Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Hi all, I've been a member on here *or a while, but never thought to join any o* the arthritis *orums till now...lol BTW, my * key doesn't work so I use a star.
I have had symptoms since I was about 12. Till the last 2 years or so, I had mostly mild to bad pain in various joints and just used Ibupro*en or Tylenol. A lot o* times, it would be worse when it would get cold or rainy.
A couple o* years ago, I started having really bad pain in my *ingers which went on *or 2 to 3 months and then went away. Then last summer, the 1st 3 *ingers o my right hand began to hurt and swell. They curled under and I lost my grip. Anytime I barely hit my hand or jammed it into something, I had severe pain. Next, I started having carpal tunnel symptoms: tingling, numbness, etc. I had morning sti**ness, and o*ten woke early. I started wearing a brace on that hand and then it began in the 1st 2 *ingers o* the le*t hand.
I *inally went to my doc as this greatly a**ects my work as a cake decorator. He said it was unusual to see this in someone my age --I am 30. He tested me *or RA and prescribed anti-in*lammatories. My dad and his bro both had RA, but my test came back negative. He told me to take Osteo-Bi*lex and that he wasn't sure what kind, but that it was arthritis.
By September or so, most o* the pain and swelling had cleared. A *ew months later, the pain and swelling in the 1st 2 *ingers on the le*t side was back. It has been mostly mild until the last 2 or so months.
*or the last month or 2, I wake up with pain and sti**ness. It gets better a*ter an hour or so. The pain in the right hand is coming back and I am once again losing my grip. The underside o* my right wrist is sore and swollen, and I get sporadic shooting pain there as well. My le*t thumb is swollen and tender at the joint where it connects to the hand and my index *inger looks like a sausage...lol
My mom thinks I have carpal tunnel. I have explained to her that arthritis can cause the symptoms as well, or even lead to carpal tunnel. BTW --I have no wrist pain in the le*t hand.
My doc isn't sure what kind o* arthritis I have. It pretty much runs on both sides o the *amily. My grandpa is on his 3rd pair o* replacement knee caps at 81!
I have read that up to 30% o* people with RA that are diagnosed negative, actually do have it. I have noticed that my hands are worse in the humidity and that it is a**ecting me this year around the same time as it did last year.
I have also looked at Osteoarthritis symptoms, and Psoriatic arthritis symptoms --as I do have mild psoriasis. I just don't know what to think. I should probably go back to the doc and push him or more testing...
Anywho, I thought that I'd ask others with arthritis *or their opinions. I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!!!
I have had symptoms since I was about 12. Till the last 2 years or so, I had mostly mild to bad pain in various joints and just used Ibupro*en or Tylenol. A lot o* times, it would be worse when it would get cold or rainy.
A couple o* years ago, I started having really bad pain in my *ingers which went on *or 2 to 3 months and then went away. Then last summer, the 1st 3 *ingers o my right hand began to hurt and swell. They curled under and I lost my grip. Anytime I barely hit my hand or jammed it into something, I had severe pain. Next, I started having carpal tunnel symptoms: tingling, numbness, etc. I had morning sti**ness, and o*ten woke early. I started wearing a brace on that hand and then it began in the 1st 2 *ingers o* the le*t hand.
I *inally went to my doc as this greatly a**ects my work as a cake decorator. He said it was unusual to see this in someone my age --I am 30. He tested me *or RA and prescribed anti-in*lammatories. My dad and his bro both had RA, but my test came back negative. He told me to take Osteo-Bi*lex and that he wasn't sure what kind, but that it was arthritis.
By September or so, most o* the pain and swelling had cleared. A *ew months later, the pain and swelling in the 1st 2 *ingers on the le*t side was back. It has been mostly mild until the last 2 or so months.
*or the last month or 2, I wake up with pain and sti**ness. It gets better a*ter an hour or so. The pain in the right hand is coming back and I am once again losing my grip. The underside o* my right wrist is sore and swollen, and I get sporadic shooting pain there as well. My le*t thumb is swollen and tender at the joint where it connects to the hand and my index *inger looks like a sausage...lol
My mom thinks I have carpal tunnel. I have explained to her that arthritis can cause the symptoms as well, or even lead to carpal tunnel. BTW --I have no wrist pain in the le*t hand.
My doc isn't sure what kind o* arthritis I have. It pretty much runs on both sides o the *amily. My grandpa is on his 3rd pair o* replacement knee caps at 81!
I have read that up to 30% o* people with RA that are diagnosed negative, actually do have it. I have noticed that my hands are worse in the humidity and that it is a**ecting me this year around the same time as it did last year.
I have also looked at Osteoarthritis symptoms, and Psoriatic arthritis symptoms --as I do have mild psoriasis. I just don't know what to think. I should probably go back to the doc and push him or more testing...
Anywho, I thought that I'd ask others with arthritis *or their opinions. I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!!!
If the first rheumy you see doesn't help get a second or third opinion. It took me 4 rheumies. Ironically, I have severe RA, and the first three did not see it. I still am angry over it. I even wrote the one rheumy a nasty letter when I was by his office about what he did to me by dismissing the swelling and pain in 100 joints and telling me because my blood markers were 0, I didn't have RA. I just hope he hasn't done that to a lot of other people.
Yes, it is my PCP that I saw. I was *rustrated because I spent a lot o* money and really didn't learn much or get much help. He had me keep coming back *or checkups, but that was it. I didn't get the point o* the checkups, as he'd comment that my hands were still swollen and suggest I try a di**erent NSAID. Once the RA test came back negative, he just suggested the Osteo-Bi*lex and as my hands had gotten somewhat better --he quit the checkups.
A*ter *inally getting the doc paid o**, I haven't wanted to go back only to hear the same thing and rack up bills again. My question is: Is it likely that I'll need a re*eral rom my doc to see a rheumatologist or can I just look one up and schedule an appointment?
The 2 kinds o* arthritis that I have looked closest at are RA and psoriatic arthritis. I've read that psoriatic o*ten mimics RA. Psoriatic describes *ingers as swelling like sausages, which is de*initely the case. However, it's not just my *ingers swelling. The joint at the base o* my thumb is enlarged and it *eels like a huge knot under the skin. The right wrist swelling and throbbing is my newest complaint.
I read that RA can have *lare ups in humidity and it does seem that mine *lares in the humid months.
Between, the 3 o* you --I eel like I've gotten more help than *rom my doc...lol Thanks much, and I will try to get an appointment scheduled. ((HUGS))
Hope that helps!