Unbelievably yuk elbow pain | Arthritis Information

My appointment with the rheumotologist was cancelled due to staff sickness... and I won't be seeing him until June now.

So sorry - I must sound absolutely pathetic - but when you don't know if your pain will ever come to an end it really gets quite depressing!

Love to all - Sally

Sorry you're in so much pain, Sally. Is there any way you can get in to see your family doctor? Maybe he/she could do something for you.

Hope you feel better soon

Kelly

Sorry you are in such pain. I would get into my pcp if at all possible!

dear Sally, I hear your pain. I have had those elbow pains, right now my right elbow is popping. I thought it was from dental flossing too many times a day (I use those plackers after eating and it seems I'm ALWAYS eating) I take prednisone, mtx & remicade, currently. I was trying to get off the pred, reduce from 3 to 2, but have only gotten down to 2-1/2, my mtx went from 2 @2.5 to 6!! I hear that isn't much, but the most I've ever taken. I have an unusual flare up, so my case is different.

The elbow pain must be awful for you, I know I've had 'screaming' pain about everywhere. Knee, hands that wouldn' move, feet too stiff to walk, neck and shoulders....down the left arm was a stabbing pain like being hit with a hot poker!, yes and into the elbow.

I hope you can get something to help you as pain makes you crazy and is bad for your heart, your head and everywhere in your body. I'd increase the prednisone until I could get to a doctor (we are having the dreaded weekend here (Sunday) so when something happens to me I have to call my GP, and he usually pushes Vicoden! Good luck with this......sincerely, sarah

Elbow pain is horrible and we are always bending it. I agree with getting to a PCP. Maybe it is bad tendonitis. I had to finally have surgery to ease mine. The moved the tendon down a little.

That elbow pain can be devestating, so my thoughts are with you.

From your description it could possibly be Carpel Tunnel where RA causes tendons etc to swell inside the rather narrow Tunnel and cause pressure on the nerves leading to the hand. The resulting pain can travel backwards, up the forearm to the elbow which is sometimes called "referred" pain, it can be truly horrible.

Pending seeing your local doc or rheumy, think about a wrist splint, many on this board have received permanent or temporary relief.

Splints are available from pharmacies who can often show you the correct way to wear one. Whatever you do, I hope you get relief soon, Des.

P.S. Bonny, if you are reading this, am most interested in your wrist surgery, eg, how successful was it? D.

The Ulnar nerve (near the elbow) could be trapped - similar to carpal tunnel type pain as well. Other symptoms of Ulnar nerve entrapment can be tingling and numbess in the pinkie and 1/2 of the ring finger next to the pinkie.

Hope that you can get some relief soon. Splints can also help. I wear mine in bed, and at the computer, I also wear my old ones if I am doing any gardening.

Hope you can get Doc. soon.

Take Care

I'm starting to get some of that same thing you are describing in my left hand Jeanne. It wakes me up at night with my hand totally numb. Painfully numb. I can't move my fingers at all for about 5 minutes. I've had to get up and move around to get the circulation back in it....it freaks me out.

Sally; I was going to suggest a shot of cortisone in that elbow; but I'm not sure it would help CTS. I don't know much about that really. You might just try calling your RD and let them know you're having trouble. Since they canceled your last appointment they might try to squeeze you in.

Hope you feel better.

Lovie, that's how it is for me at present,both hands wrists, and arms just about to armpit level., burning and awful - feel like muscle pain. It's the pinkie & little fingers on the hands though that get numb and tingly and sore with Ulnar Nerve entrapment.

I had carpal tunnel release surgery (bi-lateral) about 3 0r 4 years ago, the relief was instant - I actually felt the "release" when he "cut" whatever he cut. Not the pain of course, (it was done under local anaesthetic) but the sensation was like letting your breath out when you have held it as long as you can. With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome The thumb, forefinger and middle finger are the ones that are affected by numbness and tingling, and of course the pain going up to the elbow. I would wake myself up in the night banging the sides of my hands together with the pins and needles. Wrist braces at night helped with that at first, then a series of 3 cortisone shots in my wrists. After about 18 months, the cortisone wasn't cutting it, so had the surgery. At that time, that was my only problem, and the surgery fixed it.

Then 2 years later, I developed polymyalgia and sero negative arthritis, and along with that stuff, my arm pain is back, but the tingling and stuff is the ring finger and pinkie. So I dunno - my GP thinks it's Ulnar nerve, my Rheumatologist is not convinced.

I just had my Rhm. visit last week, he poked and prodded all around my elbows and arms but it's the first time I have come away feeling a little let down. If it doesn't get any better, I am going to talk to my GP about it again - I certainly don't want any nerve damage. Don't need any more nasties!! Sally, I think you need to an orthopedic surgeon. When my shoulder hurt that bad, that's when they found damage and now I need surgery. They need to do films on it. A cortisone shot might help. It is ridiculous that you cannot get in to see the doctor sooner. Try again. You need to insist that you are in so much pain.

It is possible if you can't help any other way and you should be able to, go to the ER or possibly Urgent Care. They can do cortisone shots there. But you want someone who is very experienced in giving shots. The downside to getting shot is that it can make tendon problems worse. If you do go to the ER, try and get the films done so that you know what you are dealing with.

Pain of the magnitude that you are describing is not normal RA pain. That is the pain of a joint in trouble.

My rhuemy is always so booked I can't get in for 2 months either.

When I have a single joint emergency I go see an orthopaedic surgeon. In my area I can get an appt in a week or two. In my humble opinion, they are the best at cortisone shots. It was my orthopaedic surgeon who understood my elbow pain and was able to give me a corisone shoot that lasted nearly 4 months, because he injected near the ulnar nerve. Also he explain my habit of keeping my arms bent is causing more pain, not relieving it. (I don't have the ablity to straighten my elbows all the way out - as you open the elbow out to full extension the pain gets really sharp and mean). He had me sleep with a rolled up towel ace bandaged to the crook of my elbow - so I would't 'tuck my wings up' at night. That helped almost as much as the cortisone inj.

I agree elbow pain is terrible. It needs to be treated.