First of all merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a lovely one. 🎅🌟❤️Not had any RA meds since August for various reasons. Now my fingers and thumbs hurt so much I can barely use them. This I know is a flare. But during the evenings, through the night and even more so in the mornings I can't move my upper arms away from my body. The pain in my shoulders and upper arms is horrendous. It very gradually wears off a little bit they are still stiff and painful. This arm and shoulder pain is new to me. Is it part of a flare?
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Haz58
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Stiff, sore joints anywhere in your body can be part of RA and a flare. My shoulder joints were late in joining in. My small joints and lower arm soft tissues are really problematic.It is a hard time of year to be flaring due to the holidays. But 111 might be able to offer some NSAIDs if you are not managing.
Thanks Mmrr. ❤️ From your hospital bed too so kind of you to reply. I can't take NSAIDS unfortunately. On loads of morphine at the mo for other problems but it doesn't seem to touch these pains. Doc was supposed to call me yesterday with my MRI results but first he said he didn't have them, then he found them after I rang the receptionist when he sent a text instead of ringing me. He promised he'd call me but he didn't. I was going to ask him about arms too. So I guess ill have to wait untill WednesdayI'm upset, disillusioned and just wish I could sleep until Wednesday to be honest.
I've looked at a & e waiting times locally and as per they are red... 6 hours plus.
Very sorry to hear about your suffering I've experienced similar aches and pains when at times I found it difficult to feed myself, mine was a RA flare up , you definitely need more help from the experts from a specialist consultant and don't hold back emphasise how much pain you are in, obviously I don't know your history but try and stay positive, my bad days were 20 years ago I'm now in complete remission and that's no pain at all for 4 years, I pray you don't have to wait that long but it can happen, God bless Merry Christmas and hopefully a better new year.
Thank you Pitbull ☺️ gp diagnosed 2.5 years ago but Rheumatologist was about 18 months ago. I'm starting Leflunomide in January but they're pretty sure it will my tummy no good like the MTX injections. It gave me gastritis. But I have to try 2 DMARDS before they can try others. NHS protocol apparently. It stinks. So a while to go yet until they get me sorted I think. I'll beg them for another steroid Jab on Wednesday I think. Couldn't even open presents this morning. your post gives me hope though Merry Christmas and God bless. X
so great you are in remission, we all dream of it, please could you tell me what RA drugs worked for you to get to remission and if you are still taking RA drugs now ?
Merry Christmas. Very painful shoulders were certainly a sign of RA out of control and flaring in the first few years of starting with this disease before I got to a decent rheumatologist. Very dibilitating at times, I could not dress or undress, drive or lift a kettle. I wouldn’t describe the pain I felt as stiffness or sore it was far worse horrendous.
You could try a sling to rest them to ease the pain but this won’t deal with your flare. Are you able to take steroids as a temporary measure until you can get RA drugs up to a level to control your flare.
It is certainly horrendous pain I just cannot get comfortable. I'll beg them Wednesday for another steroid Jab as I can't carry on like this. I start Leflunomide in Jan but basically know it'll upset my tummy like MTX. But I have to try 2 DMARDS before they can try other medication on me.
methotrexate was very terrible for my stomach but I take 10 mg of leflunimide twice a day and it is fine for me. Nothing like the methotrexate so you might be ok on it.
honestly, I ended up in the hospital from the methotrexate. It was toxic for my system and really awful. Maybe ask the doctor to split the leflunimide into the two dosages of 10 mg twice a day just to help avoid problems. You can always switch to the 20 mg. At present I take 20 mg (2 10 mg) tues, Thurs Sat sun and 10 on Mon Wed Fri. I was really afraid it would affect me like the methotrexate.
I get serious pain and stiffness in my shoulders and neck during a flare up. Worst is when it spreads up into to my jaw - that's a real killer, and makes it horrible to talk, eat or drink. The only thing that calms these episodes for me is prednisolone. I take Methotrexate and Hyrimoz routinely, but they are insufficient to control my RA all the time. An occasional few weeks of steroids are necessary, although my rheumatology clinic don't like prescribing them. I don't like taking them, either (or any of the other poisons they give me!), but I'd be a bunched-up ball of pain without them! If I don't have prednisolone, two 30/500 co-codamol with ibuprofen every six hours and omeprazole for the stomach help with symptoms (but don't damp down the flare up so I can stop taking them, unlike steroids). Merry Christmas!
Hi. I've had the shoulder thing too before, where it's impossible to lift your arms away from your body. It's definitely an RA flare. Mine went on for quite a long time to various degrees until my meds were sorted. I'm sorry you're suffering and hope you get sorted soon x
Sometimes the pain in my shoulders and upper arms is from the tension in upper spine, trying to hold me up and do things rather than part of an actual flare. It's worth using heat/cold (whichever suits you best) and trying to gently mobilise the shoulders jouints. I find a gentle massage helps too across the muscles at the rear of the neck.
Well I do have a compressed T9 fracture so that also makes sense. Also right leg problems at the mo. A massage would be wonderful. Ive tried to teach hubby but he's just no good at it 🙄😂😂
Horrible pain in upper arm is how I started with RA. It vanished as quickly as it came and then a week later exactly same in other arm. Could not move it for the pain. Mirrored pain classic symptom apparently. Hope you get some help soon.
merry Christmas, sorry to hear of your pain, totally sympathise with you. I’m on Mtx but currently having a bad flare up and for the first time in my shoulders too. Had a steroid injection on Thursday but it hasn’t kicked in yet. I’m rubbing Ibrufen gel on my shoulders and taking paracetamols too, this is taking the edge off it.
Yes your absolutely correct. My RA symptoms and flares often occur in my fingers, wrists, shoulders, jaw, knees and randomly move between areas.
It’s an awful disease and I’m so grateful I found a biological treatment that worked for me. Like you sometimes I need to stop treatment and then the flares hit me and it’s like I had forgotten how painful it is and experience it all over again.
I hope you feel better soon. Maybe cal 111 and try to get some NSAIDs if it’s become too difficult to manage.
Yes definitely sounds like a flare. Mine lately tends to be in my larger joints like shoulders and hips. I was talking to my son yesterday about it - there was absolutely no core strength, so when I was lying down I couldn’t pull myself up, so I had to try and roll off the bed/sofa. Chatting about it now, we were in stitches of laughter, as I must have looked ridiculous- but at the time it was excruciatingly painful. 😢 Steroid jabs really helped me and upping my Mthx and introducing Sulphasalazine.
I hope you get yours sorted and your next med doesn’t affect your tummy 🤞
Just a thought, has your Doctor ever put you on a PPI such as Omeprazol for your gastritis?
Hi Chocky. Yes I've been on omeprazole for years. They upped it to 20mg twice a day when on MTX but it still got my tummy. I'm back down to 20mg a day so can up it again if I have to. I'm like my mum was, there was lots of medicines her body just wouldn't tolerate. I've rang the Rheumy nurse and left a message, so waiting to hear back from her. I can't go on like this anymore. In 2 years I've gone from being able to lay a garden patio to being able to do nothing basically. Even dressing is awkward and very painful at the mo. It's soul destroying.
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Is this a flare? 🤪 
RA factor all of sudden normal and now intense Psoriatic Flare?
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