How long before RA starts biting at your larger joints?

I am on the full 25mg MTX & HCQ, and recently during a bacterial infection that would not shift, I had to dial back the MTX to 15mg. Bacterial infection is gone now, and I am back on 25mg MTX, but now I find that my RA is biting my hips, which it never did before, and it’s a real owie. It’s like RA’s discovered something new to destroy. Bizarrely, it’s just my hips, my smaller joints are not on fire like they were when first diagnosed a year go.

Anyone else had a similar course of illness? Was there anything that could be done to mitigate the damage?


thanks all!


Art

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764

    Unfortunately, I doubt there's a useful answer to this as we're qll different. Mine started in my hands and soon progressed to ankles and feet. Then knees, shoulders and elbows. (But remember I had no DMARDS) My hips were the latecomers to the party. I can only suggest my usual - exercises. V A has hip exercises online.

    Glad your boiler problem was more easily sorted😆

    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 800

    Hi @Arthuritis

    I'd agree with @stickywicket that there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to the way inflammatory arthritis attacks. I suppose as everyone's different that's not unlikely. With me it was knee, hands, shoulders, hips and feet in that order. I can only suggest that since you're already on the MTX max a discussion with your consultant re biologics might be an idea. I know that they have helped me significantly.

  • JenHB
    JenHB Member Posts: 145

    Hi,

    It was my knees first - with no other symptoms. On the same meds as you - but currently on 200mg HCQ

  • movingslowly
    movingslowly Member Posts: 64

    There's every chance I could be mistaken, being a noob to the knowledge 'n' all but way I figured; all joints were fair game.

    If there's a synovium then it's a target for the R.A disease.

    The part I haven't researched yet is selection. Why some joints on some days and others on different days then further to that, the whole damn symphony together for a week or two sporadically.

    To date I haven't found a reliable pattern or researched enough studies to offer any information. sorry 😕