Hi, just found this very supportive forum. I think I have RA. for a couple months I've been having shoulder pain. One week ago, I woke up so stiff it took twenty minutes to sit up and that stiffness lasted almost 3 hours. Many of my joints were sore, especially my knees. In all the joints it was bilateral pain. in the previous two days to that I'd felt extremely weak and...strange. as the days went on, the joint pain became more severe and thought-consuming, so I went to the doc. My knees, ankles, hips and shoulders were swollen, hot, and pink, so he did bloodwork (CRP and sedimentation) and told me it might be arthritis. The tests came back high and I was told it was definitely arthritis, either reactive due to a virus, or rheumatoid. Tomorrow my doc is repeating the rheumatoid factor test, which I was high on 3 years earlier in a different state. I also had Lyme disease from age 10 to 21. Meanwhile, the pain has become unbearable, a 9.7 out of ten when the ibuprofen wears off, and has spread to my wrists and knuckles. I am very stiff and it is hard to walk. Tonight, my jaw hurts too!
I'm very frightened. Does this sound like RA? I'm young, why am I suddenly so sick? Is this how these things go?Hey there. It sounds like it could be RA. For me, my RA blew up right after having my daughter. I couldn't even get up by myself. Once they figured it out they started treatments right away. It took me a while to find the right med combination. I am still adjusting here and there, but now it is more tolerable. Some people get on one medication, like methotrexate, for a while and go into remission. I am hoping that whatever this turns out to be you will feel much much better quickly. :)
With pain 9.7/10 sounds like me when I first got this thing, could not move without pain.
Sounds like RA but the Docs need to be sure.
Mine was sudden and out of the blue, no little niggles for twelve months, just bam.
Every joint ached, and I mean everything.
Being so young I hope that this is something else that can be treated and be on your way again.
wow.. so sorry you're suffering..