Anyone get muscle cramps and spasms?

[su2po]

I have RA in my shoulder as well as many other places but these days it's my shoulder giving me trouble. All the muscles around keep getting very tense to the point where I have a constant cric in my neck,I also have RA in my kneck so It could be the two working together. It's just odd that it's so muscular. I stretch regularly (as much as I can) so It's not the lack of movment. Anyone else have muscles issues?

[huggybear]

I have cramp in my feet, legs and spasms in stomach also have RA years ago I got a spasm in my neck which I had to wear a neck brace for 3 days lt seems to me that it could be the RA but no one has told me this hope I have been a little helpful

[su2po]

thanks, I used to get neck spasms a few years agao but it seems to me it was around the same time I got some RA symptoms so i was just wondering if they were linked. I know that I get tendonitis since I got RA too, it's a word of annoyance.

[Hidden]

You sound exactly like me.my rummy calls it soft tissue inflammation associated with RA.ive started amateiptiline and it has made a massive difference.i also treat myself to a massage once a month which helps hugely.its caused by the way we use muscles to keep our joints moving.probably in completely the wrong way because of the RA

Callendargirl xx

[su2po]

Thanks callendargirl.

I have an appointment coming up I'll chat to them about it, what is amateiptiline, I've never heard of it.

I have an appointment for a sport massage next week, my first one since I got diagnosed. I feel a bit nervous about it like if the muscles relax too much my arm will fall off, silly I know but it all feels so wrong there now.

[Hidden]

Make sure you tell the sport masseur about your RA won't you? My physio gives me some amazing massages in my calf muscles - really deep and it's blissful agony if that makes sense?

She explained that the tendonitis I keep getting in hands and then in ankle is RA affecting the soft tissue. The tendons sheaths have synovial fluid in them too so can be affected by the RA in same way as the joints themselves so it is RA too. I have also experienced Raynaud's (white freezing fingers and toes) for the first time in my life since RA started and get it a lot even on sunny days now - especially when I'm not feeling well or in the run up to a flare or after my weekly MTX dose. This is also a secondary affect of RA and part of the soft tissue aspect to the disease I believe. Tilda x

[Hidden]

PS oh yes and forgot to say that Amitriptyline used to be used in larger doses as an anti-depressent but it has a sedative effect so is now more commonly used in small almost homeopathic doses to relax the muscles and lessen neuralgic pain. People with ME and Fibro are often given it and it is commonly used for chronic back pain and inflammatory arthritis flare- ups. It helps with sleep for many and it also is used with kids who have bed wetting problems as it numbs the nerve that sends message to the brain saying need a pee which I find is a bonus! It's non addictive but the disadvantage for some is that it can make you feel very tired the next day so if you ask your GP for it then do try and take it early on in the night. It doesn't suite everyone but I did find it very helpful in the days when I was in limbo and take the occasional one now if I think I'm flaring. Tilda x

[su2po]

Thanks Tilda, I'll ask about it. I do find though that when I ask about specific meds they tend to treat me like it's drug seeking behaviour and I don't get what I need to be comfortable. I was in agaony last year and I kept telling them that the ixprim sent me to sleep making me useless (even more useless than I already was) and paracetamol didn't do anything, absolutely nothing. So they kept giving me paracetamol and ixprim. I think medical treatment in the uk, at least in terms of how they treat you as a person, is way better. Here i'm on a human conveyorbelt the clock is ticking and I'm not alllowed ask for what I need incase I'm viewed as a junky. Sigh. I really hate appointments and I hate when I actually need something from them.

[Hidden]

Hi

I hope that the information on this link about amitripyline if of help arthritisresearchuk.org/art...

Best wishes

Lorraine