Thinking back over your RA onset - was your first manifestation of the disease asymmetrical or symmetrical? IE. One joint or both joints.
Pip
SymmetricalDead frigging symetrical. And it's always like that during a flare too. There may be a difference of a day or so between them, but that's at max.My first was my right shoulder. Not bursitis.
My second was right knee. Not a sports injury (yeah, right!)
My third was my my left toe. Not gout.
These were 6 months apart.
Then, more random body parts got 'hit' until it was all the time and both sides.
Pip
Mine was slowly asymmetrical in the beginning but when it got a foothold and sped up it became mostly symmetrical, with my right side always being worse than my corresponding left side. Mine was Asymmetrical. Mine started on left side with the right side catching up about 2 weeks later. When other joints started to hurt it always seemed to start on the left side first. Now it is symmetrical < =text/>_popupControl(); Mine was symmetrical and still is. Although my right hand will swell more than my left. But that is my dominate hand.Left knee blew up and was swollen...that was the 1st joint affected. As time went on, both hands and feet were affected. I asked my rheumatologist what causes that symmetrical pattern of pain...e.g., both pinkie fingers will throb even when my hands are doing OK. His reply: "We have no idea..."
Totally symetrical with no difference on either side. They sing together in chorus. Started with hands, wrists, and ankles.
I knew it was no longer fibro when both hands would be numb in the morning instead of just the right one. I've had problems with my right for years because my whole right shoulder/arm/hand seems to bear the brunt of my spinal issues and fibro. From there I developed nerve entrapment, bursitis, etc.
So definitely symmetrical for me. Started in hands, then feet and knees.
Symmetrical. Started in hands, wrists, and ankles.Asymmetrical for about the first six months.
im pretty sure it was symmetrical from the start-begining with swollen painfull ankles. still is symmetrical but for awhile had limited movement in my hips which was much worse in my right. Completely symetrical..first both thumbs, then both hands, then both toes (across all the bottoms of the toes).. during a flare its always symetrical, but if I'm not flaring I may have one side or the other that hurts more..usually the right side.. except my knees..Great thread. I am having serious doubts about what happened with my confusing diagnosis.
I first developed nodules on the forearm of my left elbow, nothing on my right.
Then my right ring finger blew up like a sausage, nothing on the left.
I cannot keep both arms on a steering wheel in the proper 10-2 position and have to drive holding on to the wheel at the bottom.
My back stiffens up after sitting.
The worst of my symptoms have all been from my neck up.
I think I have a little of everything.
Very symmetrical from day one. First it was the left ankle than the right, same thing with my hands and wrists. It has progressed to the right shoulder then left and same pattern with the hips...symetrical - woke up in the middle of the night with both wrists/hands numb. Went on to knees, feet, jaw, etc., but always symetrical.
I do notice a difference in my right hand being more swollen/puffy, but it is my dominant hand, and they both hurt and are equally stiff.
Great thread.
i have been going over this in my head. I think mine started as a child and in my esophogus. I would lay on the floor with chest pains from esophogus spasms. I have fiqured out the RA makes me hot and the sleroderma makes me cold. My feet i have socks on and a blanket wrapped around them They are numb from swelling and extremly cold. I always have a few joints more swollen than the rest. I do symetrical and mygaratory. One joint gets better and another one swells or three or four more swell. I have a full body attack. I believe for me it started out as fewer joints. I think it was as confusing when mine started as it is now. This would be my secound attack with any noticable skin involvment,which is so obvious the last two days. The enternal damage has been going on a long time. Muscles esophogus vasculitis ect. Only my last three flares consumed my entire upper body, But i did have a few upper body joints that were my first problems, go fiqure. My left knee is more swollen than my right knee but maybe the right knee hasn't caught up, they both hurt about the same. My neuro told me my hands and feet were to cold and i had the veins of an iv drug user that was 3 years ago. But i never got the blue and red spots on my fingers and nose until this week, 2 years ago i had wrinlkeled hands and legs at the start of my flare. Well in your forties you complain to the doctors about wrinkles and they give you change of life lecture. I don't think you are supposed to wake up with them all over night but oh who knows. My mouth is smaller and i have dry cracked lips. A gland in my cheek salvary or lymph i do not know is swollen. I am leeps and bounds worse, but it didn't start today.symmetrical starting in my hands, feet and ankles Mine is symmetrical starting in my feet, then ankles, on to elbows, and most recently, knees. But, I had symmetrical carpel tunnel years ago and that may have been first warning. It's hard to say for sure, as it happens frequently with the profession of dental hygienist.Well Pippykins......seems symetrical is winning out!
Theories????
Katie - what did I say? Where was the orignal thread? I thought I said at least 50% started asymmetrical.
Here's my tally.
Symmetrical = 11 people
Assymetrical = 9 people
People I'm not sure about =
So, I'm not sure, but I think I'm right. It's a lot LESS rare that we start asymmetrical even tho we may end up symmetrical.
Pip
Edited because I couldn't remember what Scattered said. Now THAT's funny!
Edited the second time for spelling.
I thought it was something about more people TURNING symetrical....or something like that.....and I thought buckeye came up with something like 90% are symetrical. So I guess on here we don't fit that.
I wish I could remember what we were trying to prove with this thread.....my brain fog is TERRIBLE today....
Symmetrical... it hit all the small joints at pretty much the same time. All the "knuckles" in feet and hands. I have problems with the right hip, and problems with my left shoulder, but the docs don't know whether those are RA, OA or muscle/nerve at this point (and I haven't really pushed it either). Symmetrical, right middle finger, then left ring finger, rt. ankle, then lt ankle, then rt toes, then lt toes, on and on and on, right, left, right, left, on and on Mine started on my left side at least 8 months before the right side joined in. My right elbow, toes and hands are worst, and its the knuckles on the right side that are more swollen.Started in R shoulder and R knee. They are by far the worst. However, it seems that I am drifting towards truly being symmetrical....of all the things to be 'normal'--I'd much rather be an oddball in this particular category and have it not 'go' anywhere else.
I am going to be different and say Asymmetrical
When I was about 10, it was ALL in my right side. Fingers wrists, toes, knee. Infact, my whole right side is disfigured. 2 fingers are permanently bent along with most of my right toes. The left side looks completely normal.
Now that I am older I can feel it moving to my left side. My thumbs tend to flare up at the same time. and my left wrist has been hurting.
Asymmetrical so far, but I'm only 2 months in.