So frustrating | Arthritis Information

My knees have been killing me for the last several days, but today its my right hip. The knees are acting like they are only mildly sore and they don't know what I was making such a big deal about.
Usually my left wrist hurts much more than the right, today its the opposite. As soon as I took my rings off, my hands stopped swelling quite so much, but I bet if I put my rings back on my hands would swell again! My shoulders have been on fire for weeks, today its as if I imagined it.

Is this normal... for things to change from day to day or even hour to hour? Between this and lack of sleep, I could really go insane...
I'm sorry to hear you're having such a rough time! Yes, it's normal to feel decent one minute and crappy the next. It sounds like you're flaring though. Do you have anything you can take for the pain? You might also think about calling the RD for a medrol dose pack just to get you through the flare. Hope you find some relief soon. I'm taking naproxen and vicodin (norco actually). I just had cortisone injections on friday.

are you in colorado? I'm envious! My husband and I went to Steamboat Springs about a million years ago. It is soooo beautiful there.

What dose of naproxen? I'm on 500mg 3x daily with vicodin for breakthrough pain. (which seems to be multiple times a day now) Those cortisone injections should help some - did they give you that numby stuff along with the med? Are you on anything (DMARDs, biologicals) to take care of the RA?

(I think that's supposed to be steam.... looks like gas!! Hahahaha!)

Yep! It sure is normal, very, very normal for an RAer. Yes, some days your feet feel like they are standing in a fire all day long and then that subsides and your hips are sore and stiff.

Welcome to the unpredictability of RA. This is were you learn adjusting, flexing and adapting. You also learn tolerance and patience. The only predictable thing about RA is that it's unpredictable.

Pain moves around, changes. Can flare for no reason and also abate for no reason.

RA pain can be anything from aching, to electric pain, pins and needles, numbness, burning, sharp...and any other kind of pain that has ever been invented.

Get a medrol pack of Pred, to get you over this hump maybe.

When were you dxed?

There is a fallacy that we only have joint pain. WRONG! Our muscles hurt too from the excess inflammation in our bodies. I can often touch my thigh and feel the heat in the muscle beneath the skin.

I agree with Cordelia ( and others also). My tendons around the joints hurt like heck. My pain hasn't moved around, but I would guess it could very well. So sorry for you.

That would be an added frustration.

(((Leila))),

sending hugs and healing thoughts your way. I have been praying for you guys here and I sure hope everybody gets relief from all of this pain soon.

But yes, it sounds like RA the mean monster that it is. It will have you and everyone else thinking you're nuts. In the beginning I didn't look sick so when the pain switched up mid-day or next day, people would say, i thought it was your knee that hurt or I thought you said you felt better today...

but it will switch up midday switch sides day to day feel great one minute then like you have been hit by a MAC truck the next. crazy stuff. sometimes I would put icy hot on one joint, the joint gets better and another joint starts. I say to myself what happened, the icy hot chased the RA like they were playing musical joints.

I do hope you feel better soon. sounds like your doc is trying to help you with the pain. it is frustrating to say the least. hang in there. Shelly632009-02-24 18:40:51I hurt every day from my nose to my toes, in some way or other. Thanks so much you guys! Honestly it is such a relief to talk to people who get it. I don't say much to friends and family... It is so so wonderful to have you guys say " yep. That's normal".
I was dx'd in June 08, but I'm seroneg, so it's taken me quite a while to wrap my brain around this dx.
Oh, and btw, you can pretty much disregard everything I posted this morning. BOTH hips aching and sore, my left hand and wrist reclaiming the title of "most sore and swollen" although the right side really gave it quite a run, the knees and shoulders are back to aching and burning.
But here is something weird... My neck and upper back actually hurts to touch ... Does that happen to you guys?And 'yep' again to that one. My whole skin hurts to touch because of the inflammation in my body. Sometimes it is so bad I can't bear anyone to touch me. Also, when I come home I have to change into 'comfy' clothes because my body hurts everywhere including the skin. So I put my loose, comfy, floppy pants on and change into a similar kind of shirt.

Your a baby, dx wise. I mean that in a nice way. You've only been dxed six months.

This is the best place to be...here is where your questions can be answered.

It is so wonderful to realise everything you are experiencing is very normal for someone with RA. Suddenly you realise you are NOT alone, there are people who experience the same thing.

Yep, we do.

You have a interesting journey ahead. In my opinion, the first five years can be the toughest but hang in there for the ride as it's not always easy. It can take a long time and lots of trial and error to get your RA stabilised. This is where one learns patience and acceptance whether one likes it or not.

In our Westernised culture, we think of illness and what happens with it is something like this - get sick, go doctor, take medication, get better. Simple. Unfortunately, not so simple with chronic illness - it's more 4 steps forward, 3 back, 2 forward, 1 back, 3 forward, 2 back...and on it goes.

Knowledge is power with this disease so ask tons of questions, do tons of reading and get yourself educated. It's essential. As patients we need to be really proactive.

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