Joint Pain

[Meredith]

Just a quick question - does anyone have joint pain more in the cold weather vs. hot. I have been doing great but recently starting having joint pain, specifically in my elbowS and bottom of my feet. Any input on this would be appreciated.

[ScreaminMeanie]

Hi Meredith,

It's hard for me to say, since mine seems to change from minute to minute! Could be that the colder weather is having some impact, especially if your WG caused any actual joint damage. Hopefully others will have more insight.

[Sangye]

I'm always better in the cold. Heat makes me swell and feel lousy.

ScreaminMeanie, Wegs doesn't damage the joints. It feels like it will, but as soon as the Wegs is under control the joint is unaffected. This is one reason why I was so stumped before I was dx'ed. I had severe joint pain but when it migrated away from the joint it felt like it had never happened. We are extremely fortunate that this is the case with Wegs. Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis cause joint damage each time a joint is inflamed.

[jeff rizz]

My joint pain always seems to be worse in the heat and humidity! One of the many Doctors that I have seen suggested that some auto immune diseases are seasonal and that Wegner 's could also be. Has anyone else heard of this!

[ScreaminMeanie]

I'm always better in the cold. Heat makes me swell and feel lousy.

ScreaminMeanie, Wegs doesn't damage the joints. It feels like it will, but as soon as the Wegs is under control the joint is unaffected. This is one reason why I was so stumped before I was dx'ed. I had severe joint pain but when it migrated away from the joint it felt like it had never happened. We are extremely fortunate that this is the case with Wegs. Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis cause joint damage each time a joint is inflamed.

Sangye, you are an awesome source of information! Since I didn't have the joint pain with my initial flare, I'm learning as I go now re: joint pain. All of my current joint pain is nerve-related, and I imagine it behaves differently than arthritis-type joint pain.
Before I was dx'ed this time, I had pain in almost all of my joints, but it turned out only the nerves in my feet/ankles were affected, so once I started the mtx/pred, almost all of the pain went away except in my feet. I'm now learning that this may be permanent, so it's a bit confusing. Thank you so much for the information and support you provide!

[elephant]

Once my Wegeners disease was controlled by my meds , the joint pain went away. If my joint pain came back then I know that my WG is very active.

[jola57]

Joint pain is worse for me in the winter, the cold seems to affect my muscles by contracting them which leads to pain. Joints temselves are not affected but the connective tissue, muscles and nerves are. I develop pressure points on elbows, and hand joints. My feet will forever stay the wey they are because my nerves are affected and no amount of cyclo, mtx or pred will help. The pressure points (bursa) last for a few weeks then just go away,

[Jack]

I hate the winter and would love our country to be warmer. Around 28C (82F) would be nice, but not sitting in direct sunshine. :cool1:

[Geoff]

Once my Wegeners disease was controlled by my meds , the joint pain went away. If my joint pain came back then I know that my WG is very active.
Agree totally with you Elephant. Before DX my joint pain was chronic but bizarrely would disappear in the morning but would come back every afternoon and evening. My drugs keep it at bay but recently it came back to scare the wotsits out of me!!
Its been very cold here of late and I am glad to say that I haven't felt any real difference apart from wishing I lived somewhere warmer! I will leave the choice up to you Jack!:cool1:

[JanW]

One of the reasons my doc will not alter my meds in the winter is that in his experience people with AI diseases tend to experience and complain of more pain in the winter, rather than summer. I can absolutely say as Sangye did that he said your joints aren't damaged at all by WG, which is a comfort. If I were to start experiencing joint pain again that would be a 'go to' sign for me that I was flaring/about to flare.

[Sangye]

My joint pain always seems to be worse in the heat and humidity! One of the many Doctors that I have seen suggested that some auto immune diseases are seasonal and that Wegner 's could also be. Has anyone else heard of this!
When this topic has come up before it seems like people are either cold-weather flarers or hot weather flarers. I'm a hot weather flarer. :rolleyes1:

[jeff rizz]

I have more trouble breathing in the colder weather than the joint pain. When I have joint flares I normally ice them down rather then put heat on them. The heat wraps seem to make the pain worse. It is always interesting to find out how this disease affects different people in different ways. You never know what to expect! I always learn something new when I come to this sight!