Hi, when I first became ill in 1985 my family doctor suspected RA but said it could not be RA because he could not feel any heat in my ankles that were flaring at that time.
Has anybody got a diagnosis of RA who can not feel heat in the affected joints?
Thanks,
Ron
I have not heard of that. When I am inflammed, I am cold.
The swelling is also clearly in the joints, not like the puffy edema I
had during pregnancy.
My knuckles were red and blue though. I don't know if they were
hot or not, I really couldn't touch them before today.
Ron
With all due respect to your family doctor, I would recommend a consultation with a rheumatologist. I have had RA for 3 years, with major inflammation and disability in the first year, and my joints never felt hot either. Every patient with this disease is different - a diagnosis or lack thereof should not come from any one observation - from what I have read, anyway.
Good luck.
I didn't have heat for first 6 months. i do now.Ron,
Never felt any heat in my ankles and they were so swollen I couldn't wear shoes. Think it's time to see a rheumy. Good luck!
Susan I don't have hot joints either but finally tested RA positive (sero positive) after 8 years of bafflement. This was with a rheumatologist. Everyone presents differently. I agree that you need to be under the care of a rheumatologist. You're absolutely right, Jay the blood text misses dx for 20 to 25% of us. I've seen people off the wall with positive tests having no problems as some with seronegative ra. mary I AGREE WITH EVERYONE ELSE, I AM SERO NEG RA AND HAVE ALL TYPES OF SYMPTOMS. MY FEETAND KNEES ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT GET HOT IN THE JOINTS. SOMETIMES THE HANDS. DOES ANY ONE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR WHOLE BODY GETTING HOT OR OVER HEATING, EVEN WHEN YOUR NOT DOING ANYTHING,? I ALSO HAVE THE COLD HANDS TOES, FEET AND WHEN THE TEMPS ARE DOWN COLD ALL OVER MOSTLY. I AGREE WITH EVERYONE ELSE, I AM SERO NEG RA AND HAVE ALL TYPES OF SYMPTOMS. MY FEETAND KNEES ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT GET HOT IN THE JOINTS. SOMETIMES THE HANDS. DOES ANY ONE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR WHOLE BODY GETTING HOT OR OVER HEATING, EVEN WHEN YOUR NOT DOING ANYTHING,?
months, and it seems like an eternity. So many of you have been dealing
with this for a decade or more - you all have so much courage!
I've had hot joints & not-so-hot joints. I don't know why. I'm pretty sure
that heat in a joint isn't the main reason for a diagnosis. They do seem to
look for swelling in matching joints, like left knee/right knee, left wrist/
right wrist. And they look for swelling that responds to cortisone/
prednisone. Hands & feet are usually affected first. If your doctor won't
diagnose you because there's no heat in your joints, and you're in a lot of
pain, you might want to think about a new doctor. If it is RA, not waiting
for treatment isn't a good option. Once you see damage on an x-ray or
bone scan, it's there for good.
Wow, me too. We could start a whole new thread on hot/cold joints alone.
I didn't really notice the hot-to-the-touch problem unitl the doctor pointed it out to me. Some of my joints are hot and some are not. Sometimes the joints just feel like they're on fire from the inside.
As far as the hot all over feeling, I just thought it was me but I can get so hot that below zero temps feel good. I have fans going all the time and I am forever seeking out cool places in the house. From about May to September the weather is just too hot for me, except in the early mornings and evenings. My husband wants to move to a warmer climate! Any body need to rent a hubby?
i don't feel any heat either when my joints are inflammed. i'm usually cold, especially my hands. the only time i really feel 'heat' is if i apply topical cream.
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