I was diagnosed with sero-positive RA 2 years ago. I’m now on biologics and although not pain free an improved significantly. I flare due to hormones but am starting to experience pain and stiffness deep in my buttocks, with some hip pain. The pain is worse on sitting and I get considerable stiffness after being seated.
Could this pain be linked to my RA? My inflammation levels are v low and so clinically my disease is pretty well controlled.
I have also wondered if I may have fibromyalgia as do sufferer with back pain, migraines and general malaise but my consultant dismissed this as just said with RA there is so much crossover.
Just wondered if anyone else experiences this kind of pain.
Thank you as always
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Sapphire1701
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I get this buttock pain you describe, it’s part of my ankylosing spondylitis. Inflammatory markers aren’t raised in 50% of patients. It due to inflammation of the sacroiliac joints. It is possible to have both RA & AS
Yes! This was my first symptom of RA and I always know when I'm having a bit of a flare because I find sitting an agony. I have had to get a particularly cushioned office chair. I found that not only could I not sit, I was also extremely stiff in trying to stand up and had to start sitting in raised chairs and get a raised loo seat. That's all much better now but it was the worst symptom for me.
Hi.. that’s where I am atm.. I actually think is flare related, I have other increased pain and stiffness.. I flare often with hormone fluctuations. Drives me mad. It just seems to be new.. pains always been wrists, hands, knees predominantly..
I see my consultant soon apparently so will discuss with him. Imagine just another thing to get used to. I’ve only been diagnosed past 2 years..
Yes I can relate to this buttock pain along with outer hip pain i I definitely recommend to get it checked out. Back in January I shared my concerns with my rheumatologist who referred me to physio and arranged a mri scan to check my si joints and spine. I have a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis which can affect these joints. I have to say the pain is bad enough that I can’t sleep on the affected side at all.
However after waiting months for both referrals the mri was negative for inflammatory arthritis in sacroiliac joints and spine. However physio has said all my glute muscles are severely weak and the pain I’m experiencing is muscular. To be honest I’m not convinced as I didn’t think muscular pain would be so intense. And three months into physio my pain has got no better with trying to strengthen the muscles.
Your best bet is to go to your GP and let him or her diagnose your latest problem which may or may not be anything to do with your RA but may need an orthopaedic opinion.
Lower back and buttock pain can be due to many different moving parts of the spine and hips so although many will have similar pains they won’t necessarily have the same problem as you have now and so to be sure go and get peered and poked at by a doctor. Best of luck and hope you get relief from your pain soonest.
note my diagnosis made in 1979 when I was 17 is Adult onset Stills Disease. Main symptoms joint pain and immobility, fever, rash, sore throat, fatigue and general malaise. In the last 20 years I developed other AI conditions such as Lichen Sclerosus, dry eyes, Depytrens contracture (sorry spelling) and menopause st 52 seemed to make things worse. In 2023 I became very unwell with lots of new symptoms but nothing significant diagnosed and dismissed by GP as hysterical, depressed, anorexic female.
Nevertheless new joint pain, increased joint pain and in recent months buttocks have become sore and stiff with agonising pain in the hips with all the symptoms you and the replies here mention. Prescription for naproxen which helps but aggravates stomach so a PPI to protect it which causes debilitating headaches and aggravates diverticulitis one of the new things .
I understand rheumatoid conditions affect the digestive organs and have to tolerate this. Initially I thought this new hip agony must be sciatica or something I’d done to cause it but it’s sporadic and has lasted many months. Then I though of OA and wondered if I need a new hip.
Stills Disease is rare, GP knows nothing, all the tests he’s done show nothing which is not uncommon with Stills however I’m not prepared to live with increased level of pain and am researching like mad.
Things like PMR and Fibromyalgia pop up in my reading but symptoms don’t match so I’ll keep reading.
I hope you find answers soon and if I do I’ll post here in the meantime I’m lying flat in my back trying to put clothes on as I cannot bend from the hip 🤨
I'm also currently experiencing lower back and pain in my buttock. I've experienced this before, fairly frequently as minor discomfort, and severely in 2021 which was so bad I couldn't walk more than a few metres before needing to lay down to relieve the pain. This was diagnosed as sciatic nerve pain, which went after a couple of weeks, with physio. In both cases I believe lifting movements triggered it, but not lifting anything heavy. I think it was a combination of lifting someting quite light and twisting (I should know better!).
My current pain is not as severe as in 2021 but worse than normal and bad enough to disrupt sleep some nights and resulted in me having to lay on the living room floor at night (our bed seems to be too soft and makes it worse).
After three weeks of no improvement, I saw my GP who again said it was sciatica. I was prescribed stronger pain relief (over the counter pain relief wasn't helping) and offered a referral to either physio, chiropractor or osteopath, up to six sessions. I'm seeing a chiropractor as they had the shortest waiting list and have had two treatments so far, plus exercises to do at home. The pain is less intense, but still present, so I'm back to over-the-counter pain relief.
I hadn't considered it could be linked to my RA, but I guess it's possible. Especially as I'm not currently taking any RA drugs and haven't for 9 weeks, without any very obvious return of RA symptoms (I'm getting some minor wrist pain but not obviously the return of RA and the last CRP blood result was 1). So, I'm delaying restarting the RA drugs until and unless RA symptoms are obviously returning.
If your buttock pain has dragged on, I would see your GP (GP said it can take up to 8 weeks to go, after which he'd refer me for scans). There are stretches online than are simple to do that might help if it is sciatica, (they seem to help me) but seeing a medical practitioner first is probably safest. The chiropractor also recommended a cold compress as a treatment for sciatic nerve pain. I'd been applying a hot water bottle so that was wrong, although they said a hot compress a good way to warm muscles before stretches. Hope this helps. Seb.
IHi .l too experienced similar pains and have lost height now as well and a recent scan showed l have a degenerate spine causing the problems so have been prescribed pain killers 4 times a day which it is keeping it under control. A discussion with your GP or Rheumy consultant to ask for a scan or xray. Hope you get it sorted soon
I too get this "pain in the bum". I found I can often help myself with various soft tissue problems...I bought a copy of the book "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" and it often helps me to overcome nasties that suddenly arrive....without warning. I find that a tennis ball dropped into a stocking (or one leg of an old pair of tights) knotted each side to keep it in place has often helped me to find and deal with sore spots. By using the tight/stocking you do not keep dropping the ball. The book is very easy to follow and may just help others. It covers the complete body. Briefly by placing the ball on hurting places you find the "exquisite hurt" place and make say ten circles on it and this unlocks the tightness that is occurring. I do this several times per day and it recently helped with my "sore buttock". It has been brilliant to unlock sore shoulders. When I started my Arthur journey many years ago NRAS were invaluable and since then I have found several ways of helping myself and this book has been such a great help. Hugs to you all.☕
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