I was first diagnosed with RA, which I now prefer to call it RD, rheumatoid disease since that is really what it is, in 2011. Too many people assume it's "just" arthritis , but we all know it's so much more than that.

My symptoms included feeling like I was about to come down with the flu for months. You know the symptoms of body aches, brain fog, no energy, etc. 

I would tell my Dr and she said I need to exercise. Then, the strangest thing happened. There was a Groupon coupon for this brain scan test and the only reason I bought 2 tests was originally so I could get my husband tested (unknowingly) for altzheimers. Well, he caught on and was not happy with me for tricking him so I never got to hear his results (we ended up divorced) but that is how I knew something was wrong with me. The person performing the brain scan told me my results by asking me if I ever had brain fog and if I have been out of the country, recently. She told me I need to go to my primary Dr and ask for a complete blood work up. She knew something was wrong. Sure enough, I had extremely high levels of inflammation. My primary care diagnosed me with Lupus and then referred me to RA Dr who later confirmed RA/RD not Lupus.

Methotrexate made me ill so went on enbrel until I asked to try something new in 2018 and went on Xeljanz with no relief. Now on Actrema. Infusions worked best but due to health insurance just changed to injection pen.

My fingers have ached for years before I knew the real reason but just recently my right hand fingers are very swollen and my index finger has the worst pain. Brings tears to my eyes, especially if I hit it or try to pick up a coffee cup first thing in the morning. Seems to usually feel better the more I use my fingers. Waking up in the morning is the worst. Each finger feels like heavy bloated balloons. Awful 
Anyway, that's my story.
Oh, and I can't really relate to the term flare ups. I just have all these symptoms all the time sometimes it's worse than other times but I never feel symptom free.

I use the hot paraffin tub as well and it really does help voltaren and a heating pad is also great. Main pain comes on suddenly and disappears suddenly. Sometimes it lasts for a day and then moves to another joint. I also have a rash on my cheeks and around one of my eyes sometimes. I was diagnosed in the nineties and it was determined that mine was triggered by stress. It went into remission for many years and now it has resurfaced. I am still trying to understand what is going on with it. I do know that when the pain hits there is no putting any pressure on the particular joint what so ever or the pain almost make me throw up. My right wrist was badly damaged by it and I can no longer bend my wrist whatsoever but at least there is no more pain, only if I should accidently hit it.

I hope you can find relief in some other medication. Changing weather is not RA’s friend either.

My hands started to swell at work they looked like balloons.My family Dr. Kept telling me it was gout one day I left work and went to the hospital the pain was so brutal the one call Dr.asked if she could take fluid out of my joints so they could get it tested that’s how I found out about mine.Does anyone else have joint pain?