Hi
I am active on the Polymyalgia reumatica board since I have that desease but have a question for you RA experts.
Can one have RA when one only has joint pain in wrists and fingers? or....is the diagnoses only so if more areas of the body are involved?
and one more question.....does Prednisone alone help RA?You can be diagnosed with RA based on the type and duration of inflammtion in your hands and wrists along with other diagnostic criterea. However, it is highly unlikely ,unless caught very early, for RA to affect only the hands and wrists. Many "arthritis" diseases have very similar presentation and sometimes its the little stuff that differentiates it.
Prednisone can help control the inflammtion of RA, it also in mild cases act as a minor disease modifier. But again in normal cases pred, at a sustainable does, alone would not be able to fully control the disease process.
Thanks for your reply!Marianne,
My pain was just in my hands and wrists. Difficulty in driving, opening doors, lifting things, etc. I was diagnosed with RA about 6 weeks ago - - took pred. for 14 days and will be on MTX forever. I feel sooooo much better. It seems that my RA was caught early (my mother had it for many, many years). I take 5 MTX pills every Sunday now and am almost pain free. From what I have read on this forum, early diagnosis and treatment is a good thing.
Good luck!
Flamingo....did you have a positive RA blood test?Marianne,
Yes, my RA was positive. I believe the original number was 156.
I have been DX for only a few months. March? Anyway, it has affected ONLY my wrists, hands and fingers. Nothing else. My RA factor was over 200, sed rate like high 50's.
I'm just waiting for the pain to hit the next place. LOL
Hi there, I had it 'only' in my feet and ankels for years then it got into my hands?? Soooo? I don't think prednisone will help with joint damage in the long run, but I'd ask my doc. Good luck, Sarah LyndaMine started out only in my hands/wrists. From what I understand, the prednisone will only mask the symptoms, it will not treat it. Mine was caught early, and I'm on Plaquenil to stop the progression, and Prednisone right now to control the inflammation. Mine has gone to my feet/ankles now....and I suspect in my neck-but I'm not sure. I also have TMJ,(have had it for quite a while) but am wondering if it's RA?I suppose it's no different than my first flares really. My first flares where always in my knees and ankles. I thought I was retaining water and couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. I suffered from those flares for years. It has only been the last 3 or 4 years that every joint imaginable is affected. This disease is different for everyone so nothing is out of the question...Remember, that's why it baffles those doctors so much. As for Prednisone, some do well on it and some don't but I've never known anyone with RA that is on prednisone alone.
amylynn...It might be RA. I had a flare in my jaw about a year ago and when I called my Rheumy he said he didn't think it was RA, he thought it was TMJ. Umm ok well, I've never had TMJ in my life and just woke up with a swollen jaw that kept swelling! I went in for him to take a look, he decided to treat with pred and guess what?! Oh yeah baby....he changed his tune to an RA flare!
marianne1952....Have you been to a Rheumatologist? If not, it might not hurt to make appointment and have some test done. I'm sorry I don't know what Polymyalgia Reumatica is...never heard of that so I would have no idea what kind of doctor you see. Hope I don't sound like goober.
Hope we've been of some help to you.
Peace & Love...Neasy
Thank you neasy. Polymyalgia is a desease that affects the muscles in the arms and legs hips and shoulders and is treated with pred. it is supposed to go away 2-5 years (there is a section on this forum)(It went away) came back in lesser form so not on pred now.
My hands/wrists hurt and the side knuckle is swollen . It hurts when I open a door (handle) , squeeze the toothpaste ,break a bar of chocolate (I always have to eat the whole bar dang!
3 days ago I took 10mg of pred and what a difference. Yesterday I followed up with 2 aleves and today no medication. They feel pretty good! Wondering if because the pred made it better is that an indication that it could be RA?. Have had the pain for a year of and on .Seeing a reumatologist on the 20th.
Thank you for explaining Polymyalgia, I'll stop by and read about it tomorrow when I'm not so exhausted. Bedtime for this girlie.
What you're experiencing could be RA as what you're describing are certainly symptoms. I'm glad to hear that you have an appointment scheduled already and it's not that much farther away. Good luck at the appointment and keep us posted. If there's anything else we can help with just let us know...there are some great people here on the boards not to mention very knowledgable.
Don't you just hate when you're forced to eat the whole candy bar?! I'm going to start using that when someone wants me to share.
Peace & Love....Neasy