muscle pain along with RA

Hi all, first post but lurked for awhile and have been impressed with the amount of advice and real heartfeltsupport.
Six months ago got the ra diagnosis from a rheumy...high cCCPantibody, rf factor and sed rate. I'm on plaqunel and IBU as needed. It has helped. But I am noticing that the pain I feel is in my muscles themselves not the joint. I ddon't know if this is how it was in the beginning, too, or if this is a new development. I don'tknow what this means or if this is aa commonthing, but if any of you could shed any light on this iI'd be much appreciative.
Blessings to you all.
Martin

Hi Martin,
I too had this. It was one of the reasons it took doctors so long to properly diagnose me. It was about year 3 that I finally began having severe swelling inside the joint and began to fit the proper symptoms for RA. It was a very agonizing time to be sure.
For me back then ice was the one thing that helped me get through the night. I don't know if it is this way for others but after the morning stiffness night time was absolute agony for me. My pain levels would skyrocket and I could not sleep which would make my flare worse the next day and this cycle would repeat itself for days on end until finally subsiding for a brief period.
This was many years ago for me but ice was the only thing that would allow me to get numb enough that I could sleep any amount of time. However over the years this has changed and now heat is a big help to me when flaring. I have a heating pad that has a. Velcro strap which I use to wrap around the limb that is bothering me the worst. It is enough to help take the edge off sometimes although there are nights that it is not a huge relief.
RA is such a complex disease it is no wonder that doctors have a Hard time diagnosing it and successfully treating it.
Really it is a testament to how complex and magnificent our immune systems are when I consider it. At any rate it is true that RA not only affects joints but also connective tissues which encompasses a lot of ground in our bodies. I hope that you have relief and peace while undertaking this change in life. Make sure to write your questions down for your doctor as well, those visits can go by very fast sometimes. Take care!

Martin,

Like Don, I had terrible myalgias in the beginning. I resorted took tying ice bags to my wrists and knees sometimes while working, but definitely at home. It helped some, but overall there was nothing that worked for me except prednisone.

I hope you find some relief soon. :)