Diagnosed with osteoarthritis about 3 years ago in hips. Subsequent symptoms and tests show it was also in my hands, fingers and wrists, as well as seronegative inflammatory arthritis diagnosed a year ago, which mostly affects the hands too.
For the last few weeks both my feet have been swollen and are now painful and stiff to the touch on the upper part of feet.
Could this be inflammatory arthritis has spread to my feet now?
On mtx and hydroxy. In constant pain and stiffness 24 hrs a day. Also have fibromyalgia. I seem to be in a flare but tbh I never know what condition is causing the pain, stiffness or flares.
Lost confidence in rheumy dept. Thanks
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hazelcats
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I have some form of inflammatory arthritis and at times the top of my feet are awful. You have my sympathy. I was eating co codamol but the GP gave me buprenorphine patches which have helped. I think my feet are not in a flare now but yesterday I did restorative yoga for 50 minutes. Struggling to walk afterwards.
Im sorry you get this too. I thought this was orobably what was happening, but usual (respected ) arthritis sites seem to focus on pain on bottom of feet, so I wanted someones own experience s as a comparison. Will phone rheumatologist dept Mon. I am already on naproxen and cocodamol for over a year as well as the mtx and hydroxy. Looks like I need a meds review
I have inflammatory arthritis and fibromyalgia. My arthritis started in my feet . I also get it in my Achilles. If I leave my feet on the floor and try to raise my toes off the floor and can’t then I know it’s inflammatory arthritis. If there is swelling again arthritis. If no swelling and pain and stiffness then fibro. I find compression socks really help
Funny my nurse friend last week was saying we should all be wearing compression socks to prevent leg ulcers. Thankfully my feet feel a bit better this morning but I'm still lying down.
Hi I have seropositive RA and it started in my hands. After a few years it affected my feet and they were swollen and stiff and full of inflammation. The Methotrexate worked really well for my hands but never worked for my feet. I am now on a weekly Methotrexate injection and daily Filgotinib 200mg tablets which have been a wonderful medication for me. By the time I was prescribed them, just over a year ago, I was in awful pain, couldn’t fit in any of my shoes comfortably due to swelling, and was unable to walk any distance. Now I have very little foot pain and no swelling at all. Maybe check in with your hospital team regarding medications in the light of the issues with your feet. Hope that helps.
I did notice my shoes were too tight and made pain worse. Doesnt help I am on crutches last few days following a fall 🙄 bit of a disaster atm.I will indeed contact the hospital on Monday. Thanks wish you well.
I have osteoarthritis in practically every part of my body now. It start when I was in my twenties. I like Wilbertjellyfish eat co codamol but they don't do much. Before I became wheelchair bound I exercised as advised. One day exercising Two days recovery. I tried the patches, they don't work. I am so sorry for you because I know the pain you are in. I have steroid injections in my hands every six months and I find these help. Before injections I can't make a fist with my left hand. After injection I can make half a fist and some of the pain is taken away. It's done under Xray so they can see where the steroid is going. I'm going for a top up soon. Talk to your doctor about it.
Sorry you are having a hard time of it. I have a diagnosis of RA and the first place it showed up was in my hands and feet. The meds (meth and hydroxy) have helped a lot however I have developed mortons neuroma in my feet but it tends to play up when I walk on my feet not on the top part of my foot. What helped me was seeing a good foot expert, a podiatrist in Hull called Simon Coop. He took an imprint of my feet and made me a pair of orthotics which have been a godsend tbh. If you live close by, or can find a good one near you, might be worth considering. Good luck, hope things improve soon x
I think that most of us have lost faith at some point with our rheumy dept. I've changed hospital a couple of times. There's a kind of ladder of medications that some of us have to climb before we find one that helps. The NHS starts us on the cheapest (steroids and methotrexate). If these don't work then (in my experience) sulphursalazine and hydroxychloroquine. If these don't work then we are given biologics (very expensive drugs that target a specific part of the immune system). It can take a year or longer to climb this ladder and your symptoms can get a lot worse in this time. Most of us find that biologics are a godsend, but having said that I don't think that many of us ever return to normality. I was bed bound and in agony for 2 years before I got biologics but once on them I improved significantly. I still have almost constant fatigue and joint pain and stiffness but at least at levels I can tolerate. I've never been able to return to work but I've got a very aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis. It's usually worse in men than women because of slight physiological differences.
Things might get worse before they get better for you. Just try not to despair and do all you can to look at how lifestyle changes may help a little (diet, balance of exercise and rest, household aids).
Rheumatoid arthritis is a life changing illness but the way it's now treated is a lot better than for previous generations. Research as much as you can and have the confidence to pester your doctors in order to get to the right meds asap.
This forum plus NRAS are brilliant places to get help. I wish I'd known about them in the early years of my illness.
Thank you Deacon, yeah its hard enough working with multiple chronic conditions but feels worse when you dont get the professional support. I was first referred to a pain\ME clinic September '23. Still not seen anyone. Was diagnosed with seroneg inflammatory arthritis in April 24-after much begging I get my '3 month' follow up next month.... Takes its toll on my emotional health.I have made adaptations around the house out of necessity- lever style taps on sinks, lighter cookware, foam on pens to grip etc. I will have hand occupational therapy in May and do hand exercises for strength and better flexibility.
I appreciate your reply very much. Sometimes because I am in so much pain and mobility is an issue i (wrongly) feel I am not being strong enough. But I have found with fibromyalgia I have learned to accept these conditions as part of my life whilst still aiming for improvement.
I have a pretty healthy approach to diet and think movement over exercise as this is more attainable atm. I am very keen on research and finding out how I can help myself - just need to get the medical teams on side. Thanks for the encouragement and understanding. Take care
I agree with a lot of your post. I would add, though, that Methotrexate is still used because, for many, it works. It did for me - worked wonders for years - and I only gave it up in the end due to being worn down by the side effects.
And Sulfasalazine has also been good for me. So I've had 18 years of treatment that has kept me fit and active. It's only now that I've started struggling but I'm also in my mid 60s.
Biologics like Rituximab are cheaper now since the patent ran out so the NHS can use bio similars at a much reduced cost, thankfully.
Lifestyle definitely. Getting out and walking makes a huge difference but never giving up cake. Morrisons apple/fresh cream turnovers are to die for 😋and good for my mental health so a trek in the woods balances out scoffing a couple of those 😁
Excellent & sensitive post. Thanks. I have sudden onset severe RA. I was in agony for 10 years (USA, conventional drs) until a kind PharmD intervened w/rhemy & I started a JAK that I was refused, 8 years earlier.
Thank you for this link. I always like to do research for myself prior to embarking any meds or supplements. I have used alternative treatments in the past to good effect.However, this time I personally believe I need these strong dmards and painkillers to tackle the inflammatory arthritis as best it can. I know they will not reverse damage already done but my aim is to reduce further damage, or slow the progress.
I do follow a healthy diet been veggie for 35+ years and dont smoke\drink. Up to 2 1\2 years ago I was extremely active, so I totally believe a healthy lifestyle helps our bodies( and minds).
I notice you don’t have inflammatory arthritis. If good health were the cure we would all be well as following such advice would presumably negate the need for drugs.
I prefer to see adopting a healthy lifestyle as a benefit we should all strive to achieve - but NOT at the expense of missing out on prescribed drugs that are essential to our long term health.I think supplements etc can benefit to a point if used in conjunction with prescribed meds. And if a person ensures supplements are not contradictory to other needed meds.
I totally agree, but it could imply that we have RA because of unhealthy lifestyles. That is just not the case, everyone benefits from good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. But some people get diseases anyway. It’s good to research but Dr Google isn’t always reliable and like the young man who died believing his diet was curing his cancer some cures are just quackery.
Oh I dont use Dr Google, or we could convince ourselves we have the most bizarre conditions. I stick to respected sites only, like nras or fmauk. If I see advice from a forum for instance I research to see if it may be suitable for myself.
I didn’t mean you went to Dr Google only some do. Then convince themselves they are at deaths door. I agree NRAS or NHS are good as is Versus Arthritis and in my case the KPA.
Oh thats ok, I didnt take it as a criticism! I have been guilty of using Dr Google as I call it in the past. Google can be very helpful of course, for a quick general info, but when it comes to serious stuff , like you I choose the more respected and trusted sites. Actually NRAS and Versus Arthritis were recommended to me by by my gp.
Hi GLC11, thank you for this link. I have been following many of the posts on this site for about a year but have been fairly silent. The nuggets of information shared by the participants are so much more valuable than much of what we get from our medical staff. That being said, I live in the USA and am a retired Nursing Executive. I definitely believe drugs are not the "end all - be all" we expect them to be. We must take more responsibility for our health than we do. I was dx with Inflammatory Arthritis about a year ago. I have a very healthy lifestyle (often referred to a fanatical) but I do agree with Dr Hyman, we often fail to understand the "why" and do not continue asking "why" until we get to the root cause of our condition. Even the most diligent among us can find flaws in our nutritional intake and make minor changes and experience significant improvement. Thank you for the excellent information as it was a huge reminder for me that I can experience less pain if I put forth a little more effort.
Why? Why? Why? Why this? Why that? Why? Why? I think people in pain have lots of time to contemplate why…”What did I do that is so bad that I messed up my immmune system to end up like this?” I think it is crazy that you wrote in support of someone’s post that is against convention medicine and promotes the, why? Especially since you mentioned your credentials. Cheers to those that eat well and do the best they can. Cheers to self compassion. And thank you to modern medicine. I for one am thankful.
Hi Smilelines, I believe you missed my point... I do not advocate for alternative medicine. I embraced the dietary recommendations contained in the link as I have personally found that when I deviate from my anti-inflammatory diet, I have more pain. That is my responsibility and reading the article was a great reminder to me. I spent 42 years as a nurse and applaud the many advancements in modern medicine and the improved quality of life many people enjoy as a result. I read many posts on this site in which people are most frustrated with their Rheumy or other providers and I wish I could make a difference for them. I also wish we better understood autoimmune disorders but we do not. Therefore, we who are in pain make many choices, in addition to medications ( I on on a DMARD) to improve our daily lives and health outcomes. To that end, I'm sorry for all of our pain and wish you good luck on your journey,
I'm always suspicious of alternative health gurus and celebrity doctors who make a lot of money from selling books and supplements so I tend to do a bit of digging.
It usually turns out that they are, for example, cranks who cherry pick what they'd like you to hear or hypocrites who sell expensive products containing ingredients they've previously dismissed as toxic.
Great post. Thanks. Indeed, "taking aspirin for the pain of a tack in the foot, doesn't make it go away.,,," Meds do help (for me a JAK & LDN), as do additional functional approaches. I like the combo approach. I really do not understand why the immune system does not eventually calm down w/proper treatment & return to homeostasis & wellness.
sadly, I agree, a trip to the rheumatologist is warranted. I agree that orthotics could be a good idea as they can help to avoid future problems. I wear them as they have a splint for a joint plagued with osteo and a neuroma. Maybe if I had worn them sooner I would not have these problems?🤷♀️🤷♀️
Neuromas in the foot can be treated by steriod injection or a small operation. I went for the operation after orthotics as despite numerous trials they made my foot worse. It solved my problem completely but I’m lucky only my left foot is affected by RA and I have almost no OA according to the DEXA last year. At 71, I was well pleased as it was negative for Ostopenia too as my mum had dreadful Oestoporosis and many fractures.
This is a much better link about functional medicine. Many with RA are supporters (as I am) and include many of these approaches in the way they tackle their life as Hazelcats does. But unless you live it you can’t understand the choices we have to make. So a touch rude to join and on day 1 tell us what we are doing wrong.
Well put an interesting ( and in my personal viewpoint) a better balanced concept.Many years ago I was prescribed by nhs drs, evening primrose oil for severe pmt and diabolical breast pain. After many years on this, it was no longer available on nhs as ' there was no proof it worked'. My then current gp was furious. She had many women who benefited for eve primrose for hormonal symptoms. I carried on using a high strength dose from a high street chemist. To great effect.
Again, it should be noted that as perimenopause made hormonal fluctuations horrendous, I went back on it - in conjunction with hrt, a conventional prescribed med. Showing the 2 may work hand in hand in some cases.
I like to feel I am not a fool - my body needs conventional drugs - and I will continue to use them for life but also try to maintain a pretty healthy lifestyle alongside.
Hi. I was diagnosed with RA about 8 - 9 years ago, initially being prescribed hydro chloroquine and naproxen, which didn’t control it. Eventually going over to methotrexate and hydrochloroquine, which now seems to have it partly under control. I had a heart attack about 4 years ago and the naproxen was stopped because it was viewed as a contributor to my heart attack. Anyway now I take Zapain for pain control which works very well ( 30 / 500 mg codeine phosphate / paracetamol ). All of my extremities have been attacked by RA and feet have nodules on the soles, but don’t affect my mobility a great deal, my hands are different again with nodules on the fingers and deformed knuckles. I tried all sorts to help minimise the RA affects, but the only thing that does help me is exercise ( appropriate and moderate ), I really hope you manage to overcome your present RA problems.
Thank you Chris. I am also on 30/500 cocodamol, 2 per day. It strikes me as I am on many pain killers and yet still in high constant pain, something is clearly inadequate with my meds. I have been on naproxen prior to the formal diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis, so well over a year. Initially 3 per day. I cut it down to 1, but these last 2 weeks have been so bad I took it up to 2.
Along with phoning rheumy dept tomorrow about the foot pain, and intensity of symptoms, I am making a GP appt to discuss meds. I am concerned about long term effects of this combination of medications.
Thank you for your reply, I genuinely miss a long hard walk . Due to a recent fall and knee injury I dont even make it past the garden gate at the moment. CFS is a problem for me... In all I am a bit of a disaster🙄 but remain positive things will gradually improve.
If you have RA you will live to regret not taking drugs to treat it. Those side effects can be awful, but it doesn’t mean you’ll get them. On the other hand, the direct effects of RA are guaranteed.
Afraid it a thing, at least your rheumy listened, my first told me I had tight fitting shoes, and I was imagining it!! Because every test for RA was negative! I asked for a second opion, got it but still hmmmm we are not 100% sure, till I took a photo in of my foot as it swelled and bruised! Handed that to my new Rheumy spec, who went OH this is completely different to what we had it as!! Then diagnosed me with seronegative arthritis! Since then it's been a roller coaster, on MTX, steroids , but I also have Heamtomchrois, which has now started to cause problems as well.
Glad you finally got your diagnosis, I am sure if I was listened to at first, my seronegative inflammatory arthritis would have been treated earlier and maybe less symptoms as I am having now. Like others i see how often one chronic condition leads to another. Hope things improve for you in time. Am sure we all seem to almost present our own 'evidence ' to health professionals to be taken seriously.
Hi you obviously do not suffer the same RA or Osteoarthritis that I do and some others have. I have been prescribed Methotrexate. Hydroxychloriquine and Sulfasalazine for many years and only take paracetamol and ibuprofen as pain relief. Vit D and Folic Acid as well. It works for me in management of my RA which slows me to keep active.
Please do not give advice based on your condition and opinions as this is not helpful to others should they go against Rheumatology advice and become worse. Yes all medication has side effects but these need to be weighed up against the irreversible damage that RA for one can cause if not treated.
Hi Hazelcats, please do not worry, we had a couple of reports highlighting a link shared, and it suggested medication was not beneficial, so we felt it necessary to remind people to be lead by their medical team in the first instance.
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