Joint Pain in Hands?

Hello Everyone

I had Crohn's disease for almost two years and now I have been having some joint pains in my hands. Some days are better then others for pain. I have find that taking pain relieve medicine really helps. Has anyone experienced this before? and if so, what did you do to take care of yourself? Ayn input would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!!!

Thanks for your input bluberrydecaf! I have had similar symptoms too of joint pain in hands while I'm typing or writing awhile. Have you ever had any numbness in your on the tips of your figures? I have been starting to have that too. :( I have been diagnosed with the disease two summers ago, so its almost been like I said 2 years. I have felt like I have been on this huge roller coaster with this disease, since after reading your post. I have taken already different drugs and none have really worked for me. Such as Pentasa, prednisone worked but, I disliked the fact that I looked so fat in my face and body, because as you know the water weight kicks in. I have been recently taking Azathioprine as well, I really don't know if it works for me or not. I have mixed feelings about it, because sometimes I still have pain. However, now I'm taking shots of HUMERIA which seems to be helping me. Have you considered using this drug?

It also feels so good to be a apart of a support group, lately I feel that its so hard to talk about my disease with friends or family because they don't have the disease and sometimes cannot imagine where I'm coming from. Do feel the same way?

Thanks your input ZenaWP!! I'm originally just taking the Humira for the Crohn's disease. Idid not know that it could help with artharitz. I'm a college student and when the fall term ends, I'm seeing my GI Dr. about it. I'm sorry to hear that your joint pain is so bad, you have to walk with a cane and you're only 29. Are you a boy or girl ZenaWP? just wondering.

yes, Fairy16 I do understand what you mean that it is difficult to talk about Crohn's with friends and family. I think because the symptoms fluctuate so much (two days ago I was feeling pretty rough, yesterday I felt great) - and because a lot of the symptoms are "invisible" (like joint pain, gut pain, nausea) it can be hard for people to see that you are not feeling well. Even I seem to tell myself on a weekly basis that I am either just fine or not okay because of the fluctuations! Crazy disease. I am on nothing right now - supposed to get a call from my GI today or tomorrow to start trying 6mp (similar to azathioprine but I hope I don't react this time)!

Definitely... I have joint pain in my hands and have not found too much that helps... just sending you hugs..my gi is telling me that the crohn's is worse in my joints than he has seen. I am on remicade and trying to taper off prednisone... I too walk with a cane on some days and need a wheelchair in stores. He prescribed tramadol but it made me feel awful.

hugs to you.

I am taking sulfasalazine to help relieve the joint pain in my hands. I just learned the word for the kind of pain I was having - enthesitis. I think it was a part of the post on this forum addressed to "Nanners and others with ...." Anyway, it was definitely a tendon-related pain. The tendon attaching my thumb to the wrist, or pinky to the hand, or other fingers, would get tender and swollen. It would come up suddenly, randomly, and sometimes persist for a day or so. Almost every day for a few years I'd get this. I went to see a rheumy, an endocrinologist (because I could link the pain to my menstrual cycle), my regular doc...no one had any solution. After complaining to my GI about it for many visits, I finally told him that this hand pain was the worst part of my Crohn's and I needed to deal with it. He put me on entocort, which did resolve it within a couple of weeks. However, that med is so ridiculously expensive! At my next visit he told me that sulfasalazine was coming back into favor among GIs and rheumatologists. It is an old med that was originally intended to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It doesn't work so well for that, but recent studies showed it worked pretty well for joint pain linked to IBD. So I started taking it and weaned off the entocort. I haven't had any hand pain since then. Voila!

However, I still do have knee pain and issues with my sacroiliac joint, but those are not enthesitis.