I would just like to know how others feel when they have a flare up. What do you do? What do you take?
I was also wondering about depression. Do you have a lot of ups and downs?
Thanks
It is terrible, the flares of RA. I have been in a flare since last Saturday, now a week. I finally put on a Duragesic patch. It helps me be human again. I try to go without pain meds or patch because I don't want to get addicted. But after suffering all week, not leaving the house, not even taking a bath two days this week, I finally had to have some relief. I now will be able to go to church tomorrow. I know there are better days ahead and every day will not be like this. But I find that sometimes the flares last 1 week, 2 weeks, a month, etc. We never know. But I hope you have a good rheumatologist, one who believes in pain control. Mine does, I have the problem because I won't take the meds like she wants me to. But with all the addiction problems out there, we can't help but worry. Hope you feel better soon. I really do know how you feel!
As you see I am new to this. I honestly dont know anyone else with this disease. So I don't have anyone to talk to about it. I have been to one Rheumatologist and I am not really impressed with him so I got the name of another one from the Dr my daughter works for. I feel that in order for a Dr to examine you he/she needs to actually touch you.
I had one flare up since I was told of this RA. I was sick for about a week and I didnt know what was wrong with me. I ran a temp, hurt like hell and had no strength. I just wanted to sleep and be left alone. I have some Vicodin for prn use and trust me, I use it. But I am rationed as to the number of them I use a month
5 yrs ago I was working 12 hr shifts. I could go up and down stars. I could walk long distances. I had some pain in my knees at times but that was it. 4 yrs ago I noticed my hips becoming stiff with less ROM. 3 yrs ago my lower back started to hurt a lot and prevented me from standing very long. I kept telling the Dr. 2 yrs ago I started having what I thought were a lot of viral bugs. I guess they were flare ups. Now it is in my shoulders and my feet. I am so stiff in the AM's I hate to wake up. I get better as the day goes on but then toward late afternoon I start going downhill. I cant work anymore. I cant go shopping to malls or such. I cant clean my house like I would like to. There are never two days in a row that I feel good.
Is this how others feel? I just want to know I am not alone.
It doesn;t sound like you are on the right meds. Celebrex is only an anti inflammatory and plaquinal needs to work with something else like Methotrexate.
Hi Lesle,
Sorry that you are having some hard flares. Sometimes they can be a bit overbearing...not to mention make you become Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Flares are just the way our body's have to tell us that our RA is active and is trying to warn you that your inflammation level is high and you may want to change your life style a little bit to make sure you do not harm yourself. at least that is how I look at it...but still does not make me like it any better either...
Have you asked your doctor for some extra meds. that you can take when you are flaring? Some doctors will prescribe them for you just for the flare ups. I have a few Medrol paks handy for when I get a bad flare and I do not hesitate to use them when needed, I also have a heavier pain med. that I will use during my flares and a sleeping pill to help me through the night. I do not abuse them but I am prepared for those dreaded flares that come with the territory of RA and any Auto-immune disease.
RA is a chronic disease and because we have to deal with it everyday of our lives it can become depressing...There are no hard fast rules as to how to live with this disease but I do know that as long as I can keep my mind active, RA doesn't really take a for front place in my life.
Please ask your doctor if there may be a better drug therapy for you to use, to help keep the flares somewhat at bay. but do remember, we will never be free of them but we can at least try and tame them.
Good Vibes sent your way and I hope your Sunday is bright and warm and full of love.
Keep us posted as to how you are doing. We are here anytime you need us...YOU ARE NOT ALONE...EVER.
Toni
Take care.
Toni
I am new here also and have had RA for 2 1/2 yrs now,,my RA has been somewhat quest on and off not too bad until last week and it came to hit me bad worse that it has ever been ,I haven't used a cane in almost 3 yrs for my back but I am barely getting around the house with it,,I called the Dr's office and they put me on Medrol pack hoping it works they did this the first time around when first diagnosed and it seemed to have helped ,,the first day I took the pills , but this time around I havne't noticed any relief,,and they didn't give me anything else for the pain,,so I am trying to ride it out I go to the MD tomorro maybe I can get something there. anyhow I am hoping this is just a flair and it will get better but know what you are going thru.
Welcome to AI Dee, So glad that you found us here at AI. I am not in the medical field but it sounds to me like you may have been in what they call a semi-remmissive state. The RA is still active but very low activity (that is where I always stayed, I never got out of it) I hope at tomorrow's appointment, your doctor will prescribe something that will take the edge off if not wipe the pain away for you. I am surprise the Medrol pak didn't work that well but now that I think back, when I was weened off the Methotrexate and had just come out of a major flare the Prednisone did take longer than normal to work...and the Vicodin didn't work right away either. I can't help but think it may have been because I was further into the RA flare than the last time I took the Medrol and that may make it harder to control. I am sorry that you had to go back using your cane but I am glad that it is there for you. At least you have something to help you keep your balance if your back or knee's get to week too. Did they have you use any meds other than the Medrol when you where DX'd 2 1/2 years ago? I hope that they did...It would actually be in your best interest to see a Rheumatologist. I saw my GP and 9 months later I was still not DX'd the RA was progressing and I was getting more and more flares and more and more pain. Thank God that a friend of mine who is a nurse practitioner read my blood test report and told me to make an appointment with a RA doctor ASAP...best darn advice I ever had. Good Luck on your appointment tomorrow. Let us know what the Doctor said...and I hope that you soon will be feeling much better and not have to use your cane... Toni Hi Lesle, The flare ups that I have last for around 8-12 hours. The onset pain is very severe tapering off after a few hours. When I realize its a flare I take Ralphen (generic name Nambutone) immediately. It helps only a little, enough to take the edge off the agony. I have tried Darvocet and Ultracet with the same results. All they do it take the edge off the pain. The misbehaving joint usually has redness and swelling and redness running along the path of a tendon from the joint. There is residual soreness in the joint for a couple of days after the flare but I usually have full mobility back by then. I have read letters from others dealing with flare ups that say ice or heat application to the affected joint helps. Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Tmir/Barbara I have these very annoying sharp sudden pains in my big toes. Drives me nuts. My toes on my left foot are getting deformed. I had a stress fracture last summer in my left foot so I know that the RA has gone there to live. It is also swollen and I can only wear my tennis shoes. I had a fall at work last winter. Went to go into a residents room and tripped over the buffer guys cord that was across the doorway and I didnt see it. Took a nose dive in. My knees are so bad that I could hardly get up. Of course I laid there laughing. But it wasnt pretty. Ended up with a frozen shoulder from it. The RA went to live there in the process and has decided it should go live in the other shoulder now. Needless to say my strength is pretty bad in both arms now as well as my legs/knees. I was laying on the couch and I couldnt get up off it. My husband said I looked like a turtle on its back.
I have not yet started using prednisone. I dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I know what it can do to you. I have an appt to see a new Rheumatologist Dec 6. I am hoping that she is more aggressive than the other one I had. I have been thinking about going to the pool and seeing if that helps me. There is a hot tub there too. Heat helps me more than cold does. Lesle
When I have a flare up, the best thing for me to do is REST! If I focus too much on the pain, I get very depressed (especially when I was first diagnosed). Make sure you take your meds on time. This is very important! Once I missed my dosage twice and I had the worst flare up of my life! I'll never do that again.
I used to do the parafin wax to sooth the pain in my hands. It does relieve the pain. I also read that ginger is very good so I use it to soak my hands and it is better than the parafin wax treatment. What I do is, use about a pound of fresh ginger, cut it in small pieces, place in a pot of water (make sure you have enough water that goes above the ginger), bring to a full boil turn down heat, let simmer for one hour. Cool off, or until it is cool enough for you to tolerate. I like it pretty hot. Then I soak my hands for about 20 mins. When the brew is fresh, you may feel tingling which I think is a good sign (means it's working). I do find when I do this, the pain really subsides. There are also ginger tea bags but using fresh ginger is better. You can save the rest, refrigerate after cooling down. If you do not refriderate, it will mold......:(
I believe heat is good for pain and ice is good to relieve inflammation. HTH
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