New to RA and scared | Arthritis Information

I am only 31 years old...my pain seemed to start right after I had my son (via c-section). It has gotten so bad that it is extremely hard for me to walk in the mornings. I am really scared because it seems to have come on so suddenly and so painfully. My doc prescribed Naproxen for me, but I refuse to take it until I see a specialist. I am particularly concerned because we had just started our family with our son....we had planned on more children. Will that even be possible now?

I also don't understand alot of the test results I got...my doc said my Sed Rate was elevated (whatever that means) and that the test they did to actually diagnose RA came back at 44, with normal having a range of 0-13. Is this good or bad?

My doc is really great, but he seemed almost sorry he had to tell me I had RA. I just don't know what this will mean for me in the future.

mez138705.3793981482
Hi, Mez1.

First things first. Most of us have moved off this site because of a spammer. Go to www.rafriends.com and register there. Better board, a lot more people, a lot more support.

But for now let me put your mind at ease.

You're on the right track seeing the RD [Rheumatology Doctor]. Get in as soon as you can because the earlier you can halt the progression of this disease, the better off you will be. So don't be shy about hounding your insurance company about getting that referral through ASAP.

ESR refers to something we call "Sed Rate," which is indicative of inflammation, which is one of the symptoms of arthritis. Normal values are 0-30. [Presumably your physician has ruled out infection and other causes of inflammation.]

RA factor came back positive so this is a good indicator that you do have RA [although there have been known to be some false positives, though not many]. Because you have the symptoms, the positive RA factor would pretty much validate RA.

Naproxen: As long as you are not breast-feeding I wouldn't wait to start taking this drug since it should help alleviate some of the symptoms. Let's put it this way: If it were me, and my appointment with the RD wasn't for another month, I would start the Naproxen. This is an NSAID [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory] which will slow down the inflammation. the RD may switch you to another NSAID drug - but at least you'll get some relief in the process.

Plenty of people with RA have children. The wise ones have a solid relationship with their RD who will prescribe drugs accordingly. You should know that several of the RA drugs can cause harm to the fetus so you will definitely want to make sure your system is cleared of any of these drugs before attempting pregnancy. Don't for one moment think that your dreams of a child are kaput.

There are so many success stories and modern medicine is more progressive than ever before. Ten years ago we had few real drugs to help us. Today there are so many different treatment modalities to choose from. Consider yourself lucky to have a conscientious doctor who is referring you for specialized care.

Feel free to send me a private message on the www.rafriends.com board. I am Lee12345 there, as well.

Good luck.

Lee

My best advise to you is to find an RD you like and trust. This is going to be a lifelong relationship. Be proactive in your treatment and learn everything you can about lab tests, new drugs, the drugs themselves. It's truly amazing how the drugs can help.
Mez~if you aren't breast feeding....go ahead and take the medication the doctor gave you. That's just an antinflamitory and it's not going to do much more for you than advil....but it might help you a little until you get into see the new doctor. Sometimes that takes months.

Welcome to AI....like Lee said; come visit us at RAFriends. You'll enjoy the group there. Lots of folks with lots of experience.

One thing I would advise you to do is mention to your doctor about your future plans to extend your family. I was in my early 20ties when I was diagnosised and now at 34 I can no longer have children due to early menopause. RA itself can cause problems....but more than likely the medication I took all these years has caused my problems. Don't want to scare you....but obviously it's a concern you already have. Look into it further.

Welcome again. Hope to see more of you.

Lovie

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