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When I asked how would I know if I had a flare up he said ‘oh you will know’ but I don’t know.I have had very painful wrists with swelling and my ankles have been the same. .Some of my My fingers are also affected,I have been putting this down to heating not working where I work but it’s also happening at home.Is it the cold? or should I let the RA team know…Many thanks

November 27, 2025
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A myRAteam Member

I had surgery in March. Do to the added meds I kept skipping my evening dose of HCQ. I dont like taking pills so I just kept taking 1 a day. In april.I developed sciatica. Had 4 months of awful pain, was on steroids on and off until epidural block in August. Prior to the epidural my wrists were very painful, I have nodules in each and my one knuckle was very swollen. After I recovered from.surgery I decided to use an elliptical machine to help my back and in doing so developed bursitis in my shoulder. It finally hit me that the HQC may have actually been helping. Sure enough got back on it and the difference is so noticeable. I hope it didnt cause my sciatica or make it.worse than it had to be because that was so painful. So as much as I didnt think it was doing me much good, it really was
I didn't full on flare like when I first got it and could barely walk, but my joints werent happy.

November 29, 2025
A myRAteam Member

My doc did same to me. I’m planning to ask to go back to daily. Not sure why this switch in the first place. My thought in communicating to doc is to consider number of “unmanageable days” in a given period of time

November 29, 2025
myRAteam

How do you know if you're experiencing an RA flare-up, and should you contact your RA team about your current symptoms?

Based on what you're describing – painful, swollen wrists, ankles, and fingers – these are classic signs of an RA flare-up. A flare typically involves worsening of your usual RA symptoms, particularly Show Full Answer

How do you know if you're experiencing an RA flare-up, and should you contact your RA team about your current symptoms?

Based on what you're describing – painful, swollen wrists, ankles, and fingers – these are classic signs of an RA flare-up. A flare typically involves worsening of your usual RA symptoms, particularly joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Common signs of an RA flare include:

* Swollen, stiff, or tender joints
* Increased joint pain that's worse than your usual baseline
* Low-grade fever
* Extreme tiredness
* Feeling generally unwell, like you're coming down with something

While cold weather can affect RA symptoms for some people, the fact that you're experiencing these symptoms both at work and at home – and that they started after reducing your hydroxychloroquine – suggests this may be more than just a reaction to cold.

You should contact your RA team. Since your consultant specifically asked you to reach out if you experienced a flare-up after adjusting your medication, and your symptoms match what constitutes a flare, it's important to let them know. Leaving flare-ups untreated can increase the risk of joint damage and lead to worse long-term outcomes.

Your doctor may need to adjust your hydroxychloroquine dosage or recommend additional treatments to help manage these symptoms.

November 27, 2025

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