hi im new and have lots of questions | Arthritis Information

hi, im new to these forums and to rheumatoid arthritis i think. i havnt been to my doctor yet cos money has been a little tight these last few weeks so at the moment i have kinda been self diagnosing. alot of my symptoms fit perfectly with RA but i have a few questions about it.

the first symptoms i had came out of the blue about 6 weeks ago, i woke up one morning and could hardly walk, both of me feet were throbing mainly at the heels but also in the arches. after a few days when i woke up it was my wrists joining the party, a few more days later every morning the pain and stiffness was in my wrists, elbows, shoulders, backs of my knees, neck, ankles, hips and back. usually a few hours after i wake up the pain subsides but throughout the day if i stay in one position too long the pain and stifness comes right back but i never notice that any of my joints are swollen, is this normal?

i also read that RA affects the same joints on both sides of the body, but a few mornings this week i have woke up with really bad pain in just my right wrist and back, and one morning it was just my left foot and back on that occasion the pain in myleft foot lasted all day.

i guess my questions are is it normal to not have swelling with the pain? everything i have read about RA says joints are swollen.

is it possible for only a joint on one side of the body to hurt?

and is it normal for RA to come on so fast in an otherwise normal healthy 25 year old male? litterally this pain came from knowhere and hasnt gone away for nearly six weeks now, im begining to fear sitting still for more than a half an hour.

and finally will the rough mornings ever stop? will there be times where i will feel fine for a few months and then start to have flareups again?

It hit me suddenly. Sometimes I will have my joints swell up, but most of the time, especially lately, my knees will hurt and my elbows too without swelling. When their is no swelling the pain is tolerable and mostly only bothers me when like you, I've been in one posistion too long.

If it turns out that you do have RA, once your on meds you could go for a very very long time without symptoms. But it is very important that you get diagnosed and on the meds as soon as possible, before their is any erosion in your joints.

I would stress that you make every effort to see your doctor right away.

Well, welcome to our board, feel free to hang around and ask anything you want. Their's always someone who knows or who can find out. Keep us posted on what you find out, k?

Tin 23...yep...I totally agree Link...get to the doc ASAP. Your symptoms do seem to fit, but you need to get on some Disease Modifier, so that permanent damage does not set in.

Welcome to the board and just remember that the only dumb question is the one that is never asked.

Welcome aboard. My symptoms hit with no warning and can disappear in 20 minutes, but I have some sort of weird overlap/mixed diagnosis I am going to name JSNM Disease, to add to the 100+ different forms of arthritis identified with a doctor's name so far. I keep using the phrase we seem to all be individual snowflakes in here, and every day is a box of chocolates - you never know what symptom it will be today. Good luck at the doctors. Take care ~~ CathyJust wanted to chime in another... Yep!

good luck!!

Hi there, I too think you need to see a doctor A.S.A.P , it does sound very similar to how I started but none of us are doctors and cant tell you for sure. Good luck and let us know.thanks guys i plan on getting to the docs as soon as i can but iv been reading things about being reffered by a doctor to a rheumatologist. sounds expensive and i have no health insurance so if things get real bad i guess ill have to move back to england for the free healthcare.

in the meantime i have been taking calcium and vitamin D suppliments and getting as much excersice as possible when the pain allows for it. in fact im actually slightly relieved at the possibility it could be RA, i know that sounds bad but i freaked when i woke up one morning and my whole body was in pain for no apparent reason i thought there was something wrong with my brain. at least if i do have RA i now know there are peple and medications that can help. i think the worry from not knowing has been worse than the symptoms.

i just hope it ill leave my hands and wrists alone because of my love for drawing, i work hard to perfect my artwork, i would hate to all of a sudden no longer be able to draw.

tin23uk2008-03-27 07:19:54I can't add anything to the above but wanted to welcome you to the boards. Please let us know how you make out.thanks jesse
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