Hi all,
I'm wondering how many of you had pain that travelled in your first month of being diagnosed (my symptoms began in mid-July, but I've not yet been formally dx--all test negative, first appt with RD in Sept).
My knees have been bothering me from the start, but whereas I had finger and foot pain in the beginning weeks, it's mostly my back and knees now. Now my hip and left leg are feeling a bit strange.
Is it normal to have pain that seems to just migrate when you are in the beginning stages of RA?
As always, I appreciate any responses.
Christina
yes that is one of the reasons it takes so many of us so long to even go to a doctor. Its easy to explain away why one joint hurts even another when they don't hurt at the same time. its only when a pattern starts to emerge that we realize something is wrongOh definitely.... I googled "migratory arthritis" and that is how I first heard about RA. In the beginning the night before I would get an ache in a joint or two.... then wham the next day those would be the joints that were "flaring" the next day. Then it would disappear as quickly as it came
Connie
Thank you both for your replies! I am making a huge list of questions for the RD, and being armed with knowledge seems to be the best way to prepare myself.
Christina
Check out www.palindromic.org. See if that's you.
Hugs,
Pip
Pip, the info on this website is fascinating--I hadn't heard of this! Thanks for the link. :)
C.
Well, if ya gotta have an AI disease - this is the one to get! LOL
Except for the gnaw your body parts off part!
Pip
[QUOTE=Pip!]Check out www.palindromic.org. See if that's you.
Hugs,
Pip
[/QUOTE]
I believe I either have this or a mild form of RA. I'd rather it be palindromic as it doesn't cause damage. whatever it is, it's in remission now.
Christina, I also have joint pain that comes and goes and travels, as well as muscle spasms. Because my symptoms are not more consistent and on both sides at the same time, (even though I have a positive RF) my RD doesn't think it's true RA but another autoimmune disease and possibly fibromyalgia and (but I have only one trigger point). He seems to want all the classic symptoms (flu-like and fatigue) neither of which I have either except for being very tired when I couldn't sleep because of pain. Are you very tired? Do you have trouble getting out of bed? Are you stiff in the morning for more than a few minutes? That's also my doctor's criteria. Stiffness for a few minutes in the morning doesn't count, according to him. I'll be interested to hear what you RD says about your symptoms. The more I learn, the more it seems one can have RA without having the classic symptoms, maybe in the early stages. Of course your blood work will help with the diagnosis, unless you're sero-negative. Geeze, no wonder RA is so hard to pin down.
I had highly elevated RF (330), Anti-CCP (238), and ANA (1:1280) as well as elevated CRP and ESR. My RD said I had RA but presented in an atypical fashion. After about a year or so, my pain stopped migrating. Now, it's more "additive" in nature. I will start flaring in a joint or two, then more will join in. I also sometimes get feverish and feel achey all over. My morning stiffness usually only lasts about 15-30 minutes unless I'm flaring - then it could last hours.
Jesse, thanks for weighing in.
No, I don't really have flu-like symptoms or fatigue, although--like you-- I'm not sleeping well at night and do feel tired from that sometimes. I am lucky in that I don't have pain keeping me awake. I'm on an antibiotic for the possible Lyme's, though, and it causes very vivid dreams, so that could be contributing to being tired. I also think that this has been a huge shock, and my "witching hour" when I'm worried about something is from 3-5 AM. I also start a new job next week about which I'm apprehensive. There hasn't been a loss of things to keep me awake worrying, so I'm not surprised when I'm a bit tired.
With regard to stiffness, yes, I am stiff in the legs after waking up or sitting still for a while, but it goes away after a few steps.
As for pain, occasionally the base of my thumb or a random finger or toe will ache, but I've had no swelling or severe pain in the small joints that RA is supposed to affect (just some general aching the first week or two this hit in mid-July, and that did seem to affect just about every joint in my hands and feet). It's mostly been my knees, but I think my back and hip are hurting from having trouble on stairs (which has been, quite honestly, the only true pain/inconvenience I've experienced).
Jesse, sometimes I don't know if it's better or worse that we don't have the classic symptoms. I read someone else here mention that it gives her false hope when her blood tests or symptoms don't line up, and she'd almost prefer the diagnosis of RA instead of living with "false" hope that she doesn't have it.
Have you been tested for Lyme's? I've read a bit about infectious arthritis that is resultant from several nasty bugs. You haven't had food poisoning recently, have you?
If my blood tests are all negative and my RD really doesn't think it's RA, I'm afraid that I've almost researched too much now. I don't want to be one of those people who insists they have something and won't be happy until they get a diagnosis of THAT disease, but then I don't want to be burying my face in the sand if I do have it and the RD is missing something. Does that make sense?
Thanks for writing, and please do feel better yourself!
Christina
Christina...RA means have pain...will travel. I am in all over pain but certain days different parts are worse...one day my feet feel they are standing in fire, the next they are only aching but hips are so sore. And yes, this is one of the reasons it does take so long to diagnose especially if you are seronegative.kweenb and Cordelia, thanks for your responses--we must have been posting simultaneously.
Cordelia, you are so right--this waiting for the first RD appointment has been murder since I really wanted to see someone before I started my new job. But I went to campus last week to drop something off and scoped out the elevators since two of the classes I'm teaching are on the 2nd floor. Might as well be prepared, right?
Thanks again for the replies! You have a lot on your plate at the moment, Christina. Bite size pieces maybe? I sense you feeling a tad overwhelmed and fair enough. Just deal with the next thing you need to, I know that isn't easy but it does help. It would have been good to have this sorted before the new job but life doesn't always give us things the way we think they should be, unfortunately
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