RA and other Arthritis variants - sedentary effects - Arthritis Message Board

kibble · 07-22-2002, 12:24 PM

Any of you "members" that have been around the block a few times on the board will be familiar with my story already...so I won't droan on with a historical (hysterical?) briefing. Hm. Question...as I progress with RA ravaging my system and deal with alleviating pain and symptoms...I've found I'm improving enough to be able to get back to work. Trouble still plaging me is that my work is primarilly sedentary (computer/ special FX desk-driven) in nature and whenever I sit for more than 15/20 minutes at a time...my hands and (especially) my feet blow up and fill with fluid. I've been working hard to get to the point where I can see my ankles and lower fluid retention in all areas...but the "sitting" atriggers the symptoms into returning. Anyone else run into this problem? My rheumatologist believes this will resolve itself once/if my current meds take hold...but I have to really get back to work and need to be able to know if I can "hope/expect" resolution enough so I can sit and perform. I would even consider a home-start-up if I believed truly that I could manage to put in a full-day most of the time at the computer. I tryn to get up and walk around every 30 minutes or so, but I lose the "working" momentum when I do it and sometimes the symptoms don't readilly reduce/resolve...sometimes they just get worse. Anyone else go through this? I'm currently using Remicade (as Embrel is unavailable),predisone, vioxx, methyltrexate (which does nothing but make me feel like crap...hence, the remicade infusions to take over eventually) as primary meds...there are others, but these are the main drags.
BTW. Clajah...it's been tough getting out of bed and sleeping, eh? Some days are rough, hmm? Hope you're better...also...how'd painting the deck with hubby go?? Heh Heh? My hubby forgets how hard stuff is for me to do as I don't complain (what good does it do) and I make it look easy...so when I finally have some rough moments...he just doesn't "get" it! Sometimes I think if I were hemmoraging from my eyes, he'd ask me whether or not it would effect the timliness of getting dinner ready! Heehee!

Jay Tor · 07-24-2002, 01:00 PM

The prednisone may be causing or contributing to the edema - it's one of this med's most common side-effects.

kibble · 07-24-2002, 07:42 PM

Thanks Jay for the input...the edema is indeed aggravated by the prednisone...although I was severely affected prior to starting the use of it. I am just now trying to taper off of it (along with the viox and eventually the meth)...but it is s-l-o-w and arduous. I am now happy to be down to 7.5mg for the past 2 weeks...but the fatigue has increased and the pain also has significantly increased...as I type this message...I can feel the swelling returning into my knuckles of my hands and feet as I type this...so please excuse any typos as I mosey along this notation.
I am still getting used to "fat" fingers at a moments notice!! I have improved, but am hesitant to be optimistic about ever being able to get off the prednisone entirely. Good thing I was athletic and am tall before this took hold as I've gained about 40lbs from fluid retension as a result of the RA and the meds to control it. OYE. How about you? Has the edema affected your ability to work predictibly and for reasonable durations of time?
Thanks again, Jay.