Morning Stiffness

laura

Hi

I've just discovered this forum after being told i have OA and possibly RA as well...waiting for appt to see rhuemy.

Can i just ask, if you suffer from morning stiffness how long does yours last and do you have it every day?

The stiffness is my hands can last until late morning, but this morning they weren't stiff at all!! Does anyone with RA have some days were their joints feel stiff for ages and yet some days where they seem Ok?

I'm desperately hoping I haven't got RA but deep down I think I probably have.

ironic

Hi Laura,
Welcome to the forum. So sorry to hear that you have OA and now have the added worry of having the RA appointment.
I have RA so I cannot help you with the OA. I think both can give you morning stiffness though. The trouble is we all seem to be different where symptoms are concerned.
I have none or very short lived morning stiffness. Have you tried putting your hands in hottish water in the morning? Some people find this helps. Have you been given any anti inflammatory medication?
Do you have a date for your Rheumy appointment? One thing I would say Laura, please do not do too much research into RA at the moment. Some of the sites can be very misleading not to say frightening. :shock:
Keep posting and asking questions. They are a great lot on here and there will always be someone to listen and help you.
Lv, Ix

buster152

hi laura and welcome to the site i have RA yes some days the joints are not as stiff but most days it last for hours and some days never goes away i take methotrexate supported with volterol/diclofenic and co-codamol sorry cant be more positive for you

laura

Thanks for the replies both of you....i'm trying not to scare myself but so much information is now available on the internet I can't help it!!

Can i just ask, does your stiffness come back in the evening?...my pain and stiffness are worse in morning until late morning/ lunchtime and then it isn't too bad until about 7pm when it seems to come back!

Haven't got appointment date yet but should be before xmas, i'm actually almost past caring what i've got...I just want the pain and mind numbing tiredness to go away!!

ironic

Hi Laura,
Yes stiffness can come back in the evening. It’s when we stop moving it creeps back. It’s a balancing act. We have to keep using our bodies to keep up our muscle strength but not over do things as it can cause damage. Never push yourself.
I do hope your appointment comes through soon. Keep a diary of your day to day symptoms as this a great help to the Rheumy.
Lv, Ix

mp1952

HI Laura

When is your Rheumy appointment??

Have you had any blood tests done by your GP yet? I was advised to ask my GP to do CRP, ESR and Rheumatoid Factor blood tests before I went to my first Rheumy appointment - I did this and took the results with me to my appointment and it saved a bit of time..

I have RA which affects my hands and also some OA in my hands,,, The stiffness and pain does vary a bit.. some days worse than others. I find having a hot shower as soon as I get up (and washing my hair in the shower) helps get all my joints 'moving.'

Marion x

valval

hi i suffer from oa and inflimation arther i also suffer with stiff hands and before meds would wake with them like claws some days but others not bad i exercise them all the time clenching and stretching and as though was playing the piano they are much stronger now and have much less pain i find i start moving them as i start to wake same with my feet by the time i am awake enough to get up they are moving

laura

mp1952 wrote:

HI Laura

When is your Rheumy appointment??

Have you had any blood tests done by your GP yet? I was advised to ask my GP to do CRP, ESR and Rheumatoid Factor blood tests before I went to my first Rheumy appointment - I did this and took the results with me to my appointment and it saved a bit of time..

I have RA which affects my hands and also some OA in my hands,,, The stiffness and pain does vary a bit.. some days worse than others. I find having a hot shower as soon as I get up (and washing my hair in the shower) helps get all my joints 'moving.'

Marion x

Hi Marion

I've had blood tests and xrays done, the only positive blood test was ANA which was 1:160, the xray showed bone erosions in my hands which i think is the main reason why i'm being referred to a rhuemy. I've asked GP for copy of blood tests and xray report.

I also find a hot shower helps, although the pain is usually still there once i get out!!

Hoping the rhuemy will have some answers....i have seen one before about 4 years ago and he said i had hypermobile joints and discharged me...at that point I gave up and just accepted the pain, but now it's got worse and i now have bone erosions which really worry me as i'm pretty sure that they can't get better....anyway i'll have to wait and see what rhuemy says!

tjt6768

Hi Laura
I have OA in my spine and knees, and RA in wrists and hands, all of which are terribly stiff in the mornings, I have to wait a good half hour to an hour after taking the pile of tablets before considering moving too much otherwise I pay later.. It does ease some during the day, a good hot shower like you say helps me too but only while in it. I find it does usuallu hit again at night, it's usually why I'm on here killing time till I can sleep, lol...

Sorry it's not really helped, hope things go ok for you..

Tony

dreamdaisy

I start stiff, stay stiff and go to bed stiffer. It has always been thus, since the advent of my PA, and probably won't change. It's a grand life. DD

spacey

hi - I basically stiffen after any period of inactivitysuch as sitting down for a cup of tea or feeding my little one, and it takes a while to get going again. Worse times for me are in the morning and then from about 4 pm until i go to bed but I would say it is usually there in the background even on a good day x

tillytop

Hi Laura

I'm sorry you are struggling so much at the moment.

I have RA and I know from experience that "morning stiffness" can be a very misleading description! It can last several hours or all day and, if it eases up, it can return if you stop moving for a while.

As Ironic says, you really can frighten yourself by reading about RA on the internet. But, if you do feel the need to do some research whilst you are waiting for your appointment, I would recommend you stick to reliable sites. Arthritis Care has some good publications on its website as does The Arthritis Research Campaign and the National Rheumatoid Arthrtitis Society.

I really hope that your rheumatology appointment comes through soon Laura.

Thinking of you.

Tilly xxx

chris7

Hi Laura

Just calling in to say welcome. I can't comment on RA but agree with the others on the OA front. I wake up like an ironing board and can be an hour or longer before I am moving as good as it gets, especially in this cold weather. If I sit for more than 20 mins in the day I seem to have to start the warm up all over again. :roll: Yes the stiffness returns in the evening when I do stop.
Hope you soon get your appointment through and start to feel supported.
Keep posting and take care.
Chris

laura

Hi Everyone

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I'm really grateful I found you all!!!

I'm sure i'll have loads more questions!!

sharmaine

Hi

I have stiffness with OA. It's worse first thing in the morning and eases off once I've had a shower and moved around a bit.
i also get stiff if I sit or stand too long in one place. Walking on flat surfaces is also a killer. I found it helps to wear shoes with thick soles.

Sharmaine

laura wrote:

Hi

I've just discovered this forum after being told i have OA and possibly RA as well...waiting for appt to see rhuemy.

Can i just ask, if you suffer from morning stiffness how long does yours last and do you have it every day?

The stiffness is my hands can last until late morning, but this morning they weren't stiff at all!! Does anyone with RA have some days were their joints feel stiff for ages and yet some days where they seem Ok?

I'm desperately hoping I haven't got RA but deep down I think I probably have.