The Storms in my Joints

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Everett Shinn, "Snowstorm on Broadway"

Everett Shinn, “Snowstorm on Broadway”

With winter still pummeling large parts of the U.S., it seems like a good time to talk about how the weather may affect rheumatoid arthritis. Because I’m here to tell you, I don’t care what those skeptical scientist/doctor-types say. For an awful lot of us with RA, the weather does have a rather big effect on how we feel …

Read the rest here.

10 thoughts on “The Storms in my Joints”

  1. Pingback: The Storms in my Joints | RheumaBlog

  3. I am always affected by the changes in the weather. When the rain comes, I’m water-logged with inflammation and swelling; when it’s warm and dry, my fingers are almost the same size they used to be before RA. And right now, there’s days of fluctuating temperatures in my area, so I’m up and down like a yo-yo. Fabulous post 🙂 Love the coffee connection. Stay well.

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  4. I hear you Wren. I feel it in my knees when it rains. Luckily with the drought I have had two years that I have not had to deal with it. Is it bad to dread the time when this drought breaks and the skys open?

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  5. My friend and I have both noticed that RA symptoms are exacerbated, especially before the rain or snow hits. I have been uncomfortable since yesterday afternoon, and the meteorologists are calling for snow squalls today!

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  6. Yup. My OA and RA both tend to worsen when a cold front is coming. I started hurting Wednesday for a very strong cold front that was hitting us on Thursday. I sure do miss warmer weather but have been getting good use out of my heated throw blanket this week 🙂

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  7. If I remember rightly some German medics did some research a couple of years ago and confirmed weather DOES have an effect on rheuma – and every (European time) evening there is a weather programme on from Frankfurt which gives the bio-weather for the next day telling the audience which illness groups should be careful the next day.
    There isn’t really any particular weather that bothers me – it is 2 or 3 days before the change I feel discomfort and as if I have a cold coming on.

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  8. That makes sense. Yesterday as the snowstorm moved in my wrists were blessedly silent, this morning after the storm has passed, they feel positively broken along with my feet and knees. Ugh.

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  9. I’m new to RA. I’ve had symptoms off & on since May 2014 but wasn’t diagnosed until December 2014 when they became debilitating and chronic. I live in Connecticut and we’ve had an awfully cold & snowy winter. I am so eager to see if this non stop pain will slow down come spring. I’ve started medication (Plaquenil and Meloxicam) but I’m told it takes awhile to help. So happy to find a network of RA’ers as really, no one in my life understands this. I am not a “sick” person, I’m 57 and have had no previous issues so this is very difficult for me.

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  10. Hi, Betsy,
    I’m glad you stopped by–having a network of supportive and caring acquaintances (who quickly become friends, by the way!) is vital in coping with RA, I believe. I’m incredibly lucky, living in too-warm California, but my heart goes out to you, living on the East coast where the winter has been so unbelievably harsh this year. I don’t blame you one bit for longing for spring! Me? Meh. I’d like a little (OK, a lot) of cool, rainy weather before the summer ramps up in a month or so.

    Be patient with your meds–it’s one of the first things we all have to learn to do, and continues to be a real challenge throughout the course of the disease. But they DO work for so many people, Betsy, so don’t lose hope. Do you take anything to control your pain, as well?

    Do visit the blogs and websites in my sidebar. They’re written by incredibly caring people who share your disease, and they offer so much support and encouragement. Particularly, check out http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com His was the first blog about RA I found when I went looking several years ago. It’s just excellent, full of hope and gentle (and sometimes hilarious) humor.

    You can also email me anytime. I’d love to hear from you–we’re almost the same age!

    Be well and take heart. And thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. 😀

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