new here | Arthritis Information

Hi,

I new here and would like to know if anyone can tell me what is rheumatoid like arthritis? I have been having joint stiffness and pain in my hands, elbows. feet, and ankles with soft tissue swelling in my hands. I went to my regular doctor who told me it was in my head and I had fat fingers. I then went to a rheumatologist who ran blood tests that came back negative except for crp which was slightly elevated. He told me it couldn't be arthritis. Recently the pain has gotten worse and I went to a new doctor who diagnosed hypothroid and said he believes I have a rhematoid like arthritis due to the soft tissue swelling and joint pain and also because of my past history with Grave's disease. If anyone has any advice I would appreciate it I am at a lose of what to do now. Thanks

It certainly sounds like RA to me. Many people with RA also have hypothyroidism.

Pain can differ. A lot of people describe warm painful joints. Are you very stiff in the mornings??

Link to this site to see the criteria for classifying RA:
http://www.hopkins-arthritis.som.jhmi.edu/edu/acr/acr.html#c lass_rheum

Also some are diagnosed as seronegative RA where all your labs can be negative yet you still have RA.Yes, I am stiff in the mornings. My joints are not warm but ache all the time.The hallmark sign of ra is symmetrical pain. That means, if your right ankle hurts, both ankles hurt. If affects the same joints on both sides of the body. I have a lot of soft tissue swelling but a lot of people don't have any swelling at all.

Graves is an auto immune disease so that does make you more likely to have another ai disease. Keep pressing for answers. Has anyone done x-rays yet?
How long have you had this pain?The pain is symmetrical but it is worst in my left hand. I figure it is worst in the left hand because I am left-handed. I started having pain about two years ago but it was off and on and moved around. The doctor said it was depression and the pain was in my head.

Ms. Lisarae...

It is not in your head...and I HATE when doctor's assume it is stress or depression that is causing it.

it sounds like RA to me...or at least some type of Inflammatory Arthritis. Press your Rheumy to get the answers.

There are finding that those with dieseases that affect the Thyroid can and often will develop other auto immune diseases in conjunction with that disorder.

Don't you give up. Keep pressing to find the answer. Get a second oppinion if you must.

Roblyn

Hi Lisarae : Sorry about your pains. Two years is a long time.I agree with the above post....get another dr to ck it out. Do you have night sweats or run a low fever? Do you also get sick easily? That is also signs or RA.

GOOD LUCK!

CinDee

the morning stiffness is the worst, i have to set my alarm 40 min before i really have to get up to give my body time to "catch up". I hope you get a new doctor that can help you figure this all out, and i'm sorry to hear that your struggling to get your doctors to listen to you. Good luck, and welcome!

-Jessica

My arthritis started with swollen feet. I couldn't get my shoes on and had 'silly putty' or doughy swelling in the bottoms of my feet. I wanted it to be 'foot problems', but the first foot doctor I went to said, "you have arthritis'. After 5 years I was convinced and started the serious rhemy medications. Plaquinil, methotrexate (which has worked well for 10 years!). Regular pain meds just don't work well enough. I hope you can get some answers to your illness as not knowing is the worst. You know if your swelling, pain is 'real'. I'm glad you have found this forum as you can get some real help (and support!) from these people who have 'been there-done that'! Good luck.The hardest thing, or one of the hardest, about RA is getting the right diagnosis. Please move on to new doctors and get a proper diagnosis ! Sounds like RA to me. I recently changed my primary doctor. He has been very helpful. The rheumatologist I had been seeing told me I had fibromyalgia since my blood tests came back negative. My new doctor does not believe I have fibromyalgia since I do not have any of the trigger points. He believes I have RA like arthritis even though my tests are negative. I go back in 3 weeks to have my thyroid checked would it be better to ask him for a referral to a rheumatologist or stick with him since he believes me. Thanks everyone for responding to me. I am finding all this very confusing.I really recommend you see a specialist.

Any good Rheumatolgist would know about seronegative RA. When you get your referral, call to make your appointment and ask about their thoughts on it. If they seem supportive, go with it. If not, move on. You don't have time to waste with some of these quacks.

yea its amazing what happens if all your blood work is negative .. they immediatly think everything you've told them is well useless info... the bloodwork has to be the answere... sure I wonder if thats whats taught in med school?

It's also funny how if you don't fit into a set of checkmarks they start to thing you imagined it all.

well actually it's not funny but you would think a RD would know better I wonder if the hmos pressure them. sero negative pt nope get them outta the office your to expensive as it is... send them off to mexico or something but god forbid a insurance co pay.....