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Which joints are affected with your RA and flare triggers?

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 10/16/2012 2:53 AM (GMT 0)
I was wondering if other people have triggers for a flare or do they just come out of nowhere for no reason? Also, if you have hip pain, where does it hurt? My hurts on my sits bones on my butt. My doc said I should have groin pain if I had RA in my hips. I am wondering if the pain in my hips is fibro. but it comes with my hand, shoulder and foot pain. I also think that the sun triggers my joint pain. I dunno, it's so confusing sometimes. Thanks in advance.
Posted 10/16/2012 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
Low pressure fronts trigger my flares, and not getting enough rest. I have RA and OA in my hips. Hip pain is on the side of your leg...you can't lay on your side because it hurts. When it gets bad, it wraps around the inside of my thigh. That pretty much means you are having hip issues. What you are describing sounds more like sciatica which could be coming from your lower back. Hope this helps!
Posted 10/16/2012 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
Pretty much what Vannie described, lack of sleep is huge for me and much of what I eat, plays a role and when I have a role, I just feel extremely fatigued and my hips hurt on the outsides of the boney area and it is a deep, aching pain. I just generally feel unwell, and feverish and also have back pain in my kidney/flank area always, that is when I know I am in a true flare.
Posted 10/17/2012 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
Not enough sleep is the major trigger for me. Changes in weather will also do it.

Also, if my allergies are bad or I have an infection-like a sinus infection due to my allergies. My GP knows to give me antibiotics if I limp into her office instead of walking like a normal person.
Posted 10/17/2012 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your responses. Maybe the cooler weather is doing this to me. I was doing so well. I seem to have this up and down cycle where I go between just fine and then bad. I have to find a new rheumy in a new town as we just moved. I hear there is only 1 in this town and it's not a small town either. Great. Gathering my medical records b/c they will not make an appt with you until they review your medical records. Isn't that unreal? I've found two different specialists in this town that requested that. We do not have an HMO, it's a PPO, so I don't get it. It's like you have to have a letter of reference that you are truly in need to have the privilege to see them! I love my former rheumy, he was fabulous. I hated having to move b/c I had such good docs. It's the way life goes sometimes.
Posted 10/18/2012 1:41 PM (GMT 0)
Jeanneac, that is ridiculous, I agree. They cannot send for your medical records? or have them faxed over? surely there must be a faster way to go about the process? I'm sorry you have to go to so much trouble just to get an appointment! I've never heard that about groin pain? But I'm switching insurance companies and my new one is dragging their feet with my Enbrel prescription, and I've missed my dose and this morning I woke up with groin pain of all things. Although, I don't think that is the standard for RA. I get it if I walk too much. I hope you can get in to the rheumy soon, is there maybe another in a town close by? one in driving distance? I know how it is to have a good rheumy, it is the reason why we chose the plan we have so I could keep my doctors and this rheumy.
Posted 10/19/2012 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
I have it in my fingers and my knees ach. I don't sleep well, and when the weather changes like when it rains or it goes from cold to warm and warm to cold, I can really feel my fingers swell up. Also my upper arms ach when i sleep and my knees get really stiff too.
Posted 10/20/2012 4:57 AM (GMT 0)
Hi well most people have covered it , i have RA in EveryWhere shocked   and the hip pain is on side but i have had an odd grip or stab/lock pain in groin from time to time it stops you in your tracks then eases just as fast so whether that is related to the hip or not don't know,

as for flares stress or if tired - from doing too much one day will result in flare next day or the day latter, also i find Heat or humid weather Bad, i can't spend any length of time in sun so much i got tested for Lupus , or if a weather change like thunderstorm oh lets face it Anything can bring it on !

Posted 10/21/2012 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, it's true that sleep is so important!!!!!!!! I always feel less pain after a good night's sleep.
Every time I get a remission, I think maybe it's not gonna come back and maybe the pain was something else. It is hard b/c I was so athletic when I was younger and because of being more sedentary, I've gained a lot of weight, which doesn't help a lot with your joints. My rheumy who has treated me for the past few years called me Friday and I am going to give them the fax number of a rheumy here in my new town. He told me if I could possibly stand to stay off the prednisone, to wait until I see the new doc.

On top of the joint issues, I have a horrible case of achilles tendonitis on top of that! I think it's all somehow related.

Thanks again for sharing your stories with me.
Posted 10/23/2012 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
wow Vannie and Momto3 thanks so much you have just answered my question as well. I have not had any pain in my hips until the last couple of weeks. The pain is just as you described on the outside of the hips and it is down deep in the bone... cant lay on my sides especially the right side which is my main sleep position. Been hurting quite a bit and must be a flare cause like I said I have not had this before... Knees are painful as well.... thanks for sharing makes us feel better to know someone else has had this before and can relate. :)Peggy
Posted 10/23/2012 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi psbg..Yep, I would say that  pretty much somes up the hip pain doesn't it? At this point, I am having so much trouble sitting for long periods of time, and driving is a nightmare, getting out of the car, I won't even talk about that! It really is the groin just like the original poster said, I'm sorry you are having hip pain as well. I would say it is probably a flare? I am chalking mine up to that since I'm waiting for the Fed-ex man to drop off my Enbrel which is way past due! Heat does help, have you tried the heat wraps?
Posted 10/24/2012 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
Momto3 thanks for responding... yeah I think I am having a flare.... today hips are better but I feel awful all over. And I am very tired.. Who knows.. Yeah you need to get that shot in you. You can really tell when they are overdue.... I take cimzia injections but I try not to miss one... I hate to hear you are having trouble getting in and out of the car I do understand that. Here's hoping that tomorrow is better for us all...
Peggy :)
Posted 12/4/2012 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
I'm not diagnosed, but have had intense hand, arm and elbow pain. This is my second flare up this year. I'm chalking this time up to a severe lack of sleep. But my hands, wrists, and feet all hurt. I feel feverish, just blah all over, like I've been run over by a truck. I'm dreading this, because the initial bout lasted for several months.
Good luck to us all for finding relief :)
-Chelle
Posted 12/6/2012 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
I have a question for all of ya; how do you get your trigger fingers to straighten? I used to be able to yank mine straight almost as soon as it happened, but now it can take up to an hour of massaging pleading and yelping to slllooowwwwwlllyy coax it to straighten out and have a swollen finger and hand for several days....
Posted 12/6/2012 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hey pbjsammich.... I personally do not have that problem yet....lol you never know. However my Mother has had that and she had to have a trigger release done on her hand. Maybe that could help you as well. Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Peggy
Posted 12/6/2012 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
I guess my triggers are similar to most of the others on this post:  lack of sleep, low pressure fronts, etc...  Except I've also found that traveling (e.g., flying) is one of the worst triggers for me.  I can take a simple 1.5-2hour flight and I'm in agony for at least the first few days of my vacations!  Now I just make sure that my vacation spot has a pool, as water therapy works well for me.

I have had hip pain from the very beginning (more than 10 years ago).  My rheumatologist also told me that if I had hip pain, it would be in the groin area.  Most of my pain is on the sides--cannot lay comfortably on my right side anymore, and only occassionally does it transfer to the groin area.  Sometimes I also feel it in the buttock area, which doctor confirms is legitimate hip pain.  But I mostly feel it on my sides.

With a major flare, most of my joints are affected (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees, ankles, and feet--did I mention my jaw joints too?).  With a minor flare, my knees don't typicall bother me that much, so I know when they start aching that a major flare is coming on.

Posted 12/7/2012 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
elcamino, hmmm, Vacations, oooh what are those. I really would love to go see my best bud but I can barely handle being out and about for 2 hours. Since I've had ra and lupus over a year now, I've had to relearn how to do alot of things and still trying to do so.

anyway, I was reading your post and the hip pain; the past 6 months or so I've been developing lower back pain and some weird pressure around my tailbone. An increase in celebrex helps me tolerate it. Now, I've noticed that I am getting a fat butt and baby saddlebags. my ma keeps telling me that I'm not fat. I was poking on my legs the other day grumbling about getting fat and how active I used to be and realized that on both hips I have hot spots and a whole lot of pain. My "saddlebags" are actually swollen areas where the ra is making itself at home. It's the same on the inside of my thighs. Just two areas that are really warm compared to the rest of my leg. kinda weird these diseases are...

I've read several of these posts about the flares people have, I honestly do not think I've ever had a time where I haven't been in a flare. I have a high tolerance of pain and the fatigue is really wearing on me now. I haven't really slept decently since I've been back from Iraq in '07 so I can't totally blame my lack of sleep on ra/lupus.

psbg- does the trigger release thing hurt, hehehehee, sorry made myself giggle. A person in constant pain asking if something is going to make her hurt. ok, I have a warped sense of humor...I hope your mom does get some relief. when it first happens it is quite unnerving.

 

Posted 12/7/2012 5:54 AM (GMT 0)
Cold weather and foods are the triggers. I live in warm tropical country where the weather is hot and humid all the time; and have gotten used to this kind of weather. I was catching a movie last night and the cinema was blasting really really cold airconditioning. Half an hour into the movie, my whole body was trembling and I could feel the painful sensation at some of my joints.

The first thing that I did when I returned home from the movie was to get my hands and feets under my TDP mineral lamp, which releases FIR rays. I could feel my joints warmed up from inside and they did not feel cold anymore. I forgot my knees though. And the next morning, my knees were stiff and in pain.
Posted 12/8/2012 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
What is that kind of lamp? Is it infrared?? Sounds like it really helps. I need one for my whole body. What kind of food triggers pain for your hanyt?
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