Fellow RA sufferers

[Sweetiesweets]

I experience flares mostly in my hands & feet .. does anyone else experience this

[Tangerine25]

I am undiagnosed and have an appointment with rheumatologist in 2 weeks. I experience flares in wrists/hands and feet (especially ankles). I just want to say I am very sorry for the pain you are experiencing and I hope you are seeing a rheumatologist soon to find a good treatment that works for you 💕.xxxx

[Sweetiesweets in reply to Tangerine25]

Thank you for your kind words .. I wish you the best of luck with the rheumy in 2 weeks xx

[Tangerine25 in reply to Sweetiesweets]

Thank you ❤️😊. xx

[Sheila_G]

Hi. Mine are usually in hands and shoulders but can literally be anywhere.

[Dawn7]

Hi, yes, mine began in my hands and feet., but often we can have pain in other joints and not necessarily connect it with the RA - but it may well be. I am sorry to hear you are suffering, I hope you can get some help and relief soon. Take care.

[Hollyhock123]

Do get it checked out, as I (thought) was the same. But recently that pain has been confirmed as being from osteoarthritis. RA controlled and not flaring. Take care

[ABwn]

My flares are mostly in hands and wrists. Take care.

[Cukulen]

Hi. My RA 'journey' began nearly 16 years ago in my left foot. It then went on to take over my other foot & both wrists/hands. I've recently had x-rays on my knees. I hope you find something to ease your pain. It's not nice at all. x

[Choccy23]

It's mostly my hands, wrists, arms, and ankles that are affected but my left shoulder sometimes joins the party.I also get pain in my knees but they are behaving at the moment.

😉

[Carolsos in reply to Choccy23]

I also have pain in my shoulders and wrists, thumbs hands and arms! It's never ending!

[Choccy23 in reply to Carolsos]

Yes, it can be. Although, I was fighting a bad cough for over three weeks and during the past month I had no aches.Since the cough has cleared and I had to take a break from MTX due to having the flu jab and Covid booster, my hands have started to play up again.

[Tkat10 in reply to Choccy23]

Sounds very familiar, while waiting for my last treatment change they tried telling me some of the pain was wear and tear. But on starting new biological strangely it has almost all resolved. Don’t get me wrong there are good days and days where I could happily just lie back down in bed, I avoid giving in to ensure a proper sleep pattern and I think it is helping. We all have to move to the beat of our own bodies and what works for one may or may not work for another but always worth a try.

[Haz58]

Mine began in my feet, now mostly affects feet and hands. Trying to get someone to take notice of your feet, even to look at them is crazy! I was just told, we know it’s RA in your feet as it’s on your hands 🤦‍♀️

[Lolabridge]

If you are getting frequent flares then do contact your rheumy team as your medication may need adjustment. I have RA, OA, Osteoporosis and was also recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. If my RA is flaring I usually get more fatigue and general malaise as well as pain and stiffness in my joints.

[smilelines in reply to Lolabridge]

Hi there. Do you find that when you have a flare that you can tell if it is a fibromyalgia flare or a RA flare or do you think that both flare at the same time. I am having such a hard time discerning which is the fibromyalgia and which is the RA when I have a flare. I think they might flare at the same time. Thanks!

[Lolabridge in reply to smilelines]

I haven’t really worked out the difference yet but others who have had Fibromyalgia longer may have done. I hope they will tell you their experiences.

[smilelines in reply to Lolabridge]

Thank you. It is indeed tricky!

[Wearylady]

Welcome to my world,though now I have medications that work it's not so bad,but you do have my sympathy.x

[nomoreheels]

Hiya Sweetiesweets, welcome. I'm sorry you're having flares, are they regular? You say your methotrexate has stopped working. Was this after trying injections or an increase in dose & if they didn't help what DMARD is being considered next? Hopefully whatever comes next will bring greater control for you & the flares will subside.

My RD first manifested in my feet so are always the worst affected when disease activity rises. That said I recently looked back on my records & it was also found my hands, no erosions whereas there were in my feet. They are badly affected by OA not RD though so I may be misunderstanding why my feet are always the first & worst affected. It is the hands & feet which are usually said to be where RD attacks first & referred with such. I do have other joint involvement, my shoulders & right hip can join the party sometimes, a steroid injection helps get over the worst but they're not as fierce as my feet. Anyway, either an increase in MTX & my maintenance prednisolone often helps. That said it's not the case with my recent increase in pred, I wasn’t able to increase MTX this time so maybe that has some bearing.

I hope you find it helpful being here, being in touch with others who know how it really helps. 😊

Great quote by the way!

[Happy5]

Owdidoo flares are difficult to deal with.Mine are usually shoulders, upper arms and hand, my feet like to join in sometimes.

[Hidden in reply to Happy5]

Owdidoo?

[smilelines]

I experience the same. Hands and feet but for me also wrists and sometimes ankles. So unfunny when I can barely walk!

[beasehorn]

Yes! I am on a Biologic and Methotrexate and I woke up with a swollen foot three days ago. I took a hot bath with Epson salts, massaged my foot, and took 1mg of Prednisone. Day 3 the swelling is down. I probably will not take the Prednisone tomorrow and apply ice. Hang in there! My hands swelled up too last week. My left hand for 2 days and my right hand for one day.😘

[Hidden]

I have a diagnosis of Stills Disease which for me manifests as RA with fever and sore throat daily. I’m drug free apart from pain relief and topical treatments for associated rashes etc and have lived with it for over 40 years.I have residual joint immobility from the initial attack mainly in my wrists and knees and these joints are continuously stiff and sore. Other joints have joined in over the last 20 years and specifically the last 10 years post menopause.

I do however get flares when the already affected joints get much worse and all the others join in. Often caused by stress, tiredness, or general malaise. On these days I stay warm, still and quiet and wait for it to be over.

I’ve read but can’t substantiate claims that certain foods cause flares; I suspect some do for some of us. Sadly I can report with confidence that wine and doing too much housework or playing hide and seek with my grandchildren does make my joints worse so I pace myself with both - most of the time.

Wishing you less flare ups.