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Do you get an aura before a (big) flare?

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 10/8/2013 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
Don't know what to think about myself.

Normally I'm super immune woman. Had always bragged about not catching anything until RA kicked my butt in 2007 with that massive full body onset flare.

Took me about 1 1/2-2 years to get "right" again. Never felt 100% and have little episodes here and there but nothing that has kept me out of work or carrying on with my life. Not on meds anymore since liver enzymes elevated and when I was taken off of MTX I felt no worse off than on. Still get monitored every 3 months by my RD.

Cut to the chase. Mid Sept. I caught a chest cold that then went to my head and I just couldn't shake it! I thought it odd to be sick this time of year and so severely but I knew of a few other people in the same boat.

But what's really bothering me is I've been having a general feeling of unwellness for I don't know how long. In the evening (which doesn't fit the RA bill) I feel very fatigued and various joints are aching. Sometimes I'll spray my knees, ankles, feet with icy hot before bed.  I have a desk job and I am not over weight so it can't be attributed to something like that. besides my hands are always tender and my shoulders get achy too. I also have been feeling a lot of anxiety over nothing in particular-just feel edgy.

My pointer knuckle on my left hand has been particulary bothersome for a couple weeks- the left pointer to a lesser degree. Now for the past 2 days my right hand has a slight swell across the fist knuckles- right hand...maybe just a little and it's still the one that bothers me more. I don't usually swell so I'm concerned yet feel silly to call the dr. over such a small swell. They look a little red and I feel warm on the inside but can't tell when I feel my hand if it's outwardly warm or if it's my imagination. Not in any great pain or anything- just the usual tenderness except for the pointer knuckles a little more stiff and hurting.

Sooooo  can any of you feel a flare coming on....or does it just hit you like a ton of bricks like it did me the first time. Please keep in mind a flare to me is when you can't go to work or take care of your personal needs- not just a period of time you feel especially achy.

Thanks

 

Posted 10/9/2013 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I find that mornings and evenings are the time when I am stiff, sore and fight with fatigue the worst. I don't know why you would think that evenings are not a classic symptom for RA. Generally around 4 or so I am feeling pretty much exhausted. It has always been like that regardless of the medication with the one exception of prednizone. I have endless energy on it and virtually never have the feeling of fatigue. I am on Humira right now and I have no swelling whatsoever but I ache quite a bit in the usual worst affected joints. My middle fingers, knuckles and feet. Lately my knees and elbows as well have been tender but generally they are ok.

As far as feeling a flare coming on I generally will feel more run down than usual and begin to feel tender in whatever joints are affected. My wife tells me that I move around at night in my sleep and moan and groan alot when one is coming on. I don't sleep well or feel rested. For me I will get swelling to the point I can not bend whatever joint is affected. Sausage fingers, feet that hurt so bad and are so swollen I can't walk kind of thing. As well, it is generally pretty fast with the onset. When the flare is tapering off it is very gradual and I will slowly over days get back to normal.

I work full time as well and fortunately I am in a position that I can WFH when I am feeling particularly bad. Almost always its when my feet are flared up because walking hurts so much.

I have always been one not to call the Doctor until I am flared up so bad I can not work. She gets on me about it and always gets me in straight away when I call because she knows Im in terrible shape when I do. I don't know if that's a great strategy to be honest. When I am in that state its really a bad place to be. I can't think and fatigue is such a problem I won't drive.

If it were me I would call the Doctor and just tell the nurse what is going on. You are not in a full on flare but you are somewhat elevated from where you "normally" are at physically. Not being on any medication if you do go into a full onset you may have serious joint damage as a result. You don't want that of course. It's better to be safe and call your doctor if you have questions.

I hope you feel better. God bless you! -Don
Posted 10/10/2013 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Don

Well I didn't know it but my RD check up is this Saturday! But guess what? Now the symptoms are eased up and the swell is all but gone! Don't it figureZ? Just like when you bring your car in for service and then the noise it was making stops.....

Posted 10/10/2013 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
WearyRASufferer,

My flares sound an awful lot like your flares do.  I rarely have anything severe enough to keep me from work, but I do have many days in a flare that I will choose to telework (if my boss lets me) or work just part of the day because I'm so fatigued that I need to take a nap.  For me, in addition to the joint soreness and stiffness (occasional swelling) I have the most terrible fatigue.  It doesn't seem to ever get better.  The only thing that helps it is taking one of the biologics--enbrel was great for fatigue. 

When I have flare coming on, it is usually gradual and fairly insidious at first.  It may start with not sleeping well--just can't get comfortable; then irritability kicks in.  ONly then do the joint symptoms start and I figure out what is going on. 

Right now, I'm only on methotrexate and tramadol.  I stopped taking orencia due to skin cancer, and I can't go back on it until my surgical wound heals.  Once I go back to orencia, I know I'll feel pretty normal again.

Elcamino

Posted 10/10/2013 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Yep I know exactly how you feel. I must have gone to my primary dozens of times when I was pre-diagnosis where the inflammation would subsist right before my appointment. It was horrible. I started taking pictures so I could show him and prove I wasn't crazy. I finally told him that if he could get me in just one time at little notice then he could see it in person and that worked. My knee was massively swollen and he was able to pull fluid from it and the tests they ran came back positive.

That is why I don't like to call my Rheumy unless I am really in bad shape. I would hate to waste her time when there are other people out there trying like mad to get in when they are hurting.

Hope you are doing better. -Don
Posted 10/14/2013 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
Well had my appointment on Saturday.

Swell was down to a minimum of course. Doctor said he could see it but he was not phased. Asked me if I remembered sitting in his office at my onset and how swelled I was? Whenever he says that and he always says something about my onset I feel like he will not validate my current RA symptoms. Do I have to be a complete mess for him to acknowledge that I don't feel good? So this is it? Not for nothing I would never want to be back in that bad place but at least everyone understood that I was ill and didn't expect me to perform 100%. Now that my symptoms are mild everyone treats me as if I were well. Even I do it to myself....I'm always pushing pushing pushing to keep up the pace and I berate myself when I don't get everything done.

He didn't even want to do a blood work up when I told him this little flare has been goin on & off since early Sept.! he didn't have a problem writing up a slip when I asked him but I felt like I was questioning his know how or authority. Not that he acted like that...but I don't think I should have had to ask for it to be done.

It'll probably come back normal and that will be the feather in his cap but I am seronegative and my blood inflammation levels even come back normal when I'm having symptoms. The only time they were elevated and then they were off the charts was during my onset.
Posted 10/14/2013 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Well, Im glad to hear that your flare has diminished some but it always seems to work out that way with the appointment to the Rheumy I swear. Make sure you take pics if you can so you can show him. I understand how you feel and I too have wondered in the past if I have to be a total invalid to justify going in to the doctor. Don't beat yourself up over it. You of course want to feel well and there is certainly no harm in that. The fact for me is that I haven't felt "well" since the onset of this whole thing. I may not look sick alot of the time but I sure feel like it. Hang in there and be good to yourself. -Don
Posted 10/14/2013 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
That's me too Don. I haven't felt "well" since onset. I look fine and honestly I am very grateful that I function high level but I do remember how it was to feel well and I miss that.

Thanks and hope things stay quiet for you!
Posted 10/15/2013 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
Yep, when I posted that I thought afterward to myself that I have to remember to give thanks for the health I DO have. I also do pretty well for the most part too. Even not feeling right I've been able to hold a job and actually done pretty well at it too which is a flat out miracle. Not to mention taking care of things around the house and being a dad and husband. To be honest I give all the credit to God. He's taken care of us and provided much much more than I "need".

Sometimes I wonder about it all cause even in the midst of this disease and all of lifes other challenges it has all worked out. Maybe not the way I would want though. I try to look for the positives of this whole thing like being able to connect with others and offer them encouragement or just listen and empathize over what they are going through. It isn't easy for any of us that's for sure. I have been blessed with a whole host of people suffering from different things that I talk with at work and in my community. They have sure helped me and given me hope and encouragement along the way and I am really grateful for that!

Anyways, I hope you feel better. Take care, -Don
Posted 10/22/2013 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
well the blood results are in....all normal except WBC slightly elevated. Well what did I expect? They have always been normal once the onset was under control. As I remember though- my WBC was elevated when the RA was active.

We'll see what the doctor says when he calls. (I had the results mailed to me as well)

Continue to have traveling joint pains and always hands, wrists, feet & ankle are bothersome

He'll probably ask me if I have an infection
Posted 10/22/2013 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, mine did last week when I went in. I have the same complaints. Lots of fatigue lately with achy hands, feet, ankle and shoulders but no real big inflammation. The recommendation was to take a low level dose of prednizone and eat vicodin. :( Asked me about infection and I dont have any of course. I told my Doc that the vicodin was working less and she wanted to prescribe something stronger. Im not going there, last thing I need is to get too used to pain meds. Besides, when I have a bad flare I need to have something in the arsenal that works good. Emergency handle type thing if you will.

Today was a tough day. I had to really push myself to get out of bed and get into work. I am glad I did though even if I didn't get a whole lot done. Sometimes just putting one foot in front of the other is enough to call it a success. :)

I hope you feel better. -Don
Posted 10/24/2013 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hope you are feeling better Don!
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