Diagnosed with RA or Osteo | Arthritis Information

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Hello,

     I have been reading in the forums and searching for my symptoms but have not found anything quite like mine.

  Last summer I developed nodules right above my 1st joint on my fingers...closest joint to my finger tips. My fingers are stiff in the morning but loosen up within about 30 minutes.

The nodules are not huge but enough to cause discomfort if trying to make a fist, especially the right fist. There is nothing wrong with my thumbs or any other joint in my body.

The thing is after working all day and during work, they feel there best.

I work with my hands strenuously all day , putting out over a 600 cases of beverages per day.

My fingers get a little swelled and sometimes in the evening they feel like somebody has smashed them with a hammer but its only in my 1st finger joints.

I know my grandmother had this same phenomenon as well as her daughter does now ( my aunt ).

The dr says it sounds like osteo arthritis but with the swelling it could be RA , she prescribed plaquenil but i am reluctant to take it. I was reading some going blind stories thanks to the power of google...lol

Has anyone suffered from this description ?

Thanks


I"m confused - what was your diagnosis?

 
As long as you have your eyes tested regularly there's next to no chance of going blind while on Plaquenil, as I understand it. But if you're that worried about it, tell your doctor and use another drug instead.
 
You didn't say what kind of doctor.....I suspect not a rheumatologist. Whatever kind of rheumatological disease you might have, it's important to have it diagnosed correctly and start treatment to prevent its spread.
 
I've been taking plaquenil for 18 years now with no problems.  I have my eyes checked regularly.  I was told by my very experienced opthamologist, that it is VERY rare to have any serious eye problems while taking plaquenil.  But always have reg check ups while taking it just to be on the safe side.
Good luck!
Yes, I saw a   rheumatologist specialist  but the point is she wasnt sure . if its not RA , why would I take the plaquenil.

My personal diagnosis is Finger osteoarthritis http://osteoarthritis.about.com/od/fingerosteoarthritis/a/finger_OA.htm , because I have all the symptoms that this specifies.

What worries me is why cant this specialist tell me exactly what I have , osteoarthritis or RA, I really do not want to take medication for something that I do not have .


thanks
Sometimes rheumatologists defer diagnoses until such time as other symptoms show up. Also, diagnosis requires meeting several different critieria and it could be you haven't met enough of them to be labeled with a diagnosis.
 
I can understand not wanting to take a hard core drug if the diagnosis is uncertain. With that in mind, don't hesitate to express your concern with your doctor regarding using the drug and ask if another drug is more appropriate.
 

Some of us are unlucky enough to have both osteo and RA. It sounds like you have a great deal of swelling. Maybe more than osteo usually occurs? How did your bloodwork come out?

My doctor gave me plaquenil before diagnosing me with RA. The fact that I improved while on plaquenil is what helped seal my diagnoses (since my labs were negative). It is actually a pretty safe drug.

Good luck to youI have the lumps, Heberden nodes.  They hurt for a few months and then the pain stops but that's when they enlarge and stiffen, which is permanent.  Then the cycle repeats.  The only redness I have is from bumping the enlarged nodes into things.  I would take the plaquenil just in case it is more than osteo.
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