Rheumatic nodules

stickywicket

Apparently tend to arise when the RA is active. This makes absolute sense but had never occurred to me :oops:

From time to time I've wondered why, a couple of years ago when I'd decided to try to reduce my meth and failed, my rheumatologist asked if I'd any new nodules. I can't remember being asked this in years. Oddly (I thought) I said I had, an interesting new knobble on an already very knobbly knuckle which was beginning to look like one of the lower foothills of the Pennines. He checked it and said he agreed with me that I'd best go back up to 15mgs.

I honestly never saw it being connected with disease activity. As far as I was concerned these things came and went and obeyed their own mysterious laws. But, from time to time since then, I have, in idle moments, wiggled my mini-Pennine and mused on its origins and Doc D's odd request. I did so again this morning during a particularly boring sermon and decided to check it out once and for all when I got home.

I did and I now offer this thread on the offchance that there is anyone else out there whose ignorance is equal to mine

theresak

It just goes to show we learn new things all the time!!

barbara12

Its surprising how we hear these questions but don't always think to question them..I wounder what the difference is between the nodules I have.. only small ones, and the RA one..I am told mine are boney growths due to the body trying to help.. :roll: I remember a lady that lived across the rd from us when I was a child and her hands fascinated me..that was before the new meds..sorry they came late for you SW..but suppose they are still helping.. :roll:

stickywicket

The nodules aren't boney growths, Barbara. They're actually tissue. Quite hard tissue but they can be wiggled about. They never seem to be attached to anything.

LignumVitae

This makes sense because I had escaped their nobbly grasps until last summer when awaiting the anti-tnf go ahead. I grew a few. I suppose it is a bodily response to the inflammation and trying to control damage. The usually viscious circle of immune system attacking body and body responding. :x

dreamdaisy

I think that when you have lived with something for a long, long time you stop questioning the whys and wherefores because they are no longer relevant, it's just more of the same to deal with and overcome. Those who ask barrages of questions are generally those who are new to the whole malarkey so of course they are wondering. I recall having a lump under-but-between my left big toe and the second. That went away and now the only lumps are bone growths caused by the OA. DD