i don't think you can get them injected right? because you are between rheumies.

i have it in both hip bursas and I use only ice - I also have novacaine patches because my pcp and rheumie are no narcotics. they work pretty good and I could see where they would be helpful with you. they are lidocaine. i also ramp up (living allowing) the nsaids

if you do good with pred tapers, I would one. I happen personally to do worse (I rebound) but so many folks on here get sweet blessed relief so do whatever you have to.

i hope you get into that new rheumie asap.

i agree don't do the hippa filing on the old one until you are entrenched with the new one.

congratulations on your move

depot

I have a lovely nodule on my left elbow but it only hurts during a flare. Trish

Well my elbow(s) don't hurt. They are swollen and squishy and there is "gravel" under the swelling but no pain. I just can't figure it out. The Pred taper hasn't done a thing. I am tapering down now. sigh.

You might be able to have them drained. Are you still feeling well though? I know you finally got your life back!

As someone who's elbows got so inflamed they froze, I can share this bit if info...there aren't any bursas in the elbows. You can get epicondylitis which is where the tendons attach...called tennis elbow if on the outside of the elbow and pitcher's elbow when on the inside. I've had both at the same time and in both elbows at the same time. That's why they froze.

RA can cause tendinitis(or epicondylitis also called teno-synovitis)as RA is all about infalmmation of the synovial membrane and tendons are covered with it as are bursas. But having had shots in just about every bursa in the body, my rheumy has told that the bursas around the elbow are very small and more between the muscles and not around the joint.

So I would assume it could be an RA nodule forming or a really bad case of epicondylitis or just inflamed elbow joint. I know when mine get bad, the whole thing really swells up to the outside.....not all over like a lot of joints.

I'd call and see you could get in for a couple of cortisone shots. I went through 9 shots in one elbow alone in order to break the "frozen" problem. Got enough in those epicondyles and it "Let it go"!

(sorry I just couldn't help it)

hugs.............Jen

I had what I attributed to tennis elbow off and on for at least 20 years before diagnosis. (One of them getting to where it wouldn't unbend past about 45 degrees was what finally got me sent to a rheumatologist.) The best solution for me was anti-inflammatories and heat. I'd take the drug du jour, usually aspirin, then an hour or so later sit with a heating pad on the offending joint, hot as I could stand for as long as I could stand, at least 4 times a day. I don't know if that just kept me entertained while the flare subsided or if it really worked, but it did seem to eventually help.

Thanks everyone. I am feeling pretty well overall. I find that bandaging my elbows helps the swelling.
I've tried ice but not heat so I will give that a try.
I am tapering off the prednisone and it hasn't helped a bit.
I made a Dr. appointment for next Wednesday. I am between Rheumy's right now as I said before, so I am going to my GP for this. I have an appointment with my new Rheumy on December 2nd but I didn't feel this could wait any longer. I'm starting to worry a little that it might be an infection because I think the lymph nodes are swollen there too.

Ra likes heat and not ice so trying heat may be a big help. And wrapping(I assume with an ACE bandage)forces the fluid to be absorbed by the blood stream faster.

Oddly enough, my left elbow blew up today so I'm doing the same thing...lots of heat and wrapping it before bedtime. The right one should blow up on me within a day or 2.

Hugs..........Jen

My elbows do the same mostly on the inside it seems... but I too use heat... I have found that my heating pad has been my best friend for the last few years. Inflammation has been terrible of late and the flares seem to be on going. Hope the heat helps you.

update --- I do have bursitis in both elbows. The doctor drew off the fluid at my request. My elbows are wrapped and I hope they don't swell up again. I see the new rheumy in 2 weeks. I'll have him check them out then.