My WebMD Sign In

Please enter email address

Enter your password

Keep me signed in on this computer

Show more Information

If you select "Keep me signed in on this computer", every time you visit WebMD.com you won't have to type your email address and password. This means that a cookie will stay on your computer even when you exit or close your browser which may reduce your levels of privacy and security. You should never select this option if you're using a publicly accessible computer, or if you're sharing a computer with others. Even if you select this option there are some features of our site that still require you to log in for privacy reasons.

Forget your password? Having trouble signing in?

Why should I
sign up for WebMD?

With a WebMD Account you can:

Track your way to weight loss success
Manage your family's vaccinations
Join the conversation

See more benefits Sign Up

Why WebMD?

My WebMD

Show Menu

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

WebMD Home

Rheumatoid Arthritis Community

Announcements

Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis - Share Your Symptoms

Last Reply:

RA - Muscle Soreness

ajh7310 posted:

I was diagnosed with RA on Oct. 2nd. I have swollen joints and the other RA symptoms, however, I also have soreness in my arm and leg muscles that doesn't go away. In all my reading about RA I can find nothing that talks about muscle soreness as being a symptom of RA. My connective tissue areas are also very sore and this soreness doesn't go away. Even though my joints are swollen they don't seem to be achy and red. My rheumatologist says that RA can affect the muscles and connective tissue and he continues to treat my condition as RA. I was already on prednizone and I've just started on methotrexate along with folic acid. I have to take a rather large dosage of ibuprofen each day due to the pain and soreness and to be able to continue to function.

Have any of you experienced this muscle and connective tissue soreness with your RA? I'm very concerned that I'm being treated for the right condition.

I will deeply appreciate any of your thoughts, help, input, etc.

14 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle Soreness<img src="http://img.webmd.com/community/images/frown.gif" align="top" border="0"> I was diagnosed with RA on Oct. 2nd. I have swollen joints and the other RA symptoms, however, I also have soreness in my arm and leg muscles that doesn't go away. In all my reading about RA I can find nothing that talks about muscle soreness as being a symptom of RA. My connective tissue areas are also very sore and this soreness doesn't go away. Even though my joints are swollen they don't seem to be achy and red. My rheumatologist says that RA can affect the muscles and connective tissue and he continues to treat my condition as RA. I was already on prednizone and I've just started on methotrexate along with folic acid. I have to take a rather large dosage of ibuprofen each day due to the pain and soreness and to be able to continue to function. Have any of you experienced this muscle and connective tissue soreness with your RA? I'm very concerned that I'm being treated for the right condition. I will deeply appreciate any of your thoughts, help, input, etc.

jessi19661 responded:

Hi. I am recently diagnosed with RA too. I am sorry to hear you are having to deal with this. I also have sore and weak muscles in my arms and legs. I have read that can RA damage joints, cartilidge, bone, muscle, tendons and ligaments. I heard that when your joints are swelling damage is being done. Like I said, I am also very new to RA, I have my first rheummy appt 11-3. I do take narcotic pain medicine and a muscle relaxer and prednisone for the pain. If I were you, I would put in a call to your doctor tomorrow morning and ask for something to help with the pain levels you are having. RA is the most painful thing I have ever dealt with, and I already had OA in my neck and low back.

Another thing that helps with pain is soak in the tub. I hope you get to feeling better soon. Hugs, Jessi

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessHi. I am recently diagnosed with RA too. I am sorry to hear you are having to deal with this. I also have sore and weak muscles in my arms and legs. I have read that can RA damage joints, cartilidge, bone, muscle, tendons and ligaments. I heard that when your joints are swelling damage is being done. Like I said, I am also very new to RA, I have my first rheummy appt 11-3. I do take narcotic pain medicine and a muscle relaxer and prednisone for the pain. If I were you, I would put in a call to your doctor tomorrow morning and ask for something to help with the pain levels you are having. RA is the most painful thing I have ever dealt with, and I already had OA in my neck and low back. Another thing that helps with pain is soak in the tub. I hope you get to feeling better soon. Hugs, Jessi

gree2553 responded:

I'm sorry to hear about your pain. I know what it's like to be confused with a label given by a doctor. I've been diagnosed with RA for a little over two years. I was also experiencing the muscle soreness and weakness pretty much everywhere. I mentioned this to my rheumy and he pushed on several "trigger points" and my pain lit up like a fire cracker. He then told me I also have an underlying case of Fibromyalgia (not sure if that's spelled correctly). My rheumy put me on Lyrica. It hasn't completely stopped the pain but took it down a level. I would tell your doctor exactly what kind of symptoms you are having (sometimes people w/out chronic pain have a hard time understanding). Hopefully you will get some answers soon, and I hope this helped. Feel better

gree2553

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessI'm sorry to hear about your pain. I know what it's like to be confused with a label given by a doctor. I've been diagnosed with RA for a little over two years. I was also experiencing the muscle soreness and weakness pretty much everywhere. I mentioned this to my rheumy and he pushed on several "trigger points" and my pain lit up like a fire cracker. He then told me I also have an underlying case of Fibromyalgia (not sure if that's spelled correctly). My rheumy put me on Lyrica. It hasn't completely stopped the pain but took it down a level. I would tell your doctor exactly what kind of symptoms you are having (sometimes people w/out chronic pain have a hard time understanding). Hopefully you will get some answers soon, and I hope this helped. Feel better gree2553

NewportRILady responded:

Muscle soreness is one of the signs of Fibromyalgia. I had to constantly keep after my rheumy telling him that I believed I have an underlying condition besides the RA. Finally he listened and said I have Fibromyalgia. I started on Lyrica and have been steadily increasing the dosage. If you have chronic fatigue, I mean to a pure exhaustion and muscle pain usually the thigh muscle, around the back of the neck, shoulder areas, forearms, low back. There are 18 trigger points and if you have 11 of them then you have fibromyalgia. One thing about Lyrica is it has a tendency to become less effective after time, that's why the dosage has to be increased periodically.

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessMuscle soreness is one of the signs of Fibromyalgia. I had to constantly keep after my rheumy telling him that I believed I have an underlying condition besides the RA. Finally he listened and said I have Fibromyalgia. I started on Lyrica and have been steadily increasing the dosage. If you have chronic fatigue, I mean to a pure exhaustion and muscle pain usually the thigh muscle, around the back of the neck, shoulder areas, forearms, low back. There are 18 trigger points and if you have 11 of them then you have fibromyalgia. One thing about Lyrica is it has a tendency to become less effective after time, that's why the dosage has to be increased periodically.

DIYSTER responded:

Short answer is yes.

For me, over time in treating my RA, my fibro symptoms have all but disappeared. It's at a tolerable level now where at least I can lay down and eventually get some deep sleep (I was not getting deep sleep for about 3 years until I finally got a proper Dx of RA).

Curious - what's your dosing for Prednisone?

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessShort answer is yes. For me, over time in treating my RA, my fibro symptoms have all but disappeared. It's at a tolerable level now where at least I can lay down and eventually get some deep sleep (I was not getting deep sleep for about 3 years until I finally got a proper Dx of RA). Curious - what's your dosing for Prednisone?

cm6414 responded:

I was diagnosed with RA in July. I have had joint pain that travels but just this week starting experiencing the muscle aches. I thought I had H1N1 but now they are back again and I am wondering if it is the RA. I was on hydroxychloroquine but stopped it after almost 3 months because I didn't think it was working. We are trying to have a family so they can't put me on proper meds. I take aleve and tylenol. This kind of sucks. I can deal with the joint pain but these muscle aches are very annoying. They are all over. I am glad I am not going crazy and others have experienced the same thing. Hang in there. Christy

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessI was diagnosed with RA in July. I have had joint pain that travels but just this week starting experiencing the muscle aches. I thought I had H1N1 but now they are back again and I am wondering if it is the RA. I was on hydroxychloroquine but stopped it after almost 3 months because I didn't think it was working. We are trying to have a family so they can't put me on proper meds. I take aleve and tylenol. This kind of sucks. I can deal with the joint pain but these muscle aches are very annoying. They are all over. I am glad I am not going crazy and others have experienced the same thing. Hang in there. Christy

WIPitGood13 responded:

Hi ajh7310, If I think back to when I first had RA, I can remember not being able to separate the joint pain from the muscle pain ... i mean everything hurt. I felt like all the rediculous pain in my joints almost "caused" my muscles to not want to work. Before I got a raised toilet seat, I used to not drink anything after I got home from work, becuase it hurt so bad to try to get off the toilet ... it seemed my muscles mimicked the level of pain in my joints. This kept on happening until I started on the DMARD Enbrel, and then even though I had intermittent joint pain and tenderness, I did not have that "muscle" pain anymore. I hope that helps, and I hope you find relief very soon. Take care and God Bless you. WIP

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessHi ajh7310, If I think back to when I first had RA, I can remember not being able to separate the joint pain from the muscle pain ... i mean everything hurt. I felt like all the rediculous pain in my joints almost "caused" my muscles to not want to work. Before I got a raised toilet seat, I used to not drink anything after I got home from work, becuase it hurt so bad to try to get off the toilet ... it seemed my muscles mimicked the level of pain in my joints. This kept on happening until I started on the DMARD Enbrel, and then even though I had intermittent joint pain and tenderness, I did not have that "muscle" pain anymore. I hope that helps, and I hope you find relief very soon. Take care and God Bless you. WIP

An_248456 responded:

three years later, I'm so glad you posted these questions. I have recently been diagnosed with RA and could find little info on muscle pain. My muscle pain is much less tolerable than joint pain -- most of the time. You have all increased my knowledge and affirmed the diagnosis. Thank you.

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle Sorenessthree years later, I'm so glad you posted these questions. I have recently been diagnosed with RA and could find little info on muscle pain. My muscle pain is much less tolerable than joint pain -- most of the time. You have all increased my knowledge and affirmed the diagnosis. Thank you.

TJP26 replied to WIPitGood13's response:

Hi, My Husband has been recently diagnosed with RA. He is not on meds yet, we are awaiting the outcome of bloodwork to correctly diagnos. He experiences a lot of muscle pain in his neck when turning his head side to side, is this typical ? also, how are the meds working for you? Do you notice any side effects? I hope you feel better soon!

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessHi, My Husband has been recently diagnosed with RA. He is not on meds yet, we are awaiting the outcome of bloodwork to correctly diagnos. He experiences a lot of muscle pain in his neck when turning his head side to side, is this typical ? also, how are the meds working for you? Do you notice any side effects? I hope you feel better soon!

susangrace replied to An_248456's response:

Hi There,
I agree that there is little out there re: the muscle pain associated with RA. I was diagnosed over 3 years ago and have learned over the years what to expect and what my triggers are. First of all, extreme stress, over doing physical activity, travel or sitting for long periods of time causes stiffness and achiness, and will cause fatigue and muscle pain/tension.
I have found that consistent moderate exercise/movement will help to reduce symptoms. Stretching out the achy muscles and getting the blood flowing especially after a hot shower first thing in the morning helps a lot. Mornings can be tough and the shower with stretching really helps me.

I find my greatest challenge is trying to explain the disease to friends and family. The fatigue can hit hard and I do not think most people understand that part of the disease. Good luck. It is a challenge, but a manageable one. I have a friend with ALS and that has put RA into perspective for me.

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessHi There, I agree that there is little out there re: the muscle pain associated with RA. I was diagnosed over 3 years ago and have learned over the years what to expect and what my triggers are. First of all, extreme stress, over doing physical activity, travel or sitting for long periods of time causes stiffness and achiness, and will cause fatigue and muscle pain/tension. I have found that consistent moderate exercise/movement will help to reduce symptoms. Stretching out the achy muscles and getting the blood flowing especially after a hot shower first thing in the morning helps a lot. Mornings can be tough and the shower with stretching really helps me. I find my greatest challenge is trying to explain the disease to friends and family. The fatigue can hit hard and I do not think most people understand that part of the disease. Good luck. It is a challenge, but a manageable one. I have a friend with ALS and that has put RA into perspective for me.

Refaat1 replied to jessi19661's response:

A new hope for treatment of pain of rheumatoid arthritis and joint arthritis ...it is a new line of treatment in medicine .. even though we still want more and more from this type of therapy .. initial results of stem cell therapy are wonderful and promise us with more. [br>[br>The idea in stem cell therapy is to use the primitive body cells - present at some areas in the body- converting them into the targeted cells which may be cartilage cells , muscle cells ..... etc. [br>[br>The stem cells are used in generating cartilage between bones instead of the damaged one , absence of cartilage causes articulation of both bones directly resulting in pain to the patient which may be so severe to force him to stop movement, [br>[br>At this new line of treatment there is no surgery , no steriod injection ..and you can find more and interesting information with Dr.Purita at this site [br>[br>www.stem.md/ ....

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessA new hope for treatment of pain of rheumatoid arthritis and joint arthritis ...it is a new line of treatment in medicine .. even though we still want more and more from this type of therapy .. initial results of stem cell therapy are wonderful and promise us with more. [br>[br>The idea in stem cell therapy is to use the primitive body cells - present at some areas in the body- converting them into the targeted cells which may be cartilage cells , muscle cells ..... etc. [br>[br>The stem cells are used in generating cartilage between bones instead of the damaged one , absence of cartilage causes articulation of both bones directly resulting in pain to the patient which may be so severe to force him to stop movement, [br>[br>At this new line of treatment there is no surgery , no steriod injection ..and you can find more and interesting information with Dr.Purita at this site [br>[br><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stem.md/">www.stem.md/</a> ....

Refaat1 replied to TJP26's response:

An_251444 replied to susangrace's response:

Mike201 responded:

Hi ajh7310. I too have muscle and tendon pain of two types. One is a shooting sharp pain and the other is a rotating more generalised throb. Once I got the main joint based RA under some control via a biologic called Actemra the soft tissue pain then dominated. I discovered that Lipitor, the anti cholesterol drug, caused all of the shooting pains. Now stopped it and that type of pain has gone. I address the throbbing pain with varying degrees of success using Panadene Forte. I used to take lots of Oxycontin but the docs are not keen at all for me to restart as it took three months to get off.

You must address your pain and not let it continue. This is vital for your well being as pain can become a condition in and of itself. May pain is worst at night, upper arm muscles, hands and knees. I often sleep with gloves and socks on. Helps as any cold areas on my body get sore during the night.

All the best. Mike

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessHi ajh7310. I too have muscle and tendon pain of two types. One is a shooting sharp pain and the other is a rotating more generalised throb. Once I got the main joint based RA under some control via a biologic called Actemra the soft tissue pain then dominated. I discovered that Lipitor, the anti cholesterol drug, caused all of the shooting pains. Now stopped it and that type of pain has gone. I address the throbbing pain with varying degrees of success using Panadene Forte. I used to take lots of Oxycontin but the docs are not keen at all for me to restart as it took three months to get off. You must address your pain and not let it continue. This is vital for your well being as pain can become a condition in and of itself. May pain is worst at night, upper arm muscles, hands and knees. I often sleep with gloves and socks on. Helps as any cold areas on my body get sore during the night. All the best. Mike

Mommyfor2 replied to An_251444's response:

An_251444 I will ask my doctor about this and tell you what she says.

Report This| Share this:RA - Muscle SorenessAn_251444 I will ask my doctor about this and tell you what she says.

More from WebMD related to this Discussion

signs of Fibromyalgia | hydroxychloroquine | chronic fatigue | swollen joints | methotrexate

See Related Pain Management Communities

See All Communities

Visit the Rheumatoid Arthritis Health Center

Women's Health Newsletter

Find out what women really need.

Featuring Experts

Scott Zashin, MD

Scott Zashin, MD is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School and maintains a private practice at Presb...More

Popular Discussions

Start a Discussion | See All

Helpful Tips

Dry eyes and dry mouth

Patients with RA may develop dryness of the eyes and mouth due to a condition called secondary Sjogrens Syndrome. The dryness is due to ... More

Was this Helpful?

32 of 39 found this helpful

Post a Tip | See All

Helpful Resources

Compare Biologics

Quiz: Rheumatoid Arthritis Myt...

Attention New Yorkers: Help Pr...

Celebrex

New Clinical Trial for RA

Post a Resource | See All

Related Drug Reviews

Drug Name User Reviews

Report Problems to the
Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Other Rheumatoid Arthritis Information

The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, reviews, ratings, or blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. These opinions do not represent the opinions of WebMD. User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance, objectivity, or any other reason except for compliance with our Terms and Conditions. Some of these opinions may contain information about treatments or uses of drug products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

Do not consider WebMD User-generated content as medical advice. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your care plan or treatment. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

In-depth coverage:

Find us on:

URAC: Accredited Health Web Site

HonCode: Health on the Net Foundation AdChoices

About WebMD Advertise With Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Sponsor Policy Site Map Careers Contact Us

Medscape Reference eMedicineHealth RxList Medscape MedicineNet BootsWebMD WebMD Corporate

First Aid WebMD Magazine WebMD Health Record WebMD Mobile Newsletters Dictionary Physician Directory

WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Community

See All