1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Pain & joint deformation increasing with meds??

Posted , 3 users are following.

slm222
slm222

I'm sitting here on my computer and notice that I am getting a sharp pain in my right index finger. It feels stiff and swollen and as I look down I can literally SEE the joint is poking out to the right. It hurtswhen I touch it (I know....the last thing I should be doing is typing on a keyboard)  and I am seeing more and more of these weird joints starting to go in weird directions. My Rheumatologist told me that it was not part of my RA, but Osteoarthritis that does that. WTH?? My xrays back in October showed no signs of joint deformation, but ever since I've been taking the Leflunomide, I swear, other than the relief in my feet, everything seems to be getting worse. He just increased my dosage from 10mg to 20mg last week. Has anyone else had an issue with their symptoms increasing after being on medicaiton for a few months? I'm starting to freak out a little bit here!

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • danny16391
    danny16391 slm222

    Posted

    Be very careful of leflunomide it can cause hypertension and can damage other vital organs,kidneys liver etc.

    Yes , all the meds that were prescribed to my wife worked for a short time,most of the time I think it was wishful thinking by my wife that the meds were working.Almost all of the meds for RA are doing damage to other organs so look into them carefully before accepting them

    • slm222
      slm222 danny16391

      Posted

      Thanks danny. Yeah, I know all the side effects which is why I was not extremely pleased to start this drug; however, starting a new job that had me on a keyboard all day long made me want to at least try it. I do have monthly blood workups done. I just had my 3rd and it was fine. They check for toxicity and so far, I'm good. And I just had my BP read by our employee health nurse and surprisingly, it was the lowest I've ever seen it: 110/78. It's usually WAY higher than that.

      Also, I'm one of those who is dealing with weight loss from the Leflunomide. I was already purposely trying to lose weight but this really helped. I'm down 2 pant sizes. I am definitely not unhealthy, but it's weird that they don't know what causes the weight loss.

      My biggest concern is all these joints starting to go wacky on me. They didn't do this before and my Rheumy is blaming it on osteoarthritis, which I also have, but I'm skeptical since it's really gotten bad since the RA diagnosis.And the fatigue is awful. Does your wife deal with the fatigue at all? That's the most depressing part for me. That, and the pain of course. 

    • Light
      Light slm222

      Posted

      Sadly, fatigue is an integral part of RA. In some ways it's worse than the pain.

      The wacky finger could be OA, but it could also be the RA and the drugs haven't yet taken hold.

      RA is usually bilateral and this doesn't sound like it is. Also, watch if the pain gets worse through the day or better.

      RA starts bad, ends better. OA the reverse.

      These are just hints, though.

      I don't know Leflunomide personally, but MTX, the other RA drug, takes several weeks and sometimes months to take effect.

      As for side-effects... unfortunately they all have them.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.