A new RA symptom (ankle)?

[Gottarelax]

I'm happily taking steroids, MTX and sulphazalasine and, most likely due to the steroids, am feeling relatively good. We'll see how things go now that my dose is tapering below usual effectiveness.

Anyhow, one thing that is happening every I walk downstairs for the past 5 days is that my ankle somehow locks (feels like it will click but doesn't) with a sharp pain and I almost fall downstairs. Always seems to happen about half way down and I limp down a couple of steps after. By the time I have walked a few paces from the bottom of the stairs it's fine again. I have learned to make sure I have a hand on the railing now and no carrying things with 2 hands! Is this an RA thing?

[helixhelix]

osteoarthritis maybe?

[Gottarelax in reply to helixhelix]

I tend to forget about the fact that I am generally aging as well as having RA🙂

[Lolabridge in reply to Gottarelax]

Uncontrolled or poorly controlled Rheumatoid Arthritis can lead to osteoarthritis in various joints. Also any damage to the joint from years ago can be the cause. I'm hypermobile and was always spraining my ankles so my right ankle is now really damaged and painful to walk or stand on for even a fairly short time (so stairs are bad for me too and I'm glad I've got my stairlift!). You are probably noticing joint issues more like your ankle problem as you are tapering off the prednisolone.

I'm getting an ultrasound-guided steroid injection into the ankle joint soon, which should help a bit. I had one two years ago and it did improve things for well over a year. I'm trying to avoid an ankle fusion operation but expect that may be necessary eventually.

Why don't you mention the problem to your Rheumy and, if no help is offered, I suggest you ask for a referral to a musculoskeletal consultant to see what is happening in the joint.

[Gottarelax in reply to Lolabridge]

I’ll be seeing the nurse at the end of the month so I’ll mention it. Your ankle sounds really painful, I hope the steroid injection gives you more pain-free years!

[smilelines]

I have had something like that happen. It hurts so much and then it suddenly goes away. It is a Sharpe pain and my ankle locks and the pain is so strong I really can't walk just hobble. It happened to me periodically for probably about six months but it hasn't happened for the last six months. I was thinking what I had was a nerve type of a thing. I think it is related to the RA. Maybe there was some swelling and a nerve was pinched or something.

[Gottarelax in reply to smilelines]

it does sound similar. Hopefully it’ll just go away. I do notice a little bubble of swelling pop out when I move my ankle a certain way so it could be pressure when I have my foot at an angle for walking downstairs.

[smilelines in reply to Gottarelax]

it is so strange because it hurts so much then it just goes away and I am fine.

[Tallulah51]

Morning,

I have the same symptoms, and as someone mentioned I suspect after some research online, that this is probably osteo-arthritis.

I feel your pain as it is excrutiating and literally stops me in my tracks briefly, then the limping on for a while until it goes. Really frustrating.

I have mentioned this to my specialist several times and almost get an eye roll and told that I will have osteo-arthritis as well as psoriatic arthritis as it causes damage to the joints. It's sort of missing the point, which is that I need help with it.

Not sure what sort of relationship you have with your specialist, but may be worth pushing to get a scan done to see if there is joint damage and then taking whatever treatments they suggest if there is. Now I have managed to finally get my meds sorted, this is the next thing that I am going to push for as my specialist is not great and only seems to be able to deal with one issue at a time, rahter than looking at the whole picture.

Good luck and I hope you find some relief

[oldtimer2]

It sounds as if you have instability in your ankle which is most likely to be the result of osteo-arthritis. In certain positions it locks up painfully suggesting that the cartilage is worn. It might be worth experimenting with different positions of your foot when on the stairs (holding on!) to see if you can avoid it happening. A podiatrist might be helpful too.

[greynot]

I get that sometimes too. Osteoarthritis has been suggested (it gets blamed for most pains I get, as my RA is well controlled).