Arthritis Information -Getting results back 2day or 2moro...nervous & new

 

Hello Suzanne,

Hi Sue, I feel your pain hunny....I'm a 52 yr old female with RA & OA diagnosed 06, no other family members as far as I know have or had Arthritis.  At the moment I'm trying different meds to see what suits me best.  What suits one dosn't always suit another, although Methotrexate made me feel tired I can honestly say I have very little pain  whilst taking it.  I take Tramadol and Celebrex when I have a flair up.  What triggers RA or OA is a mystery, speaking to other sufferers, most of them seem to have experienced stress & anxiety earlier in their lives including me.  Whether that has anything to do with it, who knows.  I also eat as much fresh pineapple and sprinkle tumeric whilst cooking as they are natural anti inflamatories ( my spelling is atroshus ) lol.  I hope all goes well for you, what ever the outcome, there are a lot of kind, and well informed people on here to talk too, you are by no means alone. Welcome to the board. You sound like you will fit right in. Sorry your hurting , sorry your nervous. Sorry your husband doesn't understand. It seems few people that do not have RA truely understand what it is like. At least the people on this board do understand. So stick around and vent when necessary. Everyone seems to be different where the medicine is concerned. What works for one may or may not work for another. But keep reading and asking questions and you will learn alot.Well, hello all.  Let me introduce myself:
My name is Suzanne.  I'm 38 & I live in CT.  Am waiting to find out either today or tomorrow whether or not I have RA.  RA factor test came back elevated 10 years ago with my original GP, so I guess that this is probably just confirmation.  At the time, I was told that there was nothing to be concerned about.  My grandmother had RA and died from the effects of cortisone at 57 when I was ten months old (in her sleep, heart attack).  My first cousin, Robin, has it as well.  I know that they say that there is no proof that it's hereditary, but my guess is that autoimmune diseases tend to run in families.  Does anyone here have family who has/had RA, as well?  Just curious.
My pain is pretty much centered in my ankles, hips, wrists and the lower thumb joints (where your thumb attaches to your hand).   I was just told last week that I have arthritis in my spine.  I can't get comfortable at night, and my arms go numb and burn from the elbow to my fingertips when I lay down.  It feels like I have a huge knot in my lower right back and that's what causes me the most discomfort when I go to bed.  Without an OTC sleep aid, I really don't sleep much at all.  Yeah, I sure am cranky without a decent night's rest.  Just ask my family.
My doctor, because of the DEA, has had to refer me to a pain management specialist, whose office I called Monday.  I still don't have an appointment and it's Thurs.  My doc. has been prescribing hydrocodone and percocet alternately.  I took my last percocet this morning (I take one first thing in the morning, and within 20 minutes I can stand the pain).  Aspirin makes me sick to my stomach, and without a firm diagnosis, I'm dead in the water, here.  Lord only knows how long it'll take to get in to see a rheumatologist. 
If I sound a little bummed, I guess it's because I am.  I'm frustrated and my husband seems to think that EVERYONE has arthritis in their spine and joint pain throughout their body.   I'm having a hard time attending to daily tasks (picking up pots and pans with the outside of my hands, now, and doing dishes is a real adventure because I never know when I'll drop and break
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