Flying to cold climate - hands "seize" up | Arthritis Information

Hi everyone, I hope its a good week although I see some people are really having a hard time which makes me so sad. Roxy and Phil I do hope things take a turn for the better.

I was lucky enough to get 2 chances to fly down too Queenstown from Auckland, around 2 hours flight, for 2 different weekends. May and August. The temperature in Auckland was cool and even colder in Queenstown but not freezing, my hands didnt feel like I needed gloves even. Both times my hands took it in turns to seize up so badly that I couldnt move or use them, it was so very painful, sudden and dramatic, like someone just put my hand in a vice and didnt let up. My fingers swelled a bit too. This was even before I was rx'd with RA. Up till then it had been my feet (severe), wrist, fingers ( but no swelling joints yet) and knee and shoulder.

Anyway, can anyone tell me if they recognise these symptoms which were never repeated. Do you think its the altitude or temperature difference? I do a lot of photography and was seriously hampered by this, I was actually on a photographic safari the first time when it hit in the left hand and then as that fixed, in the right hand, I thought I was going mad! - it was very distressing as I couldnt even cut my meat at dinnertime. After a lot of ice and arnica massage it finally wears off after around 48 hours. My rheumatologist which I saw in Sept (I only just found out I have RA and started treatment a month ago) he was intrigued but offered no advice as there was so much to discuss anyway.

I am planning to travel from here in Auckland to Boston to visit my brother in August and am worried about my hands if its an altitude thing. There will probably be a temperature difference too from one country to the next. Can anyone help with ideas on this?

I have so much to learn about this disease

Sorry if I am waffling but its all so strange and I am trying to come to terms with all the weird pains, aches and things going on.

Thanks

Wendy

Hi Wendy, sorry to hear about your hands etc. Mine too seized up but I wasn't in a cold climate. I was at home and I reached down to pick up my purse. My index finger cramped down and was touching my palm. DID IT HURT! I had to force it back up and then it did it again. I sat there almost screaming out holding my fingers so that they wouldn't cramp up. It went away a few minutes later. I was diagnosed in Sept. of last year. I have tried plaquenil (didn't work), methotrexate, & sulfasalazine (allergice reactions to both). Now I am taking minocycline. I have been living on vicodin. I have had maybe a couple of weeks of "good days" here and there. I was thinking the minocycline was working but now I am not so sure. This is my second month taking them. I didn't have any problems with my hips and knees before but now I do. GO FIGURE?????? Thanks for listening. I hope you find your right concoction of meds. Take care!

Cindee

Wendy - My hands seize up too, different fingers, different hands, you name it. I can never tell when it's going to happen. It usuallyj lasts about two to three days. I live in a cold climate most of the time as you can see but I can't say it has ever played any big part in making it worse or better, it just happens. We travel to British Columbia frequently and it's rainy and damp there and last year we were in France for the summer with temperatures hovering around the l00 degrees (unusual heatwave in June!!). So you can see I am fairly exposed to all temperatures and just this weekend I am only today getting over a sore wrist/hand etc from a very hot Calgary weekend. This is no fun having this disease is it. I find ice helps sometimes, the ice packs from the drug store. Good luck. Gill

Wendy, I have had this happen to my hands several times but twice while traveling. I always attributed it to carrying luggage but we know that barometric changes have a huge effect on RA. Scary feeling, huh. I wrote in another post, it IS the only time anyone seems concerned about my ra when my hands flare as it looks so dramatic.

As far as meds, I have had allergic reactions to many meds. I cannot take mtx. Doctor tried several times but always by the time I got up to about 4 pills I would get intense muscle aches and constant diarrhea. I am on Enbrel which only helps some. Relafin is an anti inflammatory that helped me a lot. I am also taking prednisone but refuse to be on it too long. Last time I put on 30 pounds and major mood swings. I think doctors are all different, some want to start out very aggressive and some try one thing and if that doesnt work add another and so on. I am very interested in the minocycline treatment. I have had little success with meds. Enbrel does help me, I miss it when I am not on it but I am never pain free or get my mobility back more than being able to walk.

Stress contributes huge to ra and traveling can be stressful. So I am voting stress and barometric changes caused your problem. Usually I get somewhere, I flare and then settle down. Keep enjoying life. Don't let RA hold you back.

Its enough to make you scream!!!! My rheumy said he wanted to go aggressive and thus the MTX 10mg. Does that sound aggressive to you all? I cant wait for it too fully settle in, so far so good, one blood test which seems to be ok. I dont know how much more I can take so its just got to help. If I cant work we lose our home, everything.

I can only hope my hands behave in October because I have a baby neice and 4 year old twins to meet and lots of photos to take!

Thanks all and have a great day. And if you need a bit of cheering up have a peep at some of my pics on www.wendycainphotography.com, you will see what a gorgeous place I live in :)

Take care

Wendy

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. Ansel Adams

Love Ansel Adams and love your photographs. Do you do photography for a living? You are very talented. Hey, don't talk losing houses - I think about that every day

I so hope you feel better soon roxy

Hugs
Wendy

Very nice work, Wendy. Now, a voice activated camera - that would be something, wouldn't it?

Let's hope your hands and wrist stay better.

Wendy,

Sorry that you are having some many problems with your hands. I have lost 1/3 of my grip strength, so I understand. Frustrating when you hands don't work!

Your pictures are simply awesome.....Thank you so much for sharing.

Huggs to all...Hoping for a pain free day!

Deb

I find I can't be in a room or place anywhere with the slightest cool air or draught causes me pain even the computer's fan aggravates..I have bought a laptop now and I still have to cover my knees! I can be sweating at the same time as it can be in the middle of summer. I have RA OA and osteoporosis. Ifeel the cold terrible in the winter but don't really get stiff hands.

awesome pix Wendy!!

I love the landscape pictures!! Really beautiful!! I tried something my sister who is an RN told me about and it really really helps with aches and pain. Take a long tube sock and put rice (out of the bag and don't cook it). Tie a knot at the top. Wrap it in a hand towel and put in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Put it on what ails ya! I works good because of the moist heat and plus it is easy to mold and twist around where you want it. It may be old news to some of you......but I tell ya it works!! I asked my hubbie if he could put the microwave in by my recliner so I could just pop it back in when I needed to!!

just an idea.....take care

Cindee