I think what you are describing in your wrist is a perfect example of a flare. If you look closely at your wrist, you may also see it is reddish and even hot. The wrist has many bones, though, so it may be more than one joint, or a combination. When I had bad flares, other people would comment on how red and swollen they looked.

Really, I truthfully don't care how they look. But when I can't do things, like dress myself, or walk, then I draw the line. I think you have reached that line. You are having flares, and the exhaustion is part of the beast, too. You are not lazy, you are sick.

And you can get wrist guards to protect your wrists and support them. They are also good to wear in bed at night, so your wrists don't flop around and wake you with the pain. I have a day set and a night set. I didn't wear them for 5 years, with the right combo, and then I went back to them in Sept. Now I can't wear them, I have so much swelling and edema from the prednisone. Can't seem to win with this game.

W

mine always start with my ankle, they swell and it's painfull to walk, then knees, mostly right. my lower back and rt hip have been spasmodic. the elbow and wrists. then my hands and fingers. this one really scared me, the first time it hit my fingers like this. so were changing meds, and im back on pred. The pred is great for getting rid of swelling and pain. but it adds the fat swelling instead. lol
if that makes since

I am new to this...I will describe my flareups;
I can feel the heat from my joints like I was plugged in. My fee, swell, I can not walk. Or my hands swell and I look like and ad for a sasuage company. I can not straighten my fingers out.
Or I can not get out of bed or off the toilet on my own.
I wear knee braces when it is my knees that are flaring up.
Some times it is my whole body, sometimes it is just certain joints.
Sometimes I have to stay in my pj's. IF I have to go somewhere and am having an all over flareup, my husband or daughter has to dress me.
I wear gardening gloves when driving. The kind that has those rubber dots all over them. Tey help me keep a good handle on the wheel.

'Flare' = hell on earth.

Sounds like you're definately in the throws of a flare. We call them flare ups because we'll have times when its not so bad, then BAM swelling increases suddenly(over the course of a few hours or less) like... well like a flame that suddenly flares up lol.

Flare-ups don't have to always be in the joints though- it can also be systemic. You might have chronic fatigue flares where you just suddenly feel abnormally exhausted, or you might feel like your running a slight fever. Anything that can be attributed to a crazed immune system could constitute a flare if you have RA.

Hope you feel better.

Coolbeans, thank you for your insight! I feel exactly like you just described. Systemically exhausted, achy all over. It might be a touch of a bug, but more likely it's a flare up. I have extra meds on me, as I'm on the opposite side of the country from where I usually am. I feel much better knowing that it's probably just (just!!) a flare-up and the standard MTX hangover that I get the morning after I take it.

Thanks for all your comments. I wonder if I have been dealing with this for so long (1-2 yrs) that I have somewhat become used to feeling like crap! I just started the MTX last night 1/2 dose, I had a hard time sleeping, restless, but that may be from my anxiety disorder as well. I just hate changes!! I'm going to take the other 1/2 today. Again thank you to all of you. reality is beginning to set it :(

Having a hard time sleeping is part of the problem too. Unfortunately, that's a normal thing for me. Like you said, you get so use to feeling like crap. Believe me, you know when it gets worse. The ladies in here described a flare perfectly. "Worse" than your normal bad.

Hello to all, my flair-up can come in a form of pains all over my body, especially in both of my knees. My knees swells to the point I can't walk on them, nor bend them. When this happen, I have to get pain shots in my knees from my r.a. doctor. I have fibrom. as well do any of you have that illness as well. Do any of you take Gabapentin? What is your experience with this medication. It kind of make me feel strange, such as being depressed. I would like to hear from others about how this medication affects you.

I always think of a flare up as when I am suddenly hit with red or swollen joint (or joints)that was/were half way to being normal before (although may have been some pain or bending issues) and that lasts more than say a couple of hours. I would also include a sudden and lasting flattening with tiredness, achyness, flu type symptoms.

The other side is virtually no/minimal symptoms with maybe odd twinge etc.

In the middle is what I think of as "having this disease". Neither flattened nor incapacitated in a joint or joints but a "not rightness', mild malaise. I think that is what many of us put up with when "in disease" as it were but not in a flare. However that is just my definition. Not sure what rheumys would say. Mine was infuriating me late last year and into this saying I was "in remission' when I had lots of pain, mini flares yet at the same time referring me to a physio for wrist!

You asked on another post about prednisone. Many rheumys give it with mtx and my private one (as opposed to state one I usually see) actually believes, supported by some conference report, that it works with mtx in a way not understood if you take it at night (say 5.00pm ish, not necessarily late). Also can be quite low dose too. But it is described initially to get rid of the inflammation before mtx hopefully subdues the attacking immune system. 10mg not so bad and likely to be reduced over time. Many are started on a quantity a number of times greater and then reduce. (I was given 40 to 30 -20 - 10 -5. Now on 2.5mg after giving it up entirely but not quite coping without. So even my current "remission" is drug dependent).

I read your profile and see you have had a lot of stress to deal with. This wont have helped the RA beast lurking so hope your issues are getting sorted and you have more peace of mind. Many of us here developed our RA after stress episodes or periods.

Again, thanks to all of you for your comments. Camba: Yes I have had alot of stressful issues to deal with in the past 4 years starting with the infidelity issue. I look back now and this and within one year is when most of this "pain" started. It's sad, unfortunate and unfair that I (the innocent one) am still suffering. But feeling sorry for myself doesn't help my condition in anyway. What does help is knowing you are not alone and knowing you have people dealing with issues such as yours or even worse. Thanks again!

LOL! Yes, you get so used to feeling like garbage that it starts to seem normal! When a bad flare recedes I think to myself "how the hell did I live like that for so long!?" 'Cause I don't think I ever really appreciated how excruciating my feet were until the inflammation left them.

During a flare-up my fingers and hands are swollen and painful. My shoulders ache bigtime and I get pain in my hips and the joints in the top of my feet. I can sleep 10-12 hours a night and I'm just generally a couch potato. This is when I go on medrol til I'm back to myself and then the cycle continues.
Joanie

I'm in the group that would say what you described is "every day living" with RA. My wrists are my "weakest link" as well. To me a flare is pain so bad you need prescription pain meds, you need braces/splints and might not be able unable to go to work or care for your daily functions on your own. Thankfully I have only had a couple of these (not counting onset which lasted 3 months) in my 3 years of RA, One lasted a week and one only a couple of hours.

Thank you for asking this question Laura! Thanks for all of the answers! It sooooooo helps me to read this stuff. Makes me cry. But it is reassuring that it isn't all made up in my head.

I remember the first time I had swelling problems. I was 15 yrs old and I went to the nurse at school crying because my feet hurt so bad they were burning. The undersides of my feet swole so badly my mini sausage toes were dangling above the floor. I was horrified! lol I had to sit there for an hour with feet in icewater...till my Dad came to get me. Every since then I have had swelling, burning, stiffness problems along with serious food and salt sensitivity.