Hi,
I wondered if I could ask what your experiences are. I have been suffering from RA symptoms in my hands for several months now. I'm not sure when it first started as I shrugged initial twinges etc off as just being general aches and pains, but I have been struggling with more severe pains and fatigue for about 6 months.
I am now starting to notice regular pains in both my feet and sometimes my knees. Does RA progress this quick or am I being paranoid. I do know that what is happening to my hands has made me more aware of every sensation in every other joint, and so I think I may just be a little hyper sensitive.
What do you think?
Have you seen an RA doc yet? I also had some indications but thought it was the osteo that was acting up. Not until I saw my rheumy did I know much about this disease. It can progress quickly if you don't get started on some meds.I've not been able to get my doctor to officially diagnose me, even though a few weeks ago I was told that was definately what it was. Until I get that I can't see a rheumy.
As far as meds are concerned, I've only got Voltarol, which is offering next to no relief at all It's very frustrating.
Tell your PC doctor you WANT to see a rheumatologist. The RD will determine what's wrong with you. If it's RA, you need to get on DMARDs. Was it your PC doc. that said you definitely had RA? If so, why doesn't he give you a referral to see a rheumy? I'm confused. Tell him want it......
Susan
P.S. RA can progress very quickly. I started aching in my legs in January, by April I could hardly move.
Susan
In some cases it can progress very quickly; Susan's definately right. But for many it's a slow progression and at first just like you said it's blown off as aches and pains and then they get better and you don't think much of it for month....sometimes years.
Often something such as child birth or a serious illness or injury can bring on a really bad flair and there's no turning back after that.
You definately need to set up an appointment with a Rheumatologist. Some GP will drag things out a long time before referring you. Mine blew off certain foot pain as bunions....and other pains as stress. Eventually I made my own appointment with an RD because my insurance didn't require a referral. If yours doesn't I'd advise you do the same.
Once I got to the RD she asked what took me so long. I explain my GP's explanation of certain problems and she soon connected them all to RA. She quickly started me on predisone (Which was a life saver!) and gave me a couple injections of cortisone in my shoulders which I could barely life at the time. She also started me on Sulfersalizine and Relafin; which is a stronger version of Advil basically.
I could not beleive the difference the predisone alone made in my mobility right away. My doctor called me two days later to check on me and said that although the blood work didn't show RA my xrays looked odd and my reaction to the cortisone injections and predisone confirmed her dx in her opinion. Two other RD's since have agreed.
Over time I've had to use stronger medications to get the same effects; but I'm still managing well despite continued errosions things could be much worse had I not be on continuous treatment all these years.
Definately press your GP for a referral if you need one....if not; move forward on your on.
Good Luck!
I have heard and read in quite a few articles that RA can strike overnight. Be sure to see a RD as soon as possible.Yes, it can come on this quickly, or can build slowly.
Mine started in my feet where I had pains for a year and a half but stubbornly did not go to a doctor. Finally , when it began to hit my hands too, I went to a GP. He said "arthrits" and prescribed Celebrex. A couple of weeks later when an all over body flare took over and I could barely turn over in bed I called the GP's office back and insisted on a referral to a rheumatologist.
Good luck with your referral. The sooner the better, as the others said.
Can it come on quickly? ABSOLUTELY!
Best of luck, Jody
This is how fast it went with me. Four or five years ago I noticed slight pain in my right hand especially after doing alot of needlework. It got progressively worse over the months and I'd see my gp and he'd send me for bloodwork, physical therapy etc. Then it started slilghtly in my left hand. More blood tests. Everything normal. Last October I started worked full time at a fabric store mostly cutting fabric, lifting heavy bolts and such. I loved it, fabric is my thing. By March of this year the knuckles on my right hand were deformed and I was losing the mobility in that hand, in fact, my hand was becoming claw like. Finally, my gp sent me to my rheumy. I WISH to God I would have insisted before. Now my left hand is doing the same. I had to quit the job I loved. I can't do anything without pain. My blood work always came back negative so my gp assumed it wasn't RA.
If you're not getting the answers you need, change doctors!!! Please. I would do anything if I could go back 5 years.
Thanks for all your help.
Not sure if this is good or bad news - at least I know I'm not going mad, but it is progressing much quicket than I had hoped.
When I first went to my GP she said she was sure it was RA, but obviously had to do the bloods too. When I went to get my blood results I had to see a different doctor. Because the results were "normal" he said it couldn't possibly be RA and it must be work related (something the first doctor said it wasn't). I'm now booked in to see the first doctor again tomorrow and she does seem to listen to me much more. Hopefully I can push for the referral I need by telling her how it is developing.
Keep you fingers crossed for me (if it's not too painful!)