my intro | Arthritis Information

I had posted this on another part of the message boards, then realized this was the better place for it! So, sorry if you read it already.

Hey all,
My name is Alyson and I am 28 years old. I was diagnosed with RA by an orthopedist and a rheumatologist back in 2001 after a year long bought with a left elbow contracture. I hadn't ever thought I had joint problems prior to that. For some reason, I thought the contracture was just a bad case of tendonitis. Another rheumatologist felt that it wasn't RA, but a spondyloarthropathy. It's been quite a few years since then, and I've chosen to stay off of any meds, since it seemed my only problem was the elbow. All I take is Zyrtec 10 mg for allergies.

I just wanted to share a bit about a number of the random symptoms I've developed in life, because I find it all kind of bizarre and frustrating, since they don't neatly fit any diagnosis. First, I guess this is a kind of time line for random symptoms that developed the last 10 years.
1998 - Chronic hives started, I take zyrtec every night till the present day to prevent them.
2000 - Left elbow contracture, swelling and inflammation. Developed allergy to aspirin, ibuprofen, and tylenol (swollen lips).
2001 - TMJ pain, limited jaw movement, neck pain, and bad chest pain attacks.
2002 or 2003 - Had an episode of vertigo upon waking (room spun wildly without me getting up) this happened like two or three times total since then. It's rare, and seems to occur in spring, esp. during PMS.
2004/2005 - Dermatitis in winter on inside of elbows.
Winter 2004/2005 - Prominent allergic reactions (swollen lips) to sulfites.
2005 - Anxiety attacks, diagnosed with mild Mitral Valve Prolapse. Anxiety attacks brought on especially with caffeine and when pre menstrual.
2006 - Fatigue got worse.
2008 - Oval shaped black spot appears in vision in dim lighting upon blinking, then quickly shrinks away. Spot is bigger when focus is further away, smaller when focus is on object closer. Smaller brownish spot appears when I wake up in normal light and blink, and slowly shrinks away. My eye doctor was only able to find that I have dry eyes. Awaiting more tests by a neuro-ophthalmologist.

Other random things that I have no idea when they started are just general low energy and digestive inconsistencies. I seem to pull muscles and tire easily. Oddly enough, no other joints seem severely impacted like my left elbow. No symmetrical active damage occurring that I know about. RA factor, HLA - b27, Lyme's are all negative. I had one positive ANA test last year, but it was negative this year's test. My sed rate was only elevated in 2001, as was the C-reactive protein. Both tests are now always normal. There are no other abnormalities, just barely high cholesterol this year. Vitals are normal. Some of the symptoms above have also gotten better. The left elbow is no longer actively painful or swollen most of the time, but it still won't unbend all the way. The chest pain attacks are gone, and my tmj and neck pain has improved since 2002. The anxiety is being mostly managed by severely limiting caffeine.

Anyway, does anyone else have a weird array of symptoms? Hives anyone? Bizarre visual problems? MVP? Let me hear your story. I think I get annoyed, because nothing I have seems serious, yet it's all cumbersome and there's no explanation.

Looking forward to hearing from everyone,
AlysonHELLO,

MY NAME IS LYNN, AND I HAVE HAD OA SINCE 1991. I AM 45 YRS. OLD. I FEEL 65 RIGHT NOW. MY OA IS THE WORSE NOW IT EVER HAS BEEN IN MY RIGHT KNEE. I HAVE USED DMSO.

GLUCOSAMINE(HELPED A LITTLE). I HAVE USED MSM CREAM, CAYENNE PEPPER, ETC. I USE A CANE NOW TO GET AROUND. I HAVE HAD TO APPLY FOR DISABILITY AND HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN SEVERAL TIMES. NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE APPLIED AGAIN. I TAKE PAIN MEDICATIONS AND MUSCLE RELAXERS WHEN NEEDED. I NEED HELP. I NEED RELEIF. AS LONG AS I AM SITTING OR LYING I AM OK. IF I SIT TOO LONG I NHAVE TO GET A FAMILY MEMBER TO HELP ME UP. WHEN I GET UP I FREEZE FOR AWHILE AND THEN TAKE BABY STEPS. I AM FRUSTRATED AND HAVE BEEN DEPRESSED ALOT. I CRY ALOT ALSO. I HATE USING A CANE, YET I HAVE NO CHOICE. I DON'T SEE HOW I CAN CONTINUE TO COPE WITH THIS EVERYDAY.

I AM GENERALLY A POSITIVE PERSON. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING THAT MAY HELP ME? I KNOW I NEED TO LOSE SOME WEIGHT AND I AM WORKING ON THAT. I CAN'T EXERCISE DUE TO THE PAIN AND NO JOINT MOBILITY. WHEN I FIRST GET UP IN THE MORNING IT REALLY IS HARD TO WALK BECAUSE OF STIFFNESS AND PAIN. IT TAKES AWHILE TO GET GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER. GOING UP STAIRS TAKES FOREVER AND IT'S VERY PAINFUL. WE MAY HAVE TO MOVE TO A FLAT HOUSE WHEN WE CAN AFFORD IT. I HOPE SOC. SEC. APPROVES MY CLAIM THIS GO AROUND. I AM TRYING TO STAY POSITIVE, BUT IT IS VERY HARD TO DO. ANY SUGGESTIONS? THANKS!

HI,

I HAVE OA AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, YET I WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND I HOPE YOU WILL RECEIVE A MIRACLE AND ONEDAY WILL WAKE UP 100% WELL.

IF YOU JUST NEED SOMEONE TO CHAT WITH JUST LET ME KNOW. THANKS, LYNN
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