Parotitis
Was diagnosed with RA in Oct 2017 & take my meds faithfully; & I feel great; am very active. However, on Fri, went to Urgent Care as I was in extreme pain; my whole left side of jaw was very swollen, could barely open my mouth. The dr prescribed meds to take, which I’ve been taking. After reading, researching, there are many side effects of having RA. It is a journey that I unfortunately continue to travel. I wanted to share with others.
Long time member of the jaw club here! I can tell you that, for sure, I have had episodes where my jaw joint swelled up due to my long-standing RA. One time I thought it was my jaw swelling even but it was actually a really bad abscess and when it burst it was gross! Still, though, just the fact I thought it could be RA should tell you how bad it can get! Keep on keepin 'on, DPM 
Hi
. I notice you mention parotitis which is an inflammation of the parotid gland. I want to note that the most common jaw related issue related to RA involves the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This article from our patient leader Andrew goes into further detail: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/jaw-pain-tmd. I'm not saying this is the issue you are having, but want to share the information. Your rheumatologist should be able to provide further guidance. Best, Richard (Team Member)
