Why so hard to diagnose | Arthritis Information

I have another appt. tomorrow to discuss my sed rate which was 51. My legs hurt so bad I can barely walk. I had to quit my job and sometimes my hands feel like clubs when I wake up. My feet hurt all the time I get fatigued real easy. I hate taking anything for any reason, but I have started advil, a small dosage which seems to help a little. Sometimes it feels like I am walking in rushing water that is pushing against my legs holding me back. Does this sound like RA to any of you? My mother had it. My knees are really bad too.

Thanks

Sounds like it to me but I think you need to see a Rhem. soon to get some answers and get started on a treatment even if it isn't RA. Have you researched your symptoms? There's all kinds of info. that may help you try to figure out what's going on.

Welcome to the forum and I'm sorry that you're hurting sooo bad. Waiting to be diagnosed is one of the most difficult and challenging aspects of having RA.

Your symptoms sound like RA. Especially since your mother developed the disease.

My knees, feet, and hands are the worst. They take turns on being "number one" Hopefully your doctor will have a definite answer for you tomorrow. Are you seeing a rheumatologist tomorrow? If not I'd ask for a referral.

It took years for me to be diagnosed. I went to Stanford to try and get some answers but because my lab tests were all neg. for RA they said I didn't have it even though I had bilateral pain and swelling in fingers and feet. It took a severe onset of RA (couldn't walk or function) and an extremely elevated RA factor and sed rate to get a diagnosis.

If you have RA "waiting" will become a way of life. You wait for a diagnosis, you wait for authorization from ins. co., you wait for one med or another to help, you wait for appts., wait, wait, wait. Sometimes it all falls into place and other times.........take care and keep us posted.

Take Care!

Thanks everyone :)

Yes, I was informed I could have lupus or something else too so I will really be glad to find out. The dr did a lyme disease test since I was in animal rescue for so long and have been bitten by thousands of ticks in my life which was negative. On top of all of this I suffer from panic disorder and agoraphobia, ocd and major depression. I have all of that pretty much under control but I have degenerative disc disease in most of my spine. I'm 53 and the dr told me I will never get better so I am going to try to be as positive as I can :)

My rheumie told me that many of these auto-immune diseases are cross overs. For a long time she thought I had "Rupus"..a combo of both diseases. Sounds like ra to me. Best to get to a rheumatologist. It can take a really long time to get diagnosed and you can have more than one variety of arthritis so you need a specialist.Welcome to the boards, hope you get some answers and relief soon.

DeltaElise

Another human being telling you that you will 'never get better' is pretty negative, so I am thrilled that you are trying to be positive. Everyone has some days better than other days, and even if some of these things can't be 'cured' there are things that can be done to make more of our days into 'better' days.

Hang in there.

Well the DGD is not something that you can cure, but at least once you know why you are having the back pain you can learn how to manage it the best way possible. But I agree with Marigold, the best approach is for the doctor to tell you what you can do, not what you cant. I guess the same holds true for RA...we cant cure it, but at least knowing what it is makes it a bit easier to manage. It is better than walking around thinking that you are a hypochondriac right? People have a way of making you feel like your losing it when you have multiple symptoms and no one can figure out what is wrong.
There's lots of medications that can help. I take Humira & MTX and it does calm my back problems to an extent. A positive outlook will take you the furthest though; so keep that up.

With your family history and your symptoms it shouldn't take too long for you to get a positive dx. When you mentioned the club hands it brought me back 12 years to when I first woke up with what I called "A claw!" Thanks to modern medicine I do much better than I did in those days.

Hang in there. AND Welcome to AI. We're glad you're here.
My appt. nears :( I am nervous but will let you all know what the Dr says.
Well, the Dr said that I hve to have some more blood tests done in the morning. They are:

RA ANA & CRP CBC & CMP

I think that is for RA and Lupus and I am not sure what teh CMP means.

I won't find out for two weeks though so it's gonna be a long wait.

Take care everyone

Delta Elise

P.S He gave me Celebrex - Does anyone else take that ? I am worried about side effects.
DeltaElise38855.7380439815Don't worry to much about the side effects unless you have a known heart problem. I was put on celebrex, but quit taking it when something else happened right after I started taking, wondering if it was the culprit. It wasn't, I just haven't started it again, and I should. I'm just so much more comfortable with ibuprofen. There are a lot of ppl on here who take the celebrex with no complications and it does help them tremendously!
Have been taking Celebrex since 1999. If you don't have a cardiac history then you should be ok. Both my RD and internist said it was ok for me take when I voiced concerns about the side effects. Sometimes I don't think it's helping until I miss a dose and then I realize that it is helping me.CMP is a complete metabolic panel, it is a routine test that checks things like glucose and potassium...electrolytes. CBC is complete blood count, shows your white and red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit, platlets etc.
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com