Swollen Feet/Ankles/Knees | Arthritis Information
Hi!
I'm new here and new to all of this- well not the pain but the diagnosis and the treatments and this world.
I don't have a confirmed dx of PA yet buy my dr. is 99% sure and he has me on Arthrotec which is helping my mid back pain and most of my knee pain. I plan to start Humira as soon as my ins. will approve of it. Ok, so the problem/question: I sit a lot at home (especially now with a million papers due) and I sit with my legs crossed and then flat on the floor and then cross legged with both up on the couch (I'm always switching position basically). Yet after a good 20 minutes my feet throb and then my ankles a bit and I get a pain in my knee cap area and everything starts to feel hot in those areas and I'm not sure they look swollen but they feel swollen and inflamed. Sometimes I even kick my legs up on the coffee table to relieve the pressure of having them down but no change. I also feel a pain in my knee caps that feels like a stretch, like as if they will just pop off of my body if I don't move. What could be causing this and what could I do? It's weird and I just don't understand all of the symptoms of PA and how they fit together. Oh and I have fibromyalgia if that makes a difference. Thanks!Hi Jamie and welcome. I'm sorry about your almost diagnosis. It's one of those odd diseases. It's symptoms are different for each of us and how we respond to the medications is unpredictable.
My advice is to go through the PsA forum and read all the posts, google and read everything you can about PsA then you'll be armed with information. The description of your leg and feet issues are normal for PsA. The tendons are involved and feel tight and are painful. It can also happen in your ankle, fingers, elbows and shoulder. Fibro is adding to the pain. When PsA flares it causes inflammation and that in turn will alert the fibro to start. It's a cycle that can be painful and never-ending. You'll have to treat both issues.
Enbrel has helped so many people with PsA and I'm sure you'll see progress, less pain, inflammation and start having a general sense of well being that's missing now. Remember, do your research. Knowledge will empower you and don't be afraid to take a list of questions to ask your RD. Take care and keep us posted on your progress. Lindy
It's really a diagnosis- we are just going to try the Humira and/or something else and see how I react for the final decision. I have done a lot of research to, ever since my first appointment when my doctor suggested it (a a few months ago). Like you said, my feet feel very swollen and so tight that it's hard to wiggle my toes or move them (almost like waking up in the morning before you stretch). My knees are the worst- I feel a sharp pain below and on the sides of my knee caps which just frustrates me. My fingers feel a bit swollen too- if I go to scrunch them up they start to feel tight mid way. My fibro hasn't been as bad- the fog, the migraines, the exhaustion, the lack of sleep at night- ever since I started the Lyrica, which I'm now on 3x a day because it wore off mid-day. I'm really just hoping that this Humira drug works and makes me feel better. I'm a student and I live in Manhattan- I want to make the very best of this.
Thank you sooo much for replying, I really appreciate it.
JamieHas your doctor told you to exercise? My husband's doctors are always telling him to be active. Low impact exercises like walking and swimming are what they suggested. Maybe your doctor doesn't want you to be active. Just curious. Maybe it would help a little. Although, I know when my husband is hurting, the last thing he wants to do is move.
I golf and do water exercises and I can't stress the importance to keep moving, irregardless of pain. If he has to take a pain pill before exercising, take it and get moving. I learned this the hard way but finally made my mind up that I had to do something to help myself. LindyWow! Golf? That's great that you can golf. It's warm here in North Texas, so we'll be getting back into the pool soon.
Honestly, the best thing for my husband's arthritis has been getting a dog. When it hurts so bad that he doesn't want to get out of bed, he knows it would be more painful if the dog had an accident in the house and he had to clean it up, so he has to get up and let the dog out. Plus, we got a puppy, and they need lots of exercise so they don't chew up everything. He can't always walk the dog, but I'm proud of him for walking the dog most days.
Young Wife
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