sore bump | Arthritis Information

Hey, I've been diagnose ra for 3 years now, first had severe symptoms...pain, swelling,stiffness 8 years ago. I'm sero negative, but xrays show joint thinning. Well, I'm use to swollen joints, but now I have a very sore swollen bump above left pinky. I'm not sure what this is? Or if I should let my rhemy know? Had it about 3 weeks now , and it looks like a deformity. I'm taking methrotrexate, plaquenel, relafen and other rxs. If anyone has any ideas about this sore spot or if I should contact my doc please let me know.

Thanks

Hi, does it have liquid stuff in it? My friend has some near her joints and the doc said 'don't break them'! It is some fluid that comes out of her joints or something. How big is your 'bump',?

Can you contact your doctor tomorrow and ask? (over the phone?) Not knowing is scary. Lynda

lynda, its small about the size of a pea, but is swollen around it making it look bigger. Can' tell if its liquid feels firm, but seems to move a bit when I touch it. I will call my docs office. Thanks for the advice. Ginni

Ginni,

Nodules are pretty common, even to find them on the lungs of RA patients. I have quite a few on my joints. I pulled this from arthritis.com:

What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
Symptoms of RA differ from person to person but can generally include:

Joint tenderness, warmth, and swelling. Both sides of the body are usually affected at the same time. This is also called a "symmetrical pattern" of inflammation. For example, if one knee is affected, the other one is also. This is in contrast to osteoarthritis, where it is possible for only one knee to be affected.
Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 1 hour in the morning or after a long rest.
Joint inflammation in the wrist and finger joints closest to the hand (although joints of the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, and feet can be affected as well).
Fatigue, an occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well (called malaise).
Symptoms that last for an extended period of time.
Symptoms in other parts of the body, not just in the joints.

RA causes inflammation of the joint lining, which can lead to pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function. It also can cause inflammation of your tear glands, salivary glands, the lining of your heart and lungs, and the lungs themselves.

As RA progresses, about 25% of people with the disease develop small lumps of tissue under the skin, called rheumatoid nodules. These rheumatoid nodules usually aren't painful. The nodules may form under the skin of the elbow, hands, the back of the scalp, over the knee, or on the feet and heels. They can be as small as a pea to as large as a walnut.

Although RA is often a chronic disease, the severity and duration of the symptoms may unpredictably come and go. For people with a severe case of RA, the disease is generally active, lasts for many years, and leads to serious joint damage and disability. Periods of increased disease activity, or worsening of symptoms, are called flare-ups or flares. Periods of remission are when the symptoms fade or disappear.

Don't ya just love this never cease to amaze us disease?

LEV