Hi everyone...
I know it's probably been discussed in the past but could you all please explain again...
Could you please describe (in detail) how it feels and looks for you to awaken with a flare? Be it in your hands, fingers, wrists, elbows, neck, shoulders, knees, hips, ankles, feet, or toes...where ever. I just want to know other persons experiences.
Also, how many of you have neck and shoulder flares and could you please describe them as well?
Thanks everyone!
aflare is a sudden increase of symptoms whether it be pain or swelling or both.
A flare is an individual to a person as their disease is so its hard to compare what you may be feeling to what I may feel in a flare. A flare of someone who has only had the disease a short time can be vastly different than that of someone with serious joint damage.
I remember when I was first diagnosed I was constantly looking in books (no internet in those days) to see if what I felt was "normal" for RA. What I learned is that I can only compare to what is "normal" for me not the books.
If you are feeling worse than you did yesterday or the day before and you don't seem to be getting any better call your doctor. You will soon learn what is your normal pattern so you wll have a better idea of what you are feeling but in the meantime rely on your medical team to help you
I kept a journal for a couple of years and using it would help me recognize flares. Now I know that a certain amount of pain and fatigue everyday for me is normal but when the pain and fatigue sends me to bed all day that is a flare.
Take care.
I have some minor aches and stiffness in my hands and wrists every day. That is normal for me.
When I flare, I usually know it's coming because it's proceeded by a feeling like I'm getting sick and sometimes the lymph nodes in my neck will swell and hurt, and sometimes a tonsil. If it's going to be really bad flare, I'll even run a slight fever. Within a week, joints will be extremely painful. It's not just an achey feeling. It's a severe, searing pain. Sometimes the pain will hit a joint and others will join in as the days pass. Sometimes it hits multiple joints and stays that way. Sometimes it will hit a joint and will be migratory. I very seldom have swelling and redness. When I do swell, it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as when I don't.
When it hits my shoulders, I feel like it's in the tendons all around the shoulder. I usually have an extremely difficult time moving the arm. I usually have to use my other hand to help it move. It's excutiatingly painful. I almost always have shoulder involvement and I can't tell you how much I hate it!
When it hits my neck, I feel like there's a problem with my first vertebrae. It hurts right below the base of my skull. I can't hardly turn my head.
Hope that helps. I do agree with the others that flares are different for everyone. Heck, for me, they can be different from flare to flare. But I always know it's a flare by the increase in pain and those tell-tale signs that proceed them.
A flare for me is when I wake up way more swollen and stiff than normal. I also wake up (so to speak) very very fatigued. I can also tell if I am flaring because my amount of activity will decrease dramatically. Like I can't stand at the sink and do a sinkful of dishes without wanting to go lie down in the middle of it.