Hi everyone,

I need some help, answers, stories and/or advice! I have RA arthritis. It is in a lot of parts of my body. The bad parts seem to change from time to time! Right now, one of my most hurting parts, are my hands and wrists. Here is one question: Does anyone ever get really dry hands and sores on their hands/fingers and around their fingernails? Mine has just started up in the past 3 - 4 weeks. Never has done it before in 2 years!

Plus my sores, on my hands and finger and other parts of my body, seem to take forever to heal. I put Neosporin on them and aloe and hand lotion. It does help somewhat, but never seems to go away totally! Do any of yall have these same symptoms or problems?

I do go back to my rheumatologist in a couple of weeks. But, do not know if there is anything that she can do. Please help!

Any answers will be greatly appreciated.

Wannabe :confused:

Hi Anyone?!

Please answer if you have any stories, advice and knowledge of my above post!!!

Thanks for your help!

Wannabe

I have RA and most of my problems are in my hands and wrists too. I have had problems with sores on my hands, but not from RA. It was contact dermatitis.

What do your sores look like?

Hi Creinha,

Thanks for replying. My sores just cam up about a week or 2 ago. I started on Prednisone and Relafen about 2 mo. ago. My dose goes up and down depending on the weather and the pain.

Some of my sores/rash are just like red dots. They do not do anything, unless I itch them and then they turn into sores. And then some are like small light brown circles with beige in the middle. When my RA is real bad, they turn red and pink. If I do not scratch them, they just stay that way. I put neosporin on all my sores at least once a day. And then there are some flakey type sores/places. If I scrape at the flakes, then they become red and the flakes come off. It seems like there are about 3 different kinds of sore, on my hands, finger mostly and just past my wrists, on my arms.

I have not shown my Rheumatologist, because they were not there the last time I saw her! I go on the 20th of Feb., so...

What is contact dermatitis? And what do you do for it?

Thanks again.

Wannabe

Contact dermatitis is like an allergic reaction. I always take prednisone for it. I'm shocked the prednisone isn't helping yours. Maybe you could take a picture of your hands just in case it goes away before your next appointment?

Hi Creinha,

That is a good idea, about taking the pictures. I will put that on my list to talk to my Rhuemy dr. about. Thanks again.

Wannabe

Hi.....I have osteoarthitis of the fingers with huge nodes and
sometimes bad pain and clumseyness . I have red spots and
flakiness and they itch and burn like crazy but i would never
take predisone for them. Usually a cortisone salve that is per-
scription strength will alleviate the problem. My problem is
eczema which i have had off and on all of my life..The salve
that I use is bethamethasone 0.5 strength. Hope this helps.
Karen

Legally Blondied,

Thanks for the reply. Every little bit helps. My Prednisone is not for my sores, it is for my RA that is in a lot of places on my body. It does help me.

Where are your huge nodes and what do they look like and how big are they? Do they stay there all the time???

Thanks again.

Wannabe

tobefreetoroam.....i am so sorry about the misunderstanding
regarding predisone...I am not familar with RA and did not know the medications for treatment with the exception of
what is seen to tv. I have huge knots on the joints in the
fingers. They are called(spelling!) Bouchard nodes and Hebredon nodes, depending if they are found on the first joint
nearest the nail or the second joint. They are huge calicum
deposits that are built up over time as a part of osteoarthritis
and when you get them they are for life. Gives your hands
a knarled claw like look and they burn and are painful....Karen

HI Karen,

Dont be sorry - I am still learning about my own illnesses!!! And my meds change all the time, for different reasons. I do not have those nodes. That sounds very painful! Can they not cut them off or out or whatever? I imagine that you cannot bend your hand or fingers very well, right? Mine are just really stiff and swollen and when in a flare, do not bend into a fist very well and just do not work very well. That is when husbands come in hand and pull tab cans!!!!! :>

You must have Osteo pretty badly?! How long have you been diagnosed? Do you have the nodes any where else - like on your toes?

Most of my swelling is between my knuckles where my hand meets my fingers. Like big pillow puffs!!!

Thanks for the info. I am learning!

Wannabe

ToBeFreeToRoam......You are a really nice person to talk with.
I am new to this computer thing and message boards and I
find more information all of the time. Yes, I have osteo throughout my body. Part I feel is due to pre genetic disposition to this on my mother's side and a lifetime of wear
and tear on my body from being dancer. I started at 5 and I
am now 61. I stopped taking classes in jazz last year due to
pain in the groin and am in need of a hip replacement. My
right hip is bone on bone and very painful. I am waiting for
a chance to have my hip resurfaced rather than a replacment
since I would have a chance to regain my life back and take
dance, yoga and pilates classes again. Sitting around in pain is no good for me mentally or physically. Tell me about RA......Thanks Karen

Hi Karen,

I am just now looking at the posts so will not reply tonite! :> I am going to sleep and will answer in the am. Hope you have a good evening/nite/early morning!!!!! :>

Talk with you later.

Take care.

Wananbe

Hi Karen,

I really do not know that much about Rheumatoid Arthritis. When my family dr. first referred me to a rheumatologist, my rheumy dr. diagnosed me with osteo. So, she treated me for that for about 1 year. Then it was mainly in my left knee and my back. She gave me tramadol (ultram) and skelaxin (muscle relaxer). They worked some what. I cannot too strong of meds, because I have stomach problems.

Then about 6 - 9 mo. ago, she did more blood tests and my sed rate and other tests suggested RA to her (I guess). So, I stayed on the two original meds. (but upped to 4 x day). Plus she added relafen and prednisone. My dose goes up and down, depending on how much I hurt and if the weather is cold. I live in the Houston area, so, it is not too often too cold. I am now taking 2 each of the new meds.

She also had both of my hands x-rayed. Have you had your hands x-rayed? Is there nothing they can do for your nodes? Do they get bigger? Do you take meds for your Osteo? And can you use your hands at all? Like - I used to do temp. office work, and I do not know if I could use my hands like that all day long?!

My daughter (eldest, now almost 30), did dancing and gymnastics. Her back and her knees hurt her a lot now. Her knees have been popping for years. I just know that she is going to be diagnosed with one of the arthritis diseases in the future! Poor thing, part genetic and part caused by past doings!!!

Let me know at what age you knew you had arthritis and at what age you were diagnosed? That will give me some idea for my daughter.

I will find out more about my disease when I go to my Rheumatologist on the 20th. She is very thorough and pays attention to everything. She looks at your whole body, just about!

Take care.

Wannabe

Hi ToBeFreeToRoam.....Thanks for the info....I was diagnosed
with osteoarthritis when I was in my thirty's by my GP who
was a rheumatologist and working as a GP. She just said i
had bad arthritis in my spine and attritibuted a pinched sciatic nerve to this and she was wrong. The arthritis has
really never givern me any pain except within the last ten years and I am 61 today!!! My sciatic nerve was being pinched and irritated by a tight pirmiformis muscle which it
runs through. My back has never hurt. I have had pulling
and pain down the sides of my legs and have not been able
to stand really straight without the top part of my ribcage
sticking out and I walk leaning forward. Again I have spinal stenosis of the lower lumbar area and spondolothesis. Not sure of the spelling. However my posture and pain was primarily due to shortened muscles and lack of using them properly when dancing. Have worked with a PT to help with this. I am assured the arthritis of the right has played a significant role for a long
time and I have moved my body around to compensate for
the pain. My joints in my fingers make my dexterity a little
trickey at times but the less I do the more they hurt and
the same with the hip. I take 600 Milg. of Motrin 4x's a
day and was given ultram which I take rarely. I am a
recovering alcoholic to 20 years sobriety and I am very
leary of pain meds...I have had 57 acupuncture treatments
and they were extremely helpful. Nothing can be done for
the nodes or deformity of my hands.....Karen

Hope you don't mind if I jump in here but wanted to tell tobefreetoroam to check with her rhuematologist about lupus and related skin problems such as scle and raynauds. Some of the things you mentioned earlier sound a little like they could be related. If you have RA you already have an autoimmune problem sometimes you can have more than one. So be sure to tell your doc about the skin problems.

Just wanted to make a suggestion.

Glojer

ps. there is a lady on the lupus board named Veej who can give you a lot of great info on the rash etc. She has scle.

tobefreetoroam.....i am so sorry about the misunderstanding
regarding predisone...I am not familar with RA and did not know the medications for treatment with the exception of
what is seen to tv. I have huge knots on the joints in the
fingers. They are called(spelling!) Bouchard nodes and Hebredon nodes, depending if they are found on the first joint
nearest the nail or the second joint. They are huge calicum
deposits that are built up over time as a part of osteoarthritis
and when you get them they are for life. Gives your hands
a knarled claw like look and they burn and are painful....Karen

legallyblondied, like you, I have these horrible nodes on both hands. I woke up today in severe pain! I have OA in my back also, but fortunately it's not hurting that much today. I had to stop taking Celebrex because of numerous side-effects. Now, I just suffer EVERY day. What you take for your pain?

Hi Hacamila.......I think there is nothing you can do for the
nodes that form on the fingers. They are calcium deposits
that grow slowly and stop and start again. When they are
growing it is painful and mine turn red. One finger is bent
and they are unsightly but I am still able to work well with
them. I have used motrin 600 miligrams 3 to 4 xs a day for
many years for the arthritis in my body. It has worked the
best for me and I have not had an digestive problems. I have
severe osteoarthritis of my right hip joint and am looking at
resurfacing the hip in the very near future. Still the best pain
medication is stretching, acupuncture and motrin. The less
I do, the more I hurt, and then the more despressed I get
and the cycle continues. Best to keep busy with the least
possible medication. I take fish oil, extra calcium, magneseum and vitamin D as well as a vitamin with lots of
antioxidants. Karen

Hi All,

LegallyBlondied, you sound like you are in great pain. I do not know how you do it on only that much meds! You must be a very strong person.

Glojer, Thanks for the information about the autoimmune diseases. I will check it out on Wed. Fixing to go to bed - is already a late night, but cannot sleep. That happens a lot! My hands are really red at the moment. Do not seem to be getting any better. I cannot decide whether to call my rheumy on Wed., or just wait til Mon. and tuff it out. Or, I could just up my prednisone and relafen, which my dr. has done before (that is, if I have enuf meds). Take them 3 times a day, instead of 2?!

Or, I could up my Skelaxin and tramadol, from 3 times a day to 4 times a day? Going on a trip out of town to see my daughters. And I do not know if I can make it, with out something more for this flare - or whatever else it may be?!

Thanks again, everyone.

Take care,

Wannabe