Hello, 3 week newbie here with questions about flares. First just to add that I was Diagnosed just 3 weeks ago and am to start taking Humira in the next 2 weeks. I've had joint issues for the past 7 years including sacriolitis and my doctor says it was PsA even though I don't have any skin issues. My diagnois came after I returned to the doctor with my finger/toenails seperating and a couple falling off. He questioned me about the swelling in my digits and made diagnosis. It seems just since my nails have started seperating the pain in my hands and feet have gotten much worse. I'm not a "wimpy" person but this pain is pretty bad. My toes and fingers are really red and I generally feel like I have the flu as I feel so dag gone week and tired all the time. At night I have burning in my toes that wakes me up. I'm assumming this is what you guys call a flare? How long will this last? I feel like something is eating away at my hands as I'm a nurse and am having trouble opening medications and doing simple task with my hands. Also what do you do when someone wants to shake your hand and you just know that they are going to cause pain? What do you say? Where I'm from a women doesn't generally shake hands but everyone here seems to think I want them to crush my poor, painful hands. I'm thankful for finding this site as no one really seems to understand how you can look normal and be hurting so bad.
I am on remacaide so my flares usually do not last as long. But right now I am one week away from my next infusion. So my flares are more intense & last off and on all day. As far as the shaking hands go, with people who know I have PsA, I do not hesitate telling them please be gentle my hands hurt. For strangers, I just usually do not place my whole into theirs. I find most women do not shake as hard as men. Recently I have been suffering with carpal tunnel. So I am wearing the splints. I have found they also protect my hands from hard gripping hand shakes. Best of luck to you with your Humira.
Hi i was diagnosed 6 weeks ago I am a nurse and wonder how I will cope with going back to work. Initially i could not walk my ankle had a huge effusion that has settled but is still very painful when I flex it. My right writ is excruciating i dont know how you work with it.I work in Radiology so am always on my feet dont know how I can care for my paients while i am have this pain etc. What do you take for pain relief to enable you to owrk
cheers
linda j
julittle- You asked about shaking hands. I saw a blog post recently from someone with RA about this. She was saying that she is proactive about this when her hands are hurting. Instead of grasping their hand, she reaches past, and gently holds the persons wrist, and may even put her other hand on the other side to clasp the wrist in both hands. It keeps the other person from squeezing sore fingers and hands.
I am fairly new too, 2 months in. Started out of nowhere although have had joint issues and back pain for years. Not on anything yet but will be going onto sulfazine. My flares are all over the place but hope it will calm down once on treatment 
I understand. My hands have been unbelievably painful lately. Likely to a job that I just can"t do anymore without causing more damage or triggering a flare up. I am very tolerant of pain, I usually say nothing to anyone but these pains in my hands recently are just too much to bare. I been mentioning my pain to a lot of people. I don't like to complain.
Maybe the way you shake hands can be changed. Give them part of your hand but not all of it. I like what Stoney mentioned about the wrist.
When someone goes to shake my hand I hold up my hand so they can see my swollen fingers and say 'Sorry, I'd love to shake your hand but I'm having some joint issues." It makes it clear that I don't think they have cooties; it's my problem.
Hi I always wear my wrist splints so no one ever bothers to try and shake my hands suppose its one way of getting out of shaking hands with people whether its pain or germs you are worried about
My husband told me to try to learn to reach with my left hand...that way they can't squeeze too hard. Problem is I am so right sided I keep forgetting to do that...then I end up cringing with pain...
I keep my hands behind my back or in my pockets, make a little bow with my head, and make direct eye contact with a verbal greeting. Sometimes someone puts their hand out to be shaken, but with all this other stuff going on, it's usually pulled back quickly and without much awkwardness when it's obvious my hands are not appearing.
If I'm wearing my 3/4 finger compression gloves, and I *do* put out my hand to shake, people usually are so confused by their hand touching fabric not flesh, that the grip is much lighter and the glove protects my hands a bit by holding everything together.
yeah being a man i always get those guys that want to impress me with their firm handshakes. so i have just started fist bumping explaining that handshakes are painful.
I dont have pain in my hands but more in my wrists although rheumy says there is no swelling therefore there doesnt seem to be inflammation. Also saw an orthopedic surgeon who says the strength in the hands/wrists is still good but I still have pain and wear a splint on the right hand. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I hate shaking hands even when I'm not in a flare, my hands just stay sensitive to squeezing. I can't get over how some men will squeeze a woman's hand so dang hard that it leaves impressions of where your rings pressed into your other fingers. I try to reach out with my hand in a position that invites them only to get the ends of my fingers instead of getting a good grip, similar to how ladies used to hold their hand out to be kissed and then I just give a brief, weak press and pull back. My husband is a firefighter-paramedic and they end up at hospitals a lot, so when they see each other they bump elbows to avoid spreading germs if they haven't gotten to take their gloves off yet or to wash their hands. Hard to get the corporate environment converted over to elbowing each other, but I have seen fist bumping being suggested as a way that doesn't transmit cold/flu as badly as handshaking.
Hi mel, great idea, one place I work, the lay the back of the hand on the others forearm if they haven’t washed their hand - very sensible!
This probably won't be helpful to many but you never know. I have an easy out, I just say, I don't shake for religious reasons and give them a sweet smile. It helps that most people that know me at all don't try for just that reason