Need help!

christmre

I have a question for any of you with RA. Since I began working out, I have been feeling really good and have had no flares. But then a few days ago, my elbow started hurting, and now my mobility has been severely limited in that joint. My question is, will working out help? Or make it worse? What do you do to help with the pain? I have not been able to sleep for three nights now, and really need help until I can get to my doctor next week.

mjtbb

I think it will depend on the reason. Is it swollen, red in the joint? Do you take any NSAIDS for your RA? Maybe a coupld of advils or if you already do try some acetaminophen (Tylenol). You don't want to stop moving it but if its really bothering it might need some rest. Try using a heat or cold in the inflammed area and see it it helps to get rid of the swelling. Did you bruise it doing something or maybe the weather is yucky (I get really achy when the pressure is changing). I never had issues with my elbow so I don't know of other things that could have brought this on but when I get achy on a joint I like using the heating pad and a couple of ibuprofen tablets (or something stronger if its really bad ) just so I can get a good night sleep. Usually that does the trick (specially if I used something stronger like Vicodin, it will get me sleepy right away).
Hope you feel better soon!

christmre

Thanks, I took your advice and put some heat on it. I got a thing you put in the microwave and heat up, and that seems to be helping, I also took a vicodin, I hate to take them, but it got pretty bad there for a while. I didn't injure it, it just started swelling, which is weird since it's just the one joint, usually my RA affects more than one at a time I also went ahead and worked out, just didn't lift any heavy weights.

mjtbb

I hear you, I only take half a vicodin most times. Tha'ts usually enough for me. I used to take Darvocets but those are not available anymore. I just have them for those really achy days when I can't sleep. Which are not very often for me thankfully. I get a month supply and it takes me 6 months plus to use it. I take remicade, arava, methotrexate and small dose prednisone (4mg) so if I don't do well with all of that I would be in real trouble.
Since you said you did weights thats probably what happen. Maybe you put some pressure in that particular joint. Sometimes for us RAers just a bit of a bump can cause a lot of problems. Any time I hit in a joint I really hurt it and sometimes it can take a while before the pain goes away.
Hope you feel better soon!

Melanie