You're very welcome, Christine! I LOVE that site, soooo much great info. I visit every day. : )

Hi Mellisa, and all others seeing this.

I am in awful pain, on Medrol / Ultram ? Arava. are what I take I rest (7-10 days) is average flair. But I need all your help w/question. Does anyone else get a bad flair after activity? I had a "chuch picnic" with about 150 people, my activities were folding up chairs and keeping the food tables stocked w/supplies I was very buisy for 4-5 hrs and on Sunday I awoke and cant walk-Pain!

thank you for any help,
Terry

Hi Terry,

Yes, and yes. And YES.

Any time I have a "busy" day - which for me doesn't have to be much - the next few days are unspeakably horrid.

You're not alone.

I'm learning to pace myself. I force myself to stop an activity after a set amount of time and REST - or my body will pay a terrible price in pain.

I'm so sorry you are suffering - there is a ton of good advice on here about pacing yourself, getting rest, etc. -- it's difficult when you're young (well, I'm 42 and I consider that young, lol) to make yourself slow down when you see peers doing so much - but it's absolutely necessary to protect your joints and prevent horrible flares.

Best wishes for speedy relief to you!

Hey - sorry to hear about flare. You have been in very up and down state since you first started posting on here and I remember wondering how you could cope with teaching! (And your art).

Medical advice is often contradictory. I have two RA books that say opposite things about joints in flare. One says cold compress and the other warm one (warm water soaked compress)!!! (And think about medical advice over the years - babies on tummies to sleep/never on tummies, vits rubbish/vits good and so on.)

Firstly the prednisone. It is relatively quick acting if you take a high dose. Your RA is complicated by the fibro and can be difficult to work out what is happening. I dont know if you are able to do this but I save up meds.

This is useful with prednisone as I dont have to find a dr. My standard dose is currently 5mg but if I feel ok I take 2.5 - 3.5. I once tried to come off (with official sanction) and even have some left from then.


So having just been away and being bad before I upped the prednisone to make the travelling better, then reduced back down. I had a goal of doing half a 12 mile hike on one trip and even managed the whole thing yet there have been days here when I am immobilised in bed here with hip and knee pain.

I initially thought when diagnosed that the pain meant permanent damage was being done. Whatever the truth activity possibilities truly come and go.

I see and do both sides. When in too much pain it is impossible for me to exercise but if it is mild I do a little exercise.

Currently I am walking everywhere but before I went away I tried that to get fit for my goal walk and got stranded downtown!!

That website is very helpful, thank ScarlettRA. (interesting name and hope it isnt because your specialist comes out with the "Frankly my dear I couldnt give a damn" line...sometimes I think mine thinks that..)

Thanks, Camba for the encouragement, support and advice. It's 4:00 am and my Fibromyalgia and RA are singing a duet. I went to the school pool during my weekly water aerobics time and tried to do a few warm ups with the group, but mostly did some gentle movements, lasting about 15 min in the pool. I'll try again next week, by which time the Prednisone will have had more chances to work. I am so used to pushing myself through the pain and fatigue, but the RA is kicking me back, forcing me to curtail things. Teaching art, it's difficult to ensure all kids are progressing and understanding without circulating about the room. I may have to think of a short term strategy to get me through the last weeks of school.
The Dr here only wanted me to take 10 mg a day during this flare, but that is not enough. During those more intense flares, what is a reasonable amount?

Camba, I enjoyed reading your detailed and informative post, thank you for sharing your experience!

When I was not in a flare, I was able to do belly dancing - I took classes and had a blast! Also even strength training! When a flare was just "mild" I could do walking and yoga...

It's the severe flares that keep me incapacitated! You are so right, everyone is different, and flares are different, and RA is different for everyone, etc. etc.

I think that's why there are people with RA that are able to do 5k's or whatever and I think "holy cow, how on EARTH do they DO that?" Because flares can vary from mild to quite severe...as I'm learning from personal experience!

My screenname ScarlettRA b/c I love "Gone With the Wind" and Scarlett's saucy "I'll think about it tomorrow" attitude! ; )

Love your avatar: Never Ever Give Up indeed! : )

I think the issue of how much prednisone is a whole new post question. My max extra to help is 12mg but havent been that high for a while. However, on initial diagnosis in basket case category I was on about 40 tapered down to 10. I have forgotten now how long that took. (It is written down somewhere because of the intense "naval gazing" as it were at the beginning of the disease!)

I will message you in a day or two with more thoughts.

Camba, I emailed my rheumy in the US after seeing a noticeable increase in pain/stiffness when going down from 20 to 15 mg. He recommended starting at 30 for 5 days, then 20 for 5, 15 for 5, etc.

I was up early due to Fibromyalgia pain and thought I could "cheat" and scrub the balcony. Bad move. I so much want to get some normalcy to my life,

"Scrub the balcony"!!! Foolishness!! I have always thought housework a health hazard and best avoided!!

Seriously if I do anything "hard working" like this - gardening or in the home, feels fine at the time but pay next day. Put self in massive flare last August after spending a day helping with the food at scrabble tournament! Similarly after half a day of gardening. etc.

Nature of disease - and no doubt some of others reading will have similar stories. Have seen on here before.

The pred dosages are high but what you may have to do. they do reduce so looks like a month to six weeks max? No injections? Find they kick start trouble sites but am not offered them often.

Was in less pain today, but dizzy and fatigued. No housework today! What kind of injection were you talking about, Camba?
I so can't wait for school to be done. I need a rest.

The injections are steroid shots into the joint. The two rheumys I see here (sometimes pay to see the better regarded practitioner in another town privately), both offer this in bad flare. Just like a regular shot and not always successful as needs to go into the joint.

Sounds very ouchy but compared to that dull horrible RA ache and the incapacity that goes with it, it isnt.

Some years ago had one at hospital under a scan machine. Was into the ankle and really made massive difference to my life. The rheumy had tried but couldnt get needle in accurately enough. Once done and a couple of days had passed found I could do things the Beast had curtailed. eg. stand up to dry myself after a shower, walk reasonable distances etc etc.

I was told they couldnt do this "often" - that is possibly because of financial restraints with free state supported health system. In recent years we have had so many cuts I wonder if I would be offered it now. Would pay to have it done again now I know about it. I have a pretty damaged shoulder but I know that is osteo invading after RA and I dont think the injections work on osteo in the same way.

With you some of it is fibro and I dont know whether an injection would work say into the nearest joint above fibro issue where RA is probably lurking and inciting the fibro maybe....

Worth a discussion with a professional I reckon. Maybe even some others on here know. In time I have been on this site I havent seen others talk about this sort of injection but I expect some have had it.