Rheumatoid Nodule? please help! | Arthritis Information

This would be a first for me. It is about 1/4" dia behind my ankle next to the achilles tendon. It is red, very sore, moves around and feels like a sort of hard knot.

So, you old timers have I developed one? I value your opinions better than the Docs and I don't have another appt. for 2 months. Is there anything you do about them?

Thank you.

Bonny, I got one on my R elbow a little over a year ago. It was one of the
things that my rheumy was able to positively diagnose me with RA. Mine
sounded alot like yours. It started out very sore, red, but rather large.
About the size of a large pea. It sorta moved around. But, my mistake was I
started picking it because I at first thought it was a splinter as it was the end
of summer and we had been picnicing and I thought I had driven a splinter
into my elbow on a wooden picnic table. I basically picked it to death and I
was told not to do that again, lol. What you have sounds alot like a nodule.
Be sure to just leave it alone and it will eventually go away. The doctor told
me that they can get infected, if picked. I hope yours goes away soon
because I know they are no fun.

They were "The" first thing that happened to me...

I Got them on both elbows right away, before I even had pain.Even before I knew I was in for trouble. They both are the size of wallnuts-golfballs. I have noticed that the less they are messed with.eg. leaning on tables, the less apparent and painful they are. I saw a podiatry special from Johns Hopkins that mentioned for those who had them in the achilles tendon area, the Doctors were keen on those patients wearing open or very low back shoes to keep thier patients from irritating them, they can increase in size with irritation sometimes. And like Lorster said, they can get infected. Mine have gone down in size for some reason, but blow right back up for flares....Pretty good indicator that I'm about to "get it"... in my case.

The Common thought with the doctors is that they don't remove them as they tend to re-appear pretty quickly... If they cause alot of concern and especially pain? There are some things they can concider...Talk to your Doc about them next time you see him/her, Until then, try to protect them from any further trauma.

I hope that helped some...

Thanks a bunch. I guess it really brought it home that I have RA even seeing x-rays, my swelling and fingers changing it was just that last thing that erased any more thoughts of just maybe that's not what I have. It started yesterday and I am now handling the thought much better.

I will be sure not to aggravate it and maybe it won't get too big and like you said go away soon.