Hi everyone,
Here's one that was new for me. Has anyone heard of Rheumatoid Cachexia? It is muscle wasting due to RA. I have noticed a significant loss of muscle tone (and I also have a hard time keeping my weight up) and looked it up and apparently it can be a big problem for us. I am lucky and have my RA under very good control so I am quite active, walk 3-4 times a week and cycle 2-3 times a week (60 miles) so I couldn't account for the muscle loss.
Anyway, bad news is there isn't much in the way of treatment but increasing my protein intake and exercise.
Does anyone else have this issue that they can separate from the rest of our typical problems?
Thanks, Jeanne
Oh... good one! Something else for me to write down in my list of complaints!
I truly believe I had muscle loss due to having JRA, and it not being from not exercising. I just kept chalking it up to inflammation from when I was a kid, that has interfered with my muscle.
I think what I have now it due to when my JRA was really out of control for 6 months and I had really bad inflammation and my muscles were inflammed too.
Thanks Jeanne!
I was on prednisone for over 15 years straight, and one of the many side effects is muscle atrophy.
Jeanne
i had that problem. it took 2 plus years to reverse and still my muscles need work. This is another reason why it is so important to stay active. Preventioin is a lot easier than rebuilding
I've been dealing with muscle weakness and slowly progressing atrophy for the past several years and finally was diagnosed as listed below. My whole left side, including my face, feels tense/tired and sometimes it's hard to hold my left foot level with the ground because the lower front leg muscle is getting weaker. Now it's starting on the right side and the meds aren't helping this problem at all so far. Since I may have early stage vasculitis, it's possible this is vasculitic neuropathy but your post has me thinking and I'd better do some research. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We really have to be our own health advocates and do our homework. Once again I'll say it. What did people do before these message boards? Everything connected with our health issues is made more bearable because of these boards and the people on them. I lost 20 pounds, almost all muscle, over a three month period last year. I also totally lost my appetite. My doctor put me on 20mg of prednisone, and that gave me back my appetite immediately. He also put me on Humira. It took me 6 months to gain back the weight. My forearms are still a little atrophied, but otherwise I pretty much look like I did before I lost the weight.
Mine is not due to being inactive mine is due to this, I found on JRA and muscle wasting.
Some children with pauciarticular JRA have uneven leg bone growth, resulting in legs of different length and muscle wasting.
I am not totally sure which JRA I have, because my mom does not remember, she just remembers Rheumatiod Arthritis. I seem to have symtpoms of all 3 types of JRA. My left leg is a good bit shorter than my right. My left side was affected by my JRA the most. So I guess my muscle wasting is from my left leg being shorter than my right leg. Or am I reading that wrong?
Thanks everyone for responding to this. Treefrog, the weight loss for me is significant too (yeah I know, most people would be glad for this side effect of RA), but I am really good at 116 lbs, that is my ideal weight now I am at about 106 and I have to work at eating to maintain that. It was helpful for me to read that someone else had appetite issues. Mine is two fold in that the muscle wasting is making me lose weight and I sometimes have lack of appetite issues as well (which, by the way, I read yesterday isn't uncommon in RA either).
I agree with Jesse88 about learning so much from these boards.
Janice, I am not on Prednisone so my wasting is not associated with this. Sorry about your problems from that drug we love to hate!!!!! LOL
Take care, Jeanne
Muscle loss i would like to recommend a book by a DR MARK AWERBUCH (RHEUMATLOGY PHYSICIAN) its called live stronger live longer
He has a web page www.live-stronger-live longer.com
Its available in australia and the Us