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Hello,

I wanted to introduce myself. I am tinkster (Lori). I have begun to see a Rhematologist because I have had some joint pain and swelling, terrible fatigue, and just don't feel well at all. By afternoon I feel like I am getting sick, like the flu or something, I feel like I am running a low grade fever, my hands, fingers, elbows, knees, and even my toes hurt so much. I have had this before on and off ( I call them flares) for two years but my family physician could never come up with anything wrong with me, which was both a relief and frustrating. He did blood work and that was all, when it all came back negative nothing more was done.

Also, in the morning I feel so stiff.

My rhemotologist said that one third of all RA patients are negative in all their lab work. She said my labs are all fine but my xrays are not fine at all. She is doing MRI's next week and said we will move on from there. She has not diagnosed me yet, wants to wait for all the testing to come back but she said my xrays are very suspicious of RA. She also mentiond started me on medication for RA to slow the progression, looks like I have a lot of reading to do because I don't understand alot abot this.

If anyone wouldnt mind answering, are your labs negative for RA, but xrays positive?

Nice to meet everyone.

Tinkster

we have a Tink and a sTink........ weird.....

anyway..
I'm sero negative...I was DX'd by having my synovial fluid drawn and lab'd ...

This is a good place to read..... plus google google google .... and good luck

Welcome tinkster. I'm a seropositve but I do welcome you to the board. There are many on here like you, who are negative but seem to have severe disease. I am positive and have mild to moderate. We just don't know why this is and I think it is important that you look at the damage and the way you feel and not look so much at the lab numbers. Its nice that your doctor is looking at that also. The big goal is to get your inflammation down so that the disease does not end up permanently damaging your joints and organs. Good luck and feel free to ask as many questions as you need. There are many that can give you lots of info on the biologics, DMARDS, AP, and other therapies that will tame this monster.

Hello Tinkster!

I am a Tink also. LOL I hope everything works out well for you. I am new to RA and to this forum. My blood work was positive. I started on RA drug also. It is suppose to slow down the disease. It takes several months to start working. I have been on it for about 7 weeks. I wonder if it will change my blood work when I go back to the Doctors. I don't even know what the blood work really said, but I plan to ask.

Feel better,

Tink

Welcome - (to both Tinks) Glad that you joined - lots of good information and support. You'll find various treatment options and you'll need to research and weigh the good with the bad. Most important, make sure your RD is someone you are comfortable with and trust as they will be with you for a long time.

My bloodwork was positive, but xrays negative at diagnosis. I have an appt on Monday, which is my 2 yr mark and will be requesting updated xrays to see if my meds have managed to keep my joints healthy. Assuming they will be fine as I'm feeling pretty good.

Take care

Cathy

Hello Tinkster, welcome to the board. There's lots of information and helpful people to be found here, with many years of experience. I'm seropositive. Dx (diagnosed) 2006. Have been taking sulphasalazine but will be changing soon to Mtx. I'm like Lorster in that although test results are positive mine disease is mild to moderate (thank goodness). Doesnt mean you dont suffer pain but some people on the board seem to suffer terribly.

Lets hope that when your tests come back a decision can be made and treatment can begin. Make a list of questions which you want answers for and make sure next time you see your Rheumy you ask them all.

Never be afraid to ask questions and take it all a day at a time.
Tinkster,

I'm a seropositive, but I just wanted to welcome you to the board.

Welcome Lori - my RF (rheumatoid factor) was 150 at dx, plus my anti-CCP was 44 - the rest normal, it may be my ESR/SED was high too, but I am not in the mood to go through my voluminous 3-ring notebook for my blood tests to look up right now I was sero-negative at dx, and have gone sero-positive twice in 2.5 years, always returning to sero-negative. My xrays showed nothing because my now fired, left the state rheumy never ordered any xrays after dx. I had my chiropractor do my hands and wrists as my own research said xrays were suppose to be done, and nothing showed up on them, normal. A year later and two years later I had them done, nothing still, normal.

So I recently asked my fantastic family practitioner who took over all my care when she saw what rotten care I was getting from the rheumy, for hand and wrist MRIs, which are now the best way to assess damage - and I have alot of OA damage, and RA damage in my wrists and the bottom of my thumbs, plus some lesions and other lovely findings. This was right after the 3rd set of hand xrays by the chiropractor - which he sent to a radiologist for reading, and the still normal reading after 3 sets was from the radiologist's review (that's to stop some bs coming back at me Lori, ignore that last statement about the radiologist, the criticisim in here of your personal reality of your disease journey is insane). Push for MRIs, ditch the xrays, not worth the money, IMHO. Sorry you had to find us, but we are good lot with lots of sage advice and alot of BS too, so hang in there with us - welcome aboard and take care ~~ Cathy

First off, thank you everyone for the warm welcome. I feel like a nut! I did not realize this was the same forum and I started a new thread tonight! LOL

I could blame it on the fatigue but I think this one is all me! LOL

My rhemotologist is starting me on a short course of I believe its called prednisolne) to help relieve some of this pain, swelling, and stiffness in my hands right now. I go on Thursday for the MRI's and the other xrays.

Making the list of questions for the next visit is a great idea. I have to remind her too, just "talk straight to me" she will throw in a lot of "doctor speak" and I find that I am in such pain that I am in no mood for bs and I just flat out say "I dont know what you are saying and I really need to understand this". I cant say that I really like her or am terribly impressed at this point, I think she is pretty good, smart, and on top of things. In our area rhematologists are far and few between. Perhaps just a personality clash.

Most of all I just want some answers, I am not a patient patient, but I understand why she has to have the whole picture before she can diagnosis me.

Well, thanks again everyone.

Lori

Hi Lori and welcome...I'm doing this in reverse since I already answered two of your posts! I am sero-negative, but with high ESR and CRP. At diagnosis, I was given a nuclear bone scan which showed mild to moderate activity throughout.

One hint I would like to pass on is if you have flares where your swelling is worse...take pictures! Sometimes on the day of our dr appt we look fine when a week prior we are all swollen up. It is good for the dr to be able to see how bad it really gets. I know when I showed my dr photos of my ankles last year, his eyes got wide because they are never quite that swollen when he sees me.