swelling when does it go away | Arthritis Information

 

long story short my finger is huge going on two weeks..

• week one nothing was done (first time) painful week woke up with pain in  finger
  
• week 2 went to urgent care
• got splint for large figure (helped the pain cuz i can't use it)
  
• told not to type with hand
• received moltrin 600
  
• still waiting blood work x-ray shows i did nothing to it!
  
• Going on week 3 and nothing has changed the pain is more of an ache now!
  

I am more scared about the swelling I know everyone reacts differently but how long does it last in general? or should i go get another opinion? i'm just so lost and scared i'm sort of frozen in life right now. and i can't stand that!
Thanks in advance!

Hello Pril and welcome! Have you been diagnosed with RA or are you still waiting? My swelling went down quite a bit when the doc gave me prednisone. I think it was called a medrol pack? It was 5 days worth of pills. The strongest was on day one and then it tapered off daily. Try putting some heat on it. If the heat doesn't help, you might try icing it as everyone responds differently. I hope your swelling goes away soon, hun. Have a superfantastic and comfortable day! I just realized I didn't really answer your question.

That's how my RA started, too.  I was convinced I had sprained my finger, and had a splint on it for several weeks before my doctor insisted on blood tests.

They came back positive for RA, I started large doses of prednisone, and the swelling was gone in about a week.

Hope you get a diagnosis soon.

Ellie

Pril....my pain and swelling didn't go away until I started taking Enbrel. That was added to my MTX which I had been taking without huge result for about 6 weeks or so.  Now I only have swelling during a flare. 

 

Swelling took a few months to subside when I first had symptoms, mainly because my primary doc didn't diagnose RA.  He would give me a medrol pack and a week's worth of NSAIDs.  It would get better for a couple weeks then it would be just as bad after the meds wore off.  Once the rheumatologist diagnosed RA and I began taking large doses of fish oil and regular NSAID's, I haven't had much problem with swelling, except for flares. Sorry to hear that.
 my swelling in my feet hasn't went down in almost 2 years.  On Pred, MTX and was on Planquil (SP) for a bit.  A couple of my fingers are swelled for about 3 months down, they go down a bit, then back up.  Sure hope yours goes away.

Phil
Welcome and sorry to hear about your finger.

Look everyone is different but you have some good replies here that give you some ideas.

Often swelling takes a while to go down. I am poly (many joints) but really I find when a drug works that the pain tends to ease because the swelling decreases.

I hope you get some answers soon.

Take care.
Howdy!
I got dx'd about a year ago, and have been on various meds ever since.  The biggest change was when I went on Enbrel, and then again when I started MTX...swelling in my knees and ankles and (to some extent my elbow) started to go away!  However, my middle knuckles on my middle fingers are still swollen, and have been ever since onset...my rheumie is kinda concerned My finger too was the first sign of swelling and the first sign of RA for me personally. , very very painful, this could be the start of RA, hopefully not but you need to check with doctor and have tests done straightaway.
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