Diagnosis??? | Arthritis Information

Was anyone here misdiagnosed at first with something else other than RA? How about being diagnosed with PMR (Polymyalgia Rheumatica) only to find out it was RA? Thanks for the info.On my way to my RA diagnosis I was diagnosed with fallen arches, tendinitis (knuckles) and patella femoral (knees). I know this isn't exactly what you are inquiring about, but I thought I'd throw them in. Unexplained by doctors before my dx were fatigue, swollen lymph nodes and night sweats. I'd also been tested for carpal tunnel (negative). Yup, all turned out to be RA. I was told I had a few other things, Carpul Tunnel, osteo arthritis, fibro. I even ended up in the hospital with chest pain and arms mostly on one side however the other did hurt as well. from that they thought I had heart problems did 2 tests which showed an in issue with my heart and and I ended up having a heart cath which showed absolutely nothing at all was wrong. I questioned how 2 test could show a false positive but never really got a decent answer that I could understand. Well 3 month after that I ended up in the urgent care with both knees so bad I couldn't even get up or down without screaming out the pain was so bad. At that time the urgent care doc did x-ray of one knee and came backand told me I had osteo arthritis and prescribed anti-imflam meds and sent me home with a follow-up with my primary care doc. Finally went to follow-up with primary care and he reviewed everything and said he didn't believe it was osteo. He said he was going to repeat a blood test we had done many month before just make sure he couldn't rule out RA. He had always felt that but my result were always neg. and he had seen me for so long in pain that was undiagnosed. Well the rest they say is history, I came back positive for RA and here I am today.

Edited to fix spelling Hi, at my first appt with primary doc, about my symptoms, she suspected PMR. Knowing me for many years that I rarely came in except for annual exams, took my awful general body pains and fatigue seriously and ordered tons of labwork... 12vials of blood-yikes! She called me the next day to tell me my RF was 1,250, that she'd already consulted with a rheumatologist who put me at the top of her appt waiting list. My first appt with that doc was 6weeks later but she started with repeating labwork. After the results, she diagnosed me with RA. My joints got worse, but with proper meds, improved some and fortunately, are still not deformed.

CathyM.......

I've noticed there's another Cathy here, so I'll add initial M for my middle name, Marie.

[QUOTE=pksmdrag]Mom2threeinaz - how long would you say between all the negative tests and the positive RA tests? Did you ever wonder if it was RA before you were diagnosed?[/QUOTE]

For me about a little more than 1 year or so. I lived in complete pain most of the time and no one could figure it out. A couple of urgent care docs in so many words told me I was imagining it. At one point I think I was beginning to think that too. Then I had this terrible pain and swelling in both knees. I could not sit or get up or walk any distense with out screaming from the pain. Ended up at urgent care and doc there said he felt it was osteo took x-rays of one knee and told me it was sent me home with anti-implam meds and told me to follow up with pcp. My pcp said he was going to run a blood that we had done before and had come back negative. Well this time it came back positive for RA and as they say the rest is history. I remember the day my pcp called to tell me the result had come back positive for RA. I cried mostly from relief of knowing there was actually something wrong with me and it wasn't in my head.
I was diagnosed with tendonitis. I had 2 rounds of cortisone, and when that didn't cure it and new joints were swelling all the time, I was dx with RA. I was lucky because I didn't go through that much before my diagnosis. I know other people here really struggled.

I have Psoriatic Arthritis not RA, but I was 1st dx / Reactive Arthritis. My RA factor was normal, and I lacked alot of common symptoms associated w/ RA or PsA. I had no fatigue, no visible Psoriais, and no nail changes. After a few weeks I developed a small patch of Psoriasis on my back and a "sausage toe". DX was then changed to PsA. Still don't have any fatigue or nail changes though.