foR flare or bad luck?

was woken about 6 by tremendous pain in feet and ankles. coped for one hour then my tears woke my husband. a long time since i had pain like that. it kept getting worse, to the extent we nearly went to a and e to knock me out. did not subside until third cocktail of tramadol/co- codomal. truly, truly awful. better today but I feel awful. was this a flare or just bad luck? always thought flares lasted more than one day? I honestly don' t think I could cope with that level of pain again. my face still shows signs of tears and am completely stiff. Times like this are the only time I feel I have ra and am not imagining it. if it happens again, any tips.? I know you all suffer dreadfully, but, my god, there was no way I could survive another day like yesterday, it will take a few days to get back to my ' normal' . Anyway, ramble over, but how long do you find a true flare lasts or was I just having bad luck? Thank you so much, xxx stiff, crotchety, hurting virge xx

virge! xxxxx

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Oh no poor you Virge. I feel I should mention that the stuff that seems to have been missing from your coctail was anti-inflammatories. Have you not got any Ibuprofen, Naproxen or Diclofenac in your reserves? I have all these things plus Tramadol (which I've never yet tried!) but I don't do too well on NSAIDs by and large so reserve them for if this sort of thing ever happens again to me.

Last time this kind of pain happened to me was back in February when my right wrist flared up and had me screaming into my pillow for most of the night. I didn't take anti-inflammatories that time and got a telling off for it from my GP when I went in a few days later rather shaken by this experience. Looking back and from someone else's blog I wonder now if this was septic arthritis rather than just RA because it was so intense and frightening. It built up slowly over a day and then came on to the screaming part at night and lasted until the early hours and my finger joints and knuckles on both hands were very swollen afterwards so about 12 hours including the build up. It was like being tortured - more painful than childbirth even. I have had pain elsewhere before and since that was quite gasp worthy - and this was about the fourth excruciating flare up in the right wrist - but none in this league I'm very glad to say and although they are sometimes stiff and always a little cranky my wrists have never been a real problem since then. Hope same goes for you of course. Tilda x

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Thanks Tilda. I take 90mg Arcoxia daily, so did not want to add another anti- inflamm! This am I can' t imagine how bad and scary the pain was. If it was a flare I have decided I don' t want anymore! Happy New year xxx Virge

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Unfortunately I can imagine how bad it was (or fortunately re staying on the meds I suppose) - nearly a year later! Have you got a rheumy nurse or access to your consultant to take advice or get your inflammatory markers taken perhaps? Hopefully, as with me it will be a one off but I don't know about Arcoxia at all - sorry. You have my sympathy though I do know what the pain feels like when its this excruciating at least. Xxx

[shirlthegirl]

Hi Virge, i sure nearly everyone on hear can relate to you when you say it was worse than having a baby, Before i got Diagnosed i cried most nites with the pain, And spent a lot of time up A&E, I'm glad to say now that i am not pain free but it is under control a lot better with taking paracetamol and Tramadol, When i have a flare, Like i did over Christmas it's normal worse for the fist 3 days, Hope you are feeling better soon.

Shirl xx

[earthwitch]

You are right in that you can't take any other antiinflammatories (NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, etc) with the Arcoxia as it will push you over the safe daily limit.

If it did only last such a short time, then it might have been just that you got yourself into a slightly odd position at night, and that put a lot of stress on the joint. My strategy for something like that would be to take maximum pain relief, AND to do things like heat packs (or ice if that works for you), to try and get the area more comfortable.

Check that your bedroom isn't getting too cold overnight too - that will definitely wake me in pain and I don't always realise until I look at the room thermometer.

Also, if it was that bad, then it would be really worthwhile making sure either the rheumatologist or nurse know about it, and perhaps a visit to the GP as well to see if there is any additional swelling in the area or evidence of it being part of a bigger flare. If thats the case then you might have to see the rheumatologist earlier and review your meds.