I have had RA since around 2007, went on 50 mg Enbrel shot and Methotrexate in 2009 when the symptoms became more pronounced. Once the meds kicked in I was doing pretty well, and for the last 4 years the only noticible symptom was that on my left hand I would get a slight swelling between the knuckles on the back of my hand. About 2-3 months ago both my knees started swelling by the end of the day. Now about an hour after being up in the morning they start to swell. It cause me to feel fatigued and my energy level is blah. If they are not swollen, then I feel pretty good. I have upped my methotrexate from 2 pills to 3 pills per week. Because my liver enzyme levels fluctuate, I try to keep the MTX as low as I can. My RA doctor was not overly excited over the swelling knees, so maybe this is just the way it is and I have been pretty lucky up until now. Oh, she did suggest taking motrin (600 mg 3x per day) to help with the swelling. I am 40 lbs overweight and I am sure it would help to lose the weight. I am just afraid that if my knees are constantly swollen that means that eventually damage will be done.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I might do? Thanks for any input.