OOO this is a lot to unpack. I always explained stuff away....my aches and pains. I dubbed my ankle the "old lady Ankle" as I had joined Orangetheory a few years prior and I was going quite regularly so explained away my snappy ankle tendon. November 2021, I had to stop going to my fave group fitness class, I couldn't put my weight on my hand (push up or burpee or anything on all fours), started wearing an wrist brace. My instructor looked at me as was like "Will you please go to the doctor?!". I didn't.

I was diagnosed May 2022, but the ONLY reason why I even got tested.....I had my physical in March and the PA finally listened to me. I had a pretty significant amount of flare - Left ankle, both knees, left elbow, both shoulders, right wrist, right thumb, and all my first knuckles (where the fingers attach to the hand). We ran some more blood work and BAM! Rhematoid factor 87 (normal is <14), and the other test - Cyclic Citrullinated peptide (Ccp) Ab(IgG) was >250 (neg <20). Finally got into see my Rheumatologist (pay out of pocket for her - Worth every penny!) and she started me on meds right away (Methotrexate pills). I've been good and not so good. I would never say the same flare as I've had in the past. Like BAD flare where I couldn't walk, I had to stabilize my knees from sitting to standing before walking. I had to sling my arm once. Could not dress myself. Yeah, it was horrid!

After my first Covid this past January (Thank you Disney) - I switched to Rasuvo (injection pen for Methotrexate - WHY is it highlighter yellow???) - which has been good, next to easy, I dare say.

Now, I do pop on to small taper courses of Medrol (Methylprednisolone) but I also try not to take it all the time. My doc yells at me all the time that I can't "tough" these pains out if I want to conserve my joints. 8 HR tylenol for arthritis is great! I have forsaken advil or ibuprophen because I do take Medrol from time to time (cannot take NSAIDs with Steroid) - so it's easier to just not take them.

How to navigate....get a good Rheumatologist, keep your regular doctor informed, get a local pharmacist (CVS tried to kill me), keep good notes in a journal, notebook, or planner. Be nice to yourself, remember - it's not you, but a chronic illness that rears it's ugly head. Rest when your body says so. Ask for help. Find a support group like us! Read up on the condition, but don't worry about symptoms. I know - WAY Easier said than done. There is no hard/fast solution - but you have to be a lot more regimented than before (very hard for me), but I feel better when I am regimented. Get good sleep, eat balanced meals, drink water, switch to decaf ( methotrexate calls for that), gentle exercise daily, if you are losing grip strength - perhaps physical therapy to help strengthen - I got the 80's squeeze handle, LOL!

Ok, I think that it for me!

I'm on plaquenil also n it's very important to have your eyes checked by a opthamologist who treats diseases of the eyes, at least annually. Plaquenil can do severe damage to your eyes.

I experience that too..I drop stuff and accidentally throw stuff...very agravating

I'm seropositive RA and have been taking Plaquenil for more than a year. I used to experience phantom feelings like something was on my arm or leg, and that's from the Plaquenil doing something to the nerves. Same thing for the random, really irritating numbness in the fingers. I have also experienced pretty serious neuropathic pains, which I've been taking Cymbalta for.

Pamela: First of all, kudos to Stella. She's offered some "steller" insight. I'll add a glimmer of hope for you. The surgery on your shoulder might actually offer some improvement in the hand. It could be putting pressure on that nerve. I've got a lot of hand experience and always suggest heat. I like hot wax, like you might get with a manicure and/or an infrared or red-light lamp.