Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Hello Everyone. I signed up a few days ago, but I have been trying to read past post so I do not keep asking the same questions. It is very hard to read the previous posts for this support group. I am 48 years old. I was diagnosed the first of 2014 with RA through blood work. I was put on methotrexate (6 a day)and prednisone (daily). I have been on and off the methotrexate for 2014-2016 due to medical issues not related to RA. At this point in time I feel terrible. My pain is still consistant, depressed and I am completely exhausted daily. I will be going back to my doctor in December. I was wondering if anyone else has had issues with their legs? This summer I was walking probably every other day a 1 mile. My issues basically the same, my body aches, but my hands hurt severly. This just started about three weeks ago when I had walked around the store for groceries and took them to the car. I could hardly get in the car. I could not lift my legs. There was a burning sensation in my theighs and I could not lift them. I did my best to lift my right theigh and then used my hand to lift my other leg. I have been kind of on the denial train. I am on the denial train, but this really freaked me out. Also how did everyone finally get a hold of the gravity of having RA. Thank You
PLEASE tell me you're not taking 6 MTX pills daily. You probably should be taking all 6 pills ONE DAY A WEEK.
It's hard to tell what exactly is going on with your legs. Could be myalgia or myositis. Have you been taking other drugs?
What you describe sounds a little like what happened to me when I began taking statins [for high cholesterol]. I used to walk 2 miles in 20 minutes.....but about a week after I started statins I could barely make one short block in the same length of time. Turns out I'm one of those with severe side effects to statins, so I was immediately taken off them. A week later after the drug had cleared my system, I was walking normally again.
So think of any drugs you may have started in the past month or so. Perhaps that might be the reason.
Just before I was diagnosed and began treatment I had really chronic fatigue and aching in my legs similar to what you describe. It seemed to start after a few weeks when I walked a good bit more than usual.
I think because I was walking with a limp, it was likely putting more pressure on muscles, ligaments and tendons than usual, causing pain.
Nothing really alleviated it until I started treatment with steroids. As you're taking steroids but you still have this pain, I do wonder if maybe it is more likely a reaction to meds?
Amlodipine can cause myositis so it's worth speaking to your Dr re this.
I also wonder, if you've been "on the denial train" if perhaps youve been pushing through pain and just doing too much physically, much as I did. Maybe you need to rest up and pace yourself more in future?
You can do this. It's your body and what works for others may or may not work for you. I wish you the best!