Newbie, not diagnosed, seeing RD today | Arthritis Information

Hello everyone, I've been lurking around this board for a few days and thought it was time to introduce myself. I am 47 and have been having joint pain in my hands, feet and wrists for about the past month. They are also swollen and I can't get my rings off. Pain is worst in the morning, gets a bit better gradually (especially with a long hot shower) but never totally goes away. Apparently they are also hot to touch according to my mom and DH. I had most of these same symptoms in 2001. I was given Vioxx and whatever it was eventually went away after about 4-5 months. Now it's back and a bit worse, I think. Plus I get unbelievably tired around lunchtime, to the point where I have to take caffeine pills like no-doz to stay awake. There is no one in my family with RA to my knowledge. Anyway, I am seeing a rheumatologist this afternoon and would appreciate it greatly if anyone could tell me what to expect at the first appt. I was told to plan to be there at least 2 hours! One more thing, I also have what feels like tendonitis in the biceps area, especially the right one when I try to raise it. This is also worse in the morning. It doesn't feel like it's in the actual shoulder joint. Does this sound familiar to any of you? Thanks in advance for any support, tips or advice, this seems like a really warm and welcoming forum. Best wishes, Andrea

Hi Andrea! So glad you're here......and best of luck to your today at your first appointment.

The year I was dx'ed I could barely lift my arms above my head to brush my hair. It was so painful! On my first visit to the RD they gave me cortisone shots in both shoulders. They did blood work and x-rays and I walked away with a dignosis of RA even before the blood work was back from the lab. I remember sitting in the parking lot before driving off crying. 13 years later I've learned that it's not nearly as bad as I feared but it's not always easy.

Let us know how things go this afternoon after you get back. It's not likely to take two hours at the appointment.....but it might. Good Luck!

Lovie39316.3090393519

Hi Andrea..welcome!

Sorry you're going through this and I hope you get some answers today.

Expect a complete exam...he/she will look and ask about all of your joints and ask about your medical history. Expect lots of bloodwork and possibly xrays.

Good Luck!

Kelly

Hello and welcome,

From my experience I would expect the RD to ask for a complete history (what you have written here is a good example). He/she will ask about the location of pain, intensity, time of day etc. They will ask about stiffness. I would certainly mention the fatigue. If you haven't had blood tests they will order those and maybe baseline x-rays.

They will probably ask for a list of current meds and what helps if anything. They will ask about physical activity and hopefully will check all of your joints for swelling and tenderness. Good luck and let us know how it goes today.
Thanks so much for the quick responses, I'm thrilled!! Two more questions, if I may pick your brains further: how would you describe the difference between pain and stiffness? Also, I recently realized that both of these episodes began within about a month after purchasing a new car...do you think this is worth mentioning to the Dr.? I'm thinking maybe it's some kind of reaction to whatever produces that "new car smell" ...does that sound completely crazy? Thanks again. Hi it is me again. It can't hurt to mention everything. I too thought I had bicep tendonitits in my right shoulder. It didn't feel as if it was in the joint at all. There was a stabbing, knifelike pain in the "meaty" part of my shoulder in the back and pain in my upper arm. I had an xray and an MRI and nothing showed up. Last June they operated on if after PT and steroid injections didn't help. They did an arthroscope in the back and it was perfect. They did an open incision in the front and they found a huge bone spur (no where on the x-ray or MRI) and it had actually severed part of the bicep head! The bicep was repaired and the spur removed.

I almost gave up on every getting anything done for it, because I was told nothing showed up on film. They also found a great deal of arthritis in the actual joint, but it wasn't the joint that was bothering me. Hope this helps

Hi Andrea and welcome,

As alway good advice from all. I wish you luck at your first appt, and take as much time as you need to get your questions answered. I think my RA is from my fathers side if its a genetic thing. He had Psorias patches but no arthritis that we knew of. Be thorough in your history it may be of some help to Rheumy in DX.

Come back and let us know how things go.

Jay

Pain is the owie you feel and stiffness is the fluidity with which your joints move.

I doubt it is the new car, darl and yes, expect a full and complete exam. You will be prodded, poked, and thoroughly gone over.

the dr will aslo do some sort of strength test, ie make you squeeze his fingers(not pull

Well wishes.

It could be the stress of a new car. I hope that dosn't sound stuppid but I find it a reality I like NOT having a car payment.

For me stiffness is my body almost refusing to move the way I want it to. Pain is what I feel when I make it. Although I have felt pain from doing absolutely nothing. The swelling is were that comes from but it can be very draining.

Hi Former Mermaid and welcome to the board

And remember no question is stupid so ask away, someones been there already

When you go to the doctor, make sure you mention any "female issues" you might be having. From my research and from what I've read here, estrogen, pregnancy, and all the other hormonal things seem to make a difference as to when your RA decides to show itself.

(WARNING TO OUR MEN: PERIODS MENTIONED AHEAD

I've been having symptoms about the same amount of time that you have, and mine followed an endometrial ablation (Novasure) for extremely heavy periods from which I then went off of the Nuvaring birth control that I'd been on. I'm wondering if that is what triggered the RA, and that maybe I've had it, but without ovulating, it was dormant. I don't know, this whole disease can be very puzzling.

My first RD appointment is not for another two weeks, so I'd love it if you wouldn't mind coming back and reporting how yours went and what he asked. Thanks to everyone else for doing so, as well.

You can probably expect your new RD to feel the joints (individually) in your hands and feet and to manipulate all joints. You can also expect to have your hands and feet x-rayed today, along with having blood work done.

Thanks again to everyone for all your insightful comments. I guess that's why they call this place Arthritis Insight

Jay, I don't think it's stupid at all, in fact my mom said the exact same thing. I don't feel stressed about it, or anything really, but I guess I could be sublimating it. I have a history of depression/dysthymia and tend to be a bit of a worry-wart, so that probably doesn't help either.

Christina, in fact I do have a long history of "female" problems, and I've also wondered if there could be a connection. I have endometriosis, had 2 surgeries to remove cysts on ovaries + all of one and half the other ovary. I asked my gyn at my annual last week and showed him my hands, he just pointed out all the joints he thought were swollen and said I need to get a blood work-up for RA. He didn't seem to think there was any connection between my symptoms and my HRT and said everything in the gyn area was fine. He did blood work that showed my estradiol, thyroid, and blood counts were all within normal limits. I am taking a copy of those labs to the RD today, along with the ones from 2001. At that time they did a sed rate, ANA and RF and they were all normal. I'm sure they'll want to repeat those now.

Will definitely come back tonight or tomorrow with a full report...and thanks again for your interest and support, it means the world to me.

Andrea

Best of luck at your appt today. I would expect a thorough going over and you will probably want to nap afterwards. I would mention everything you suspect might adds to your pain/stiffness.

I keep a pain journal with time/pain level/meds taken, etc. and noticed that I flare the week prior to my menses. Don't know why I didn't see the connection before now. My Gyn wanted to do an ablation over a year ago, but I've put it off at the request of my Rheumy for the time being. Christina, how did it go? any problems afterwards? She said I could be awake or asleep, I'll take asleep, thank you...

Andrea, ugh, I'm sorry you've had to suffer those problems. I know what a literal pain they are! Good for you for talking to your GYN already about this--as I mentioned, I'm totally new to this having my symptoms come in mid-July, so my hormone/RA idea is just theory. Mine just seemed to be SO coincidental!

owiedeb, I PMed you information about the ablation so as not to frighten anyone with "too much info," LOL! It was honestly a piece of cake with only an afternoon's nap as a recovery. If anyone else wants info, please let me know.

Andrea, again, best of luck to you this afternoon--I'll look forward to hearing what your doc had to say!

Welcome to the board Andrea!

But anyway, I hope to see you around, and do let us know what the Doctor says!!!!

Welcome Andrea. You'll get lots of support and good stuff from here. A great group of people, who know how to laugh and cry together.

Here's to hoping it is not RA

Welcome anyway.

I remember those first days of my journey through a life with RA. I was really scared. I was 24 years old, had three young children and didn't understand what was happening to my body. But I was lucky to have children that, though young, were incredibly supportive and helpful. I also had a doc who wanted me to be a part of planning the treatments/therapies. He enpowered me and gave me hope that though I may not have complete control the disease, I at least had some power over how I was going to blast it away.

My heart always goes out to those in the early stages of the journey. It can be daunting, but it is awesome to have groups like this with whom to share information and just plain talk about the darn disease. Good luck with the first visit and don't forget to ask LOTS of questions and expect answers.