Flare or reactive arthritis?

andylamb

After 2 years, 4 months and 3 days of entanercept controlled remission P has a clicky, sore and stiff finger joint in the mornings. It's been the same for 9 days so there's something odd going on. There is no obvious swelling though, and I can't feel any fluid in there - but, I'm not a trained rheumatologist.

This morning she complained of pain on chewing her toast. Her jaw has been involved in the past and it's one of the joints that scares me most.

She does have a rotten cough and is snotty, so it's possible that it's just reactive arthritis, but she hasn't had any joint symptoms with any other illneses including when she was hospitalised with chickenpox.

I so thought we were past this. I'm gutted. Desperately hoping it's reactive, and it's not a normal flare if it is a flare.

Rheumy on Wednesday.

ARGHGHHGHGHG!

MaryL

Hi. This is just a thought. Check what your daughter has eaten in the 48 hrs leading upto her pain, you might find a link. Has she eaten apples, oranges, brown bead, drank a juice.? Worth a try.

andylamb

Thanks for your suggestion Mary.

The rheumatologist confirmed it's a minor flare. The arthritis is back in one finger joint with related tendonitis in the palm of her hand. The tendon is worse than the joint.

We're going to increase her Etanercept dosage and hope that calms everything down, otherwise it's a steroid jab.