad that I had to run a bath at 2am and take more codeine and paracetamol despite taking it before I’d gone to bed, and sleeping with my legs raised. Great start to my summer break! 😂

[oldtimer]

Sounds as if you need advice from the Rheumatology Team - so you have a specialist nurse to call?

[girli1111 in reply to oldtimer]

Yes I do have a number.... they usually take days to respond, but I guess I should do that, thanks for the reminder

[Mmrr]

It sounds as if you need some advice from rheumatology?I did get forearm pain and buring when my RA was not so well controlled, a MRI showed tenosynovitis.

[girli1111]

Apologies for typos... it won’t let me edit for some reason!

[Sheila_G]

Definitely a chat with rheumatology. It may alao be a combination of doing too much in this heat. Good luck getting through.

[Mrspainting48]

Hi there.....just to say over the 40 odd years i have lived with RA....pain. sorenessand tenderness has not missed an area on my body......as connective tissue is all of you...first 20 years on every drug they prescribed.....second 20 years + drug intollerant.....same fatigue same pains same soreness....only now not one or two

area's but several at once.....cold drafts and extreme heat cause more pain.....top this with Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis........

Looking back I would have done so much differently.....watched my weight...stopped doing what ever when my body complained....looked after my hands...more gentle exercise yoga....biggest change no stress by me not being a caring softee taking on all the woes of the world....

Hindsite is a marvelous thing.....

My advice is look after you first....because

if your not well you cant look after anyone else...oh yes and Positive thouhts always........x

[girli1111 in reply to Mrspainting48]

Thank you.... I think we all learn this the hard way eventually! I’ve got a lot better at knowing my limits, and I have an extremely supportive and loving partner who is amazingly tolerant of my days when I just can’t do anything! I’m feeling a little improved today, so that’s a relief. Fibromyalgia was also added to my RA diagnosis at one point, but everything seems so mixed up it’s hard to know what is what! I must say though that the constant fatigue really gets me down... there seems no end to it! I’ve been diagnosed since early 30s and I’m now in my early 50s, but I still get in a rage sometimes about how unfair it all is!

[smilelines in reply to girli1111]

It sure seems unfair to me too. I get mixed up on whether it is my fibromyalgia or RA, also. My forearms are often sore and my shins have been sore, too. I am not presently controlled with regards to the RA I don’t think.🤷‍♀️I wish I could be more helpful.

[Biofreak]

It could be your RA but you mentioned that you are on your feet all day which may account for the swelling in your knee and ankle. I got the terrible pain in my shin on my left leg once and that turned out to be not my RA but posterior tibial tendonitis which was diagnosed by a physiotherapist. This was caused by me using my left leg more than my right leg because I had fractured a toe on my right foot. Also the physio discovered that my ankles turned in slightly on both legs and said I needed orthotic insoles for my shoes to a avoid it happening again. However the treatment for the tendonitis was specific leg exercises and elevation of the leg and regular ice packs on it whilst resting. I would definitely speak to rheumatology nurse and ask for a referral to physiotherapy. Or your GP could refer you for physio if it would be quicker.

[girli1111 in reply to Biofreak]

Thank you …. Your reply has actually reminded me that rheumatology were going to refer me to orthotics for inserts, I will chase that!

[Biofreak in reply to girli1111]

Ah! So it could well be the cause. But do the ice and rest thing as I found that helped a lot to reduce the inflammation and relieve the pain a lot.

[girli1111 in reply to Biofreak]

Yes, it really could, I had forgotten about the ankles rolling in thing! I’ve been icing my ankle and sitting and sleeping with my legs raised and the swelling has reduced already, thank you for your replies