I never really pinpointed this before but I was thinking about it and I realized that it is not that my feet and legs start to hurt so much as they kind of just get weak and tired after I am on them for about 15 min...then if I ignore that they do start to hurt.
I was wondering if anyone else has that same sort of progression...and then it occured to me that for those of you who use assistive devices...that this may be why. Does the weakness just eventually stay all of the time or something?
Did you used to have it come on after a while and now it is there all of the time?
Have you been tested for peripheral artery disease? http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3020 248
If I walk too far my muscle soreness and joint pain will progress into joint swelling (knees the size of my head
With my knee problems this routinely happens. I do notice more weakness on the days when I don't wear my braces or if I have been on my feet a lot. I've been told (not entirely sure I believe this yet) that FM can cause muscle weakness and tremors.
Some doctors will insist that you get checked out for FM and for lower back problems. With lower back prablems, you can have problems that radiate into the legs.
But when I was having flares, just a bad flare day would make me feel that way.
I think it is essential to find the cause of you weakness and pain. You did have the one knee operated on. Is it feeling especially weak, or is it both legs? PAD could be a problem, but you are pretty young for that one.
Are you getting joint swelling? Does it feel more like muscular pain or weakness? Do you get tremors? Do you get an back pain or have sharp pain that goes down your legs, especially your right leg?
This is actually when I would suggest you going to your Primary rather than your Rheumy. As you can see the answers to those questions are going to lead them to the proper answers. The biggest answer though is that being that weak, that quick is not normal and should be investigated.
On the good side, the answers might be simple and easy to fix.
Hope you feel better.
Hi Crunchy, glad to hear from you. Yes, weakness has been one of the greatest problems for me. You can take pain meds but there's nothing for the weakness. There have been times that I could barely drag one foot in front of the other. Since I started Remicade and MXT the weakness has improved. It's still there but not nearly as bad. Because of the RA pain and inflammation we don't walk or exercise and we lose muscle and strength. Now that I have RA under control I can walk and exercise more than before and the strength is returning to my legs.
For me the weakness progressed with the disease process.
Forgot something......I don't have PAD or fibro, been checked for anything that could be causing the weakness and RA/PA/OA seem to be the culprits.Weakness is occasionally a problem for me too, even though I haven't had the joint pain that typically follows in quite a while. I usually notice it first as a sort of hot, tingly feeling in my shoulders and arms, then it progresses to a feeling of weakness, like my arms are heavy. I often feel some nausea and sometimes diarrhea as well. I've also notice that my heart rate goes up to 100 - 110. It typically last a couple of hours then fades away. I've been on a heart monitor for a while, but so far it always checks out OK so I don't think it's a heart problem. I wonder if it's just the usual RA inflammation flare but it gets cut off by the Humira. Another, thing I often feel dizzy...if I move to fast I feel like I'm going to fall down.
Alan
Hi Crunchy,
That really sounds very similar to what I experience, in fact my left calf muscles are almost gone altogether,i'm sure its from my R,A as i'm unable to much at all.I am wondering what your crp counts are if you do have the counts done.I always try and find out other sufferers readings, but just dont seem to get it.
I am 50 and have had severe R.A for 6 years now, its been hell...not a day free of pain and now have developed Diabetes due to the cortisone and between the two diseases i have severe neuropathy in hands and feet..this is nightmare no 1, cant feel shoes on my feet but the worst pain in the world..
I hope your problem gets sorted
Dish, are they trying PT with you in regards to the neuropathy. That's what they are trying with me. They also tried Neurontin, which I couldn't tolerate. They are now trying Bacolfen which does help some. They are hopeful that the PT will keep me out of a wheelchair permanently.
What has your neurolost told you? I also don't get the "socks on your feet" thing either. The are so sure it is peripheral neuropathy, but my pain doesn't sound typical at all for that.
Getting Diabetes on top of all the rest of this has to be scary. I hope you find some answers that improve your situation.
Weakness can also be a problem for me. If I am on my feet too long or I am just having a busy day, I find my legs weaker and my hands. I do use a cane for walking and I am sure that does help and I would be a lot worse without it. I know when I flare I get weak very quickly.
Deanna...what do you mean by tremors? I have incredibly shaky hands lately and don't know if it can be called tremors or not.
Crunchy, weakness in my hands and wrists comes either before or right with a surge in pain there.
I haven't noticed that so much with my feet, ankles and knees, where the pain is more noticeable than weakness. However, when there is less pain there, I do notice more strength, and a more stable feeling.
Maybe the pain masks the weakness in that area, making me not notice increased weakness though I do notice increased strength.
Maybe swelling (whether you can see/feel it or not) limits the blood flow, and causes weakness.My hands shake most of the time some times worse than others and this is relatively new for me. I don't think they qualify for tremors but it makes my job as an optician very difficult. I mentioned it to the rheumy last month and she blew it off saying it was probably from decreasing the steroids but I don't seem to find that side effect listed anywhere else.
I am also getting the weakness, its progressively gotten worse over the last 6 months. My arms and legs feel like lead. My wrist are so weak I can not hold a full glass of water with one hand. I can not turn the ignition in my car. My ankles feel really weak, like they could give out at any moment and I wear custom orthotics and good, supportive (read ugly) shoes. By the end of the day, they throb and hurt. My hands have a LOT of visible swelling but only minimal swelling is present in my feet and ankles.
Again, its on my list to discuss with the rheumy next week. I sure hope they blocked off a big time slot for my appt because I plan to make her stay and answer all my questions!
grammaskittles,
What you are describing sound like my hands when they are flared with RA. My hands start to actually shake. When the flare goes down, so does the shaking. Often people will get a "trigger" finger tremor which means that the index finger really shakes.
Since most of that seems associated with a flare, I don't tend to worry about it. But I have no visible damage in my hands. They've never done x-rays.
When I refer to tremors in my legs this is something that happens randomly, out of the blue. It lasts for about 4 hours, muscle clench and contract. I can't walk. They spasm and it really hurts. Then it just stops. You actually can see the legs move. Fortunately, it happens mostly in the evening. But it does happen during the day and people can see my legs shaking. It's kind of embarassing, but I have no control over it. This is what they are attributing to neuropathy. I still have my doubts since they have done absolutely no tests and no films. They haven't witnessed it for themselves because I can't make it happen on demand. Very, very frustrating.
Deanna..thanks for the info I appreciate it. Do you have a video camera? If you have one...can you keep it nearby and record the tremors? That way the docs can actually see them. Bodies are like cars. When you know something is wrong with your car it never does it at the mechanic lol.
I do get that trigger finger tremor. So annoying.