Free2beme, I have a lot of problems with my muscles, like you, mine are weak, and I drop everything I pick up, can't hold anything for more than a few minutes. If I over use, I pay for days. I've had all the muscle tests, too. My tendons are bad, also. They swell and always hurt. Do you have problems with your tendons? I told my doctor and she just said,"Some people just have tendonitus." So, does that mean it's normal to have it for the rest of your life? Gezzzz!
I hope we get some answers some day.

I am recently diagnosed with RA and one thing that confused me while trying to figure out what was wrong with me was that my muscles would get so heavy and tired and weak, and in all the reading about RA muscle weakness wasn't mentioned. BUT reading the recent articles on fatigue has helped me a bit since several of the articles mention fatigue that causes muscles to feel like they are made of lead and everything being heavy and weak. It is not a constant feeling, but it will hit me hard and fast. It actually helps a lot to know that there are others who are experiencing something similar.

Journey thru,
I did have problems with the tendons in wrists and ankles but they have gotten better since I have been on Humira. But I have uncontrollable muscle cramps in my hands and feet. I can't drive because of them. My feet and hands will twist all up and I can't do anything to make it stop. Nobody seems to know what is causing that either. It seems to be something new everyday! Hang in there!

LilyRtrs, first, your avatar picture is adorable! Second, like you, I couldn't find anything about the muscle weakness either. Sad that you are on this journey! I found the article helpful and want my Rhuemy to read it.

Free2beme, oh yes, muscle cramps. What a nightmare! My Rhuemy prescribed vitamin D and that has helped. I can never keep my D level up, no matter what. I understand those cramps that twist your hands and feet. I, also, get them in my quads. They are excruciating, so bad, I start to get hysterical if I feel one starting to come on. They just won't release. It's never just one thing, is it?

I too have the muscle weakness. The cramping is unreal..Vascular surgeon said to buy "Leg Cramps" you can take them every 4 hours or just at bedtime...I have been using them for a little over a month now and NO MORE CRAMPS. Can be bought at the Christmas tree store or at Wegmans food market.. They are advertised in one of the catalogs that I get. I don't remember which one.

Mine all started about 10 years or so ago while I was still working, I would drop things and it would shock the crap out of me not knowing why it happened, I mean I had a hold or so I thought, it was that way off and on, even to this day. You just don't know when it's going to happen. RA does get to your muscle tissue too, as I've always said nothing is safe, it can attack anything in your body, you just keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. If I have to hold onto something for long periods>>>>>forget that! Just not happening! Anything that makes my life easier is the only way for me to go. Funny thing is back then I wasn't even diagnosed with RA, when I got diagnosed a little over 2 years ago while the Rheumy was looking at my hands through her imaging thing the erosion had all ready started, then I put it all together! Duh! No wonder I was dropping things and no wonder my hands were in pain so bad at times that all I could do was take the Advil and wish it away. I was taking way too many Advil too according to the doc. Thank goodness for the medications they have now for RA, I never want to go back to how I felt 2 years ago let alone 10-15 years ago. I call that relief! Ha!

Muscle loss associated with RA is called rheumatoid cachexia:

http://www.arthritisselfmanagement.com/health/arthritis-complications-and-related-conditions/ra-and-cachexia/?page=all

and

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/rheumatoid-cachexia

Dana

Dana, thank you for those links, very informative.

Great articles and I appreciate everyone's posts. Glad I am not alone with this weakness. It is horrible! I was blaming the weakness and the cramps on prednisone. That may have been part of it but the muscle fatigue was making it hard to perform the simplest of things.

I have been drinking diet tonic water (quinine) for the cramps. It helps.

I never suffered muscle issues until I was forced to take prednisone during a superflare. Used to blame the flare itself. But once I got off regular use of prednisone - I began to notice that I only got the muscle involvement when I took prednisone to help with hit-and-run flares I get now.

So in my case it is usually the prednisone and not the RA.

I also have now been diagnosed with multiple food allergies which appear to be the underlying cause of my RA inflammation. Some of them also cause flu-like muscle aches.

These are great articles - I learned something today!

Over the past 6 months I've been suffering from what I think is muscle related which I hadn't had before. Trying to figure out if it is an effect from the Enbrel (never had this with Humira) or something else.

I don't necessarily get muscle cramps but a terrible aching if your will. I posted a while back thinking it was restless limb syndrome or something like that, but don't know if that is what I have going on. I will get it in my larger muscles in my legs and/or arms. The aching is similar to a bad tooth ache in intensity. It makes me move the limbs affected to try to relive it hence why I thought of restless limbs.

In that previous thread it was also thought of the material that lines the outside of our muscles (forget the term).

Along with this I also have moderate muscle weakness. Most of the time I just attribute this to being inactive the past 3 years since this all started (relative to how I used to be). But now after reading these articles I wonder if this is yet another effect of the RA.

I'm going to take some notes from these articles to add to my notes for my next doc visit in 3 weeks. Since the Enbrel has failed me I still wonder if this may be an effect from that. As I said above I never had this problem when I was on Humira or even before any biologics. It should be interesting when I mention this to the doc. When I talk to him every time about how debilitating the fatigue and fog is he just kind of looks at me. Should be interesting what reaction I get to the muscle ache problem.

My doc is one of the heads of an Arthritis Research Center. He told me at my last visit that they track over 20k patients. You would think out of that many patients with RA it wouldn't be a strange thing to him to hear about the fatigue and now the muscle issues.

I always have this dire need to understand what is happening to my body. This thread has helped shed some light on the muscle issue for me. Thanks for bringing this up free2beme!

I so appreciate all of the interesting posts on this board. It seems like when I am questioning so new weird thing, a post will pop up with an answer. Thank you all. Trish

Ya'll are all so welcome! I'm like you coaltrain, I want to understand what is going on with this disease. But when your renounded Rhuemy doc doesn't have an answer then you have to read through a lot of web sites and ask questions on here. Heck if the docs would just read the posts on here they would really learn THE TRUTH about RA and all of the other autoimmune diseases! How REAL people live on a daily basis and all of the struggles we all face everyday.

I'd say my number one consistent complaint is muscle fatigue. NOT JOINTS. My most recent blood work, just 2 weeks ago was NORMAL FOR EVERYTHING (but I didn't get new anti-ccp run, however it's always off the charts). I'm only on Nsaid therapy.

If I hold a heavy shoulder bag for an hour, the next day, my shoulder will ache.
If I had to hold books in one hand, it would get incredibly heavy after just a few minutes.
I walked 8 miles one day on vacation and was fine, but on another day last week, I had to go up 15 flights of stairs and my thigh muscles burned like crazy. (as if I had been jogging for hours!)

I've never found info on it, but my reflexes are normal. I gather it's a deviant type of RA.

Thought I read where RA can contribute to Atrophy. Then again I could be wrong could be the spine.
I drop things constantly. My hands get tired feel weak.
I'll feel my muscles shake when lifting at times. I'm as active as I can possibly be so it does all confuse me.
Lately I have major calve pain. Wakes me up, deep intense pain like a Charlie horse. If I stretch in the morning I get hit with it big time. Like my muscles are rebelling.
At times I forget half asleep & go to stretch. My gosh it's pure agony.
Strangest thing.
Yes the spine can cause it's own problems with the muscles.
My hands where my the indication something was wrong with my cervical & again with RA.
Can be confusing.
Best to keep notes & if it progresses rule other causes out.
Sammy