New here! | Arthritis Information

Hi all,

I recently started suffering with joint pain. I have always been fit and active until January 2007 when I fell over my feet in a gravel car park after a 7 mile run.

Since then I have been unable to run because of my knee which now needs an operation. However, over the last few months I have noticed I have numb hands in the night and when I wake my thumbs are stiff and sore, my elbows are stiff and sore and in fact I just feel very stiff all over and it takes me a while to get going.

I went to the doctors last week and explained my symptoms. The doctor wasn't helpful, she just said twice that I had probably been lying funny!!

I'm going for blood tests tomorrow and I'm hoping that they find something because I just don't feel well. I've gone from being active and fit to feeling old and stiff and tired all the time.

My thumbs and elbows are the worst, they aren't swollen but just tender and stiff. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Wendy

Sounds like you've got a likely case.....don't be discouraged!! There's lots of info here and great people, too!

Sorry you found us, but glad at the same time!! :) Let us know how your blood tests come out - oh, and don't be upset if they're all negative. I've had this 22 of my 24 years of life and I have yet to test positive for it! *rolls eyes* It's the nature of the beast!!!

Nice to meet you!! Hi Wendy, welcome to the forum. I agree with the previous posts. You can have negative labs and still have RA and I would insist upon a referral to a rheumatologist. The sooner you're diagnosed the better it will be for you. They may start you on meds and damage will be minimal. Some of us waited way too long to start meds and have some severe damage because we were in denial or meds didn't work for us and we had to use more precious time and find the right combination of meds. Keep us posted on how you're doing. Lindy

hI Wendy, welcome!!

My gosh falling must have been terrible and your knee, it all sounds so painful and now 'this', I hope you post real soon after your doc get s the blood tests and more info.

Lynda

Thank you so much for your replies.

The awful thing for me is that I changed my career a couple of years ago and trained as a massage therapist. I've been massaging (without any symptoms or pain) for 2 years and have been steadily building up my business as I work from my therapy room at home. I've had no problems whatsoever with any joints in all that time and when it started it was a particularly quiet period and I hadn't done any massages for weeks (I also do manicures/pedicures and nails etc).

Do you all live normal lives with RA. What are your stories?

It's my 40th birthday next week and I suddenly feel very old!!

Hope to hear from you soon.

Wendy

I noticed some of you guys are from the states. We are off to LA in October. Well, we are flying to Chicago for a few days and then onto LA, Vegas and Palm Springs where my husband's twin sister lives. I can't wait for the rest.

I'm not gonna sugar coat it for you - Some of us live very normal lives, and others, well, I honestly wonder how the hell they manage. But in the end, they do.

I was dxed with JRA (juvenile rheumatiod arthritis) when I was somewhere around 18months old. I've gone through some icky times - like when I was 4/5/6 and was wearing splints at night and braces and doing exercises etc etc - and some good times, like when I was 10/11/12/13 and had NO symptoms at all.

I think I got lucky, and I went from moderate RA, to mild RA, and now I feel like I keep teetering between the two. Some days I wonder how the heck I'm gonna make it, and others I'm wondering how much it costs to go parasailing.....LOL

Your story about it starting up after a slow period in your massages makes me wonder if you're the type of person who would benifit from a good exercise schedule. It seems like maybe doing all those massages was lubricating your joints, and then when you stopped they didn't get the same treatment they were used to. Maybe try setting something up to keep your hands occupied during the slow times. The sooner you figure stuff like this out, and tackle it, the better off you will be in the end. Light exercise is ALWAYS reccomended for people with RA, it's just usual so hard for us because by the time we figure out what's wrong, the damage has been done. I really suggest starting now, just do what you can and don't push yourself. I think in the long run your hands will be better off this way.

So would you like the truth, Wendy or would you like me to lie? Hi Wendy...welcome!!

He should run a full arthritis panel; a full thyroid panel, a full anemia panel in addition to the standard CBC and electrolytes. You should also get a neck xray to rule out problems there

Welcome WendyWoo2. There is lots of support and information on this board which I think you will find useful as you go through the diagnosis process.

OK, I gotta ask -

Are you a Homecoming Warrior?

LOL

Pip

P.S. Hi! And if I have to reboot AGAIN for asking a silly question...

Welcome Wendy,

You asked how people go on with their lives. Some days it's one day at a time others it is one minute at a time. I have Psoriatic arthritis, which presents some of the same symptoms, and some different.

I am a teacher, and would really like a classroom, but those days may be over. I am also looking for a desk job too. It seems that we all have our adjustment periods and periods that we have to reajust too. Do you have a support system with your husband and family? That is so important. This forum has been a major part of my support system.

Take care and let us know.

Welcome Wendy! Just wanted to say hello. Their doesn't seem to be anything helpful that I can add.

Cordy...what's this about 3 types of RA????? I never heard that before. Maybe you're talking seronegative and positive?? But what's the third?

Linccn,

No, that isn't what I am talking about - seroneg and seropos.

The three Types information came from that book called Rheumatoid Arthritis published by the American Arthritis Foundation. It was one of the only books I could find on this goddamn disease that made any sense and is full of fab info like lists of tables of the drugs, side effects etc. It is very user friendly.

That book lists the types and the different characteristics they have. Lot's of people here, the regulars would be Type 3, I certainly am, treatment resistant, severe symptoms etc. Type 1 like I suggested is hands and feet effected, easily treated and managed. A friend of my mothers is actually like this.

I got the book from the library so I don't have it here at the moment but I will try and find the info and if I can I will post it.

I had never heard of this information before that either but it did make sense when I looked at mum's friends situation compared to mine.

Cordy,

Thanks for the book recommendations. I had not heard about this before now. I will definitely look into that. Shoot, I wish I were a Type one!!

Love ya girl!!

Boy, today I feel like I'm all 3 types rolled into one...is that possible? Lindy

Hi Wendy and welcome,

I hope you do find this site helpful in your information gathering. I hope the doctor tells you it is NOT RA and some other issue easily treated. I agree with Buckeye too, we must not assume that it is RA you have, Wendy. It is looking that way but....all those tests she suggests are essential. Like Jay, I hope for you it's a no. Welcome Wendy! You found just the right place for lot's of information and support. Be sure and keep us posted once you get all your results back!

Hi all,

My Rheumatoid Factor test came back negative. I had further tests including a full blood count and 2 of them came back abnormal. Can't remember the name but the doctor said it was a sign of inflammation. She said it's arthritis and has referred me to a Rheumatologist. Although she did said it definately wasn't Rheumatoid Arthritis. Anyone got any advice on questions I should ask when I see the Rheumatologist??

Wendy

Wendy - Let the Rheumatologist be the one to say it definitely isn't RA. Lot's of folks test negative for rheumatoid factor and still have RA. It's called sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis. I hope that's not the case with you, but if it is, you will find LOT'S of support and information here.

Be sure to ask your RD to go over all the test results with you. Also explain in detail the type of pain you're having, in addtion to any morning stiffness and/or gelling. You might also ask about baseline x-rays or MRI of your feet and hands, or any other joints you are experiencing pain and stiffness.

Good luck with your new RD, and be sure to get back to us with the results!

Hi Gale

Thanks for the advice. I just hope that the RD can tell me what's wrong with me! You mention morning stiffness which is just so awful. I wake up exhausted and stiff and feel like I've run a marathon in the night!! What is gelling?

Thanks again.

Wendy

Hi Wendy and welcome. I'm sorry you are feeling so poorly. It must be very hard to be so active, as in running, and suddenly find yourself needing to be more sedentary.

I can't answer your question about "gelling". I have never heard that term in relation to RA.

I'm sure the rheumatologist will take other tests and probably x-rays. If your inflammation tests are positive then it could be RA even if your rheumatiod factor is negative. But, like Jay and some of the others said, we are not doctors and can only say what your symptoms sound like in relation to what some of ours have been.

The inflammation tests are usually your sed rate and c-reactive protein. But elevated levels can indicate RA and several other things, so your rheumatologist must make that determination.

I think we have all heard ridiculous comments like "you must have been lying wrong"! But I'm very glad they took the tests and gave you a referral to a rheumatologist.

Don't worry yet about how it will effect your life. Just take one step at a time. We are here for you and I know we all would like to know the outcome of your appt. with the Rheumy.

Good luck. We are always here if you need us.

Nini

Wendy, I am sorry to hear that you are in pain. My primary care physcian insisted that I didn't have rhematoid arthritis due to my lab results. I insisted on seeing a rheumatologist and ended up being diagnosed with RA following x-rays that showed changes in my hands. I am still sero-negative (blood test looks fine). I saw 2 other rheumotologists who both confirmed I have RA. I think it is important to seek second (and third) opinions if something doesn't add up for you. YOU know your body best and really need to research and advocate for yourself until you are getting the treatment you need. I was diagnosed with anxiety following my son's birth 9 years ago by numerous doctors and the ER doctors. After several months of suffering, I got pro-active and started asking for tests. I was certain I had pulmonary hypertension and even started posting on a PH forum. I insisted on certain tests, only to find out I didn't have pulmonary hypertension, but had congestive heart failure. I would have died if I had not been diagnosed properly and treated. That is why I am such a firm believer in each person being their own advocate and researching things yourself. Don't worry if your doctor, family or friends think you are nuts for trying to find a reason for your pain. No one is going to care more about your health than you are. You are the only one living in your body, so do whatever you need to do to get properly diagnosed and treated. Even if you misdiagnose yourself, you are out there seeking informatin and requesting testing that the doctors may have overlooked. They see so many patients each day. You are the only one you have. Let us know how you are. Love, Juliah

Wendy - Gelling is what happens when you've worked all or most of your stiffness out with activity, then become inactive...like sitting down for a while. When you get back up and you experience new stiffness again, this is referred to as gelling.

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Oh. and welcome Wendy! Don't mind me - just having mood issues tonight. But seriously, I sorry you are going through this right now and hope you get some real answers soon. I experienced a lot of run around until I got to a Rheumatologist. My PCP was no help and made me feel like a hypochondriac. He did test me for Rheum Factor which was negative at that time so he just blew me off saying my "symptoms were bizzare", when interestingly they are pretty much "textbook". In the end though, it was actually an Ortho. Dr that I referred myself to that suggested it was something systemic and sent me too the RD. By then (8 months later) my Rheumatoid Factor was positive. But even if it hadn't been, as I know it now, my symptoms alone would have met the criteria for DX. So keep going until you fnd the right Dr that can tell you what is wrong with you and get you the help you need.

Hi Wendy- Sorry you are having problems, I hope the rheumatologist will find a clue to your symptoms. I was first told mine was stress and that my RA factor was negative by my G.P. When I saw a rheumy he said it was definetly RA but 10 years down the line a new Rheumatologist isnt so sure, I hope yours gets sorted out soon.