Okay, so it's not THAT new, because I can remember this happening back when I was in middle and high school.
It just doesn't happen that OFTEN, so I forget to say anything.
I'll get this intense pain in a joint, out of what seems like no where. Last night it was laying in bed, and suddenly my ankle is screaming at me. Like someones stabbing my bone. The joint also gets - get ready for it - ice cold. And it's almost like it's the opposite of swelling, it feels like it shrinks and my bones are sticking out of my skin. It's even cold to the touch. Nothing I do takes the pain away.
But it's not a pain I can rate on a scale. It's more like, you know when you stub your toe? And stub it BAD. Where you're holding it and you're not sure if the nail is even still attached or if you finally broke it this time? But you sit there, holding it, waiting for the throbbing to slow down so you can take your hand off and look at it???
That's the pain. Only it comes with and ICE cold-ness.
I thought maybe it wasn't RA related, but I realized it only happens in my 3 worst joints. Right ankle and knee, and left wrist. That's it, no where else.
Anyone got anything for me on this one?!?!?! LoL
I get that once in a while w/ my lower back, tho minus the coldness....
Yea i have no advice tho for you I get that all over but I haven't ever noticed coldness associated with it. I just get stabbing pain and also sometimes I get pull apart pain like someone is trying to pry my joint apart. Both yucky but different.
Hmmm. I remember some pain a few weeks ago and i was feeling for heat and found my knees to be cold. They had been cooking a few days prior and i thought strange they are so cold. I do not remember if it was a stabbing pain?Every day is always something different. I told a nurse years ago at the ER that if my head fell off and rolled down the hall way it wouldn't surprise me a bit. That day i had really bad chest pains and was ignoring but my son made me go get checked. For some reason i could not explain to my son that me screaming while on pain meds was normal.I have been woken up by a very sharp pain to the inside of one knee on three occasions.
I would describe the pain as like a cramp but a lot sharper.
This has since passed but still waiting on Xray results which I should have next week.
One thing I have come to expect with RA is that the pain can vary in intensity, duration, and every conceivable way. How else to explain why burning knee joints and ankles are just part of the pain picture depicted with this disease. The painful bumps on knuckles and toes which can be excruciating when these small joints are accidentally nudged by a wooden leg of a table. The symmetrical ache in both wrists while lying in bed in the predawn hours. And none of this pain comes close to a flare when every articulating bone in your body cries for relief from the onslaught.
Pain becomes our unwelcome companion and because it's not always severe, we become more tolerant because we know how much worse it can be.
I guess the 2 biggest things I'm hoping someone will address, is the EXTREME COLD sensation, and the "opposite of swelling"
We're talking, skin sucked in almost under the bone. I swear next time it happens, I'll take a pic. It's REALLY weird. It's like the joint "dries up" instead of swelling. Or something. I really don't know what it's doing. LoL
Actually that sounds wierd. Are you dehydrated? Right at this moment i can grap a good inch of flesh on my rib cage. Some times the muscles get so tight my ribs stick out and you could no way pinch an inch. Actually almost 65 percent of the time my ribs stick out. Well seriously a picture would be very intersting to see. You may wish to call or show the picture to the doctor. I guess you are saying and then it swells back up? Yes do before during and after picture.
Oh yes I get that the cold too. The pain is so worse when the cold comes on. I notice it in my wrist and ankles.
But I do notice if I put what I call instant heat on it the pain goes down. Sometimes it's using a small heater I take with me, or a heating wrap. But the minute I take it from the heat it's right back to ice cold and pain. So I heat it for about an hour then it seems as if nothing happened.
Not sure if it's the same thing you are talking about or not Katie. Oh and mine never swells it's like you say feels like it's getting smaller not bigger. Have no clue what it is. None at all. I am afraid the doc will tell me I am nuts lmao. I already know that.
Hi Katie.
I can relate to your pain and extreme coldness.
I was diagnose 7 years ago with Palindromic Rheumatism (PR), which is a form of Intermittent Arthritis very similar to RA. Many sufferers end up with RA (like myself).
The pain you are discribing is very much like what I experience.
Mine is like a severe sharp, stabbing pain that may last for minutes, hours or days but moves from one joint to another. The joint feels very cold and the skin fells sore to touch. The only swelling I get is if it's in my fingers or toes and they often throb like mad.
I started off with only the odd flare lasting a couple of days when first diagnosed but then flares became more frequent and lasted weeks. Pain killing meds only take the edge off the pain.
Now I have RA and have a different type of pain that is persistant and symmetrical in my wrists, fingers & toes.
It is possible Katie, to have both PR & RA.
You may finding the following link interesting. There is plenty of information on the condition and a very good forum with loads more stuff.
Best Wishes
Elaine x
elaine50002008-03-27 11:16:21Thanks for that Elaine. :)
This is something I've experienced on and off since I was appx 11. The only other medical condition that started at that age, was my panic attacks. But I don't think they're connected!
I can go for MONTHS without an "attack" I don't think they have never lasted longer than 15-30 minutes. At the MOST. The majority of them are only 10 minutes or so long.
Mine started off mild, like that, Katie but gradually got worse over the years.
That doesn't mean it will neccessarily happen to you. Some people have PR that goes away after a year or two. Some have just mild attacks from time to time over the years and some go on to having RA.
Because it is a less common type of Sero-negative, non-erosive arthritis there has been very little research done and there are many Doctors that haven't heard of it. So there are probably loads of suffers who have intermittent symptoms but are being diagnosed with mild RA instead. When I was diagnosed 7 years ago it was quite rare and I couldn't find much information on the condition.
Now the word seems to be getting around!!!
Elaine x
Elaine, with your PR, did you experience constant pain in joints, along with the flares from joint to joint? My doc thinks I may have PR, but my hands, and knees are painful almost constantly. I occasionally have maybe my elbow flare for a few hours/few days then go away, and jump to my wrist. Debbie, Please do read the link on my previous post as it will give you lots of info.
For the first 4 or 5 years I had just intermittent roaming pains from joint to joint, classic PR symptoms. This is very much how PR works but everyone is different and it can affect in different ways. Some have it very mild, just the odd pain now and then and some have it bad with lots of swelling too. It's also very unpredictable and can strike anytime, without warning. Nothing can be done to ease the pains and pain meds don't really work.
Along with the pain I have many symptoms same as RA eg: Fatigue, depression, flu-like symptoms, joint weakness, tingling in hands and feet, morning stiffness.
In fact I have read that PR is possibly an abortive form on RA.
Even though all blood results and x-rays were normal my Rheumy was able to diagnose it at my second visit, 9 months after first symptoms.
However, the last couple of years I have had roaming PR pains and more persistant pain in wrists, fingers & toes. This is the type of pain and weakness when using the joint so often have to wear a splint on my right wrist for support. There are also some visual changes in my fingers but joints are OK at present. An MRI Scan done 2 years ago showed Synovitis in the small joints of my hands. This is when my Rheumy realised things were changing and was definately a form of Inflammatory Arthritis. He then started me on Plaquenil.
Last December he diagnosed Sero-negative RA.
I have a couple of friends that have positive RF and have these intermittent pains without any joint damage. They were diagnosed with Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis (PRA).
Hope you get a proper diagnosis from your doc. very soon
Elaine x
elaine50002008-03-27 11:17:42Okay, after looking at the pics and reading a bit more on that site........
I dunno what to say, I feel crazy but, THAT'S ME. I mean, that's 100% what happens to my ankle, knee, and wrist. But just those three. And it's been happening on and off for years. But never enough for me to really say anything. I'm lucky I even remembered to post about it this time!!!
So I'll just count myself lucky, say thank you ever so much for the info, and keep an eye on it. :) More knowledge for the future, right? :)
Katie
Pleased the information was helpful.
If it is PR you are experiencing and it's not too bothersome, just the occasional flare. You can at least put it in the back of your mind knowing that it won't cause any damage to the joints. It would be best to get it confirmed by your Doc first, though...just incase. Quite a alot of these AI's have similar symptoms. PR & RA are often linked so be cautious if symptoms become more persistant and flares last longer and are more often.
Take Care
Elaine x
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