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so hears the scoop guys!!

I woke up a few months ago with morning stiffness. It was just in my knees and ankles. It would go away after an hour. Three weeks ago i woke up and all my joints were stiff. After doing research it seemed liek i fit all the symptoms of RA. I also had a coworker kill himself do to the pain of the RA. I saw a Rheumatologist and he ordered blood work. Only thing worth mentioning is my Rheumotoid count was 20.1 and i tested negative for CCP. so i have the symmetrical stiffness and soreness and not really swollen. i wake up and feel a little better after a shower. if i take a nap and wake up im sstiff again. my doc wonders if its something else than RA. Hes not ruling out RA but since i have diareah in the mornings only he thinks it could be something else. any ideas guys any help any suggestions? im new so i dont know much and am leanring about RA eventhough i may or may not have it. thanks guys!! any tips to stay positive and deal with this soreness and stiffness in all joints.
My first thought with the negative CCP is "Lyme".  Did he rule that out?
 
Hugs,
 
Pip
Welcome to the board!
 
Heating pad, hot showers, mild stretching, if up to it some exercise.. that is all I got.
Maybe some Ibuprofen, to ease the soreness and some of the stiffness?
 
I am sure someone else will come along with more.
Hi Yonkers!
Nice to meet you. Do you feel tired all the time and just have an over all feeling of achiness? Do you have any swelling any where? If so, those are symptoms of ra. Maybe early stages?? I hope not. Do you have anyone in your family with ra? That's common to ra people too. I hope you can figure it out. Maybe get another dr to ck you out.
take care
omg you guys are awesome you responded quick --  he looked aorund my body for rashes and whatnot so i guess he ruled that out -- i mean negative ccp doesnt meant it isnt RA 100 percent right? i mean theres no history of it in my fam at all.. zero!!  he tested me for alot and out of results all he noticed was 20.1 on RA factor and neg ccp so he doesnt thing its RA but not ruling it out --  i do have like diahreah in morning if i smell food or eat it but after the initial time im fine for day -- so he thinks it could be a viral disease or bacteria.. but i dont know where to go from here---  im gonna see a gastrologist next i dunno -- he wants me to follow up ith him in 2 months-- but its like i have symmetrical stiffness in all joints so i think i have RA but im not the doctor.. my x rays today came back fine he said slight osteoporosis in knees.. but other joints fine -- im only 25.... i dont know what to do or what tests to get done next---- living with this is hard and i give everyone credit for being positive and living there lives like they do...im always tired and fatigued work is hard and now im getting depressed from this -- i wanna know just what i have.. does anyone know anything els eit could be..  besides lyme? maybe crhons?i do feel tired alot but not sure if its from job and stress or what? im achy all day and all my joints feel that way..... everyone of them!!  nothing is swollen though....theres no RA in family .... i wake up in morning and its bad and gets worse at night or after nap during day--- my doc is just saying low RA factor at 20.1 .. .negatice ccp test... x rays fine -- -so he thinks its something else... but why?? i have all symptoms of RA--- and there is a RA factor of 20.1 so theres something there?!? right?well, step up here guys and correct me if I am wrong but I think the normal is 14 so  it is a little high. There is also sero-negative ra. I would get a 2nd opinion. Also could be that you caught it early and your numbers aren't real high. Stress also makes ra worse.
You found a good website and that's one good thing you got out of it.
But I sure hope you don't have ra. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
 
I would.
 
;-)
 
Pip
Have you looked up the symptoms for fibromyalgia? I do not think it would raise your RA factor, but some of what you are saying sounds like fibro and it is close to the symptoms of RA. Well not that close, but close enough.
 
Check it out and if it sounds like your symptoms, tell your doctor, and they will do a tender point test on you. Pretty simple.... they press on certain joints.

im not sure i just dont know what to do? Rheumatoid factor was 20.1 and ccp came back negative. i have stiff joints. i can bend them but i mean it def feels stiff. they arent swollen at least not yet. my doctor said i have osteparosis in my knees. im only 25. i mentione din previous posts of bowel problems in the morning. my doctor wants to wait a few months thinking its something else besides RA but not ruling it out maybe sometiype of bacterial virus infection. i just dont know what kind of doctor t see or where to go or what to do. how does my doctor not think its RA when i i have every symptom of it but only a few of other ones. is he looking into the RA factor and ccp test too much??

[QUOTE=CinDee]well, step up here guys and correct me if I am wrong but I think the normal is 14 so  it is a little high. There is also sero-negative ra. I would get a 2nd opinion. Also could be that you caught it early and your numbers aren't real high. Stress also makes ra worse.
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