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 everyone, I'm new here and would love some advice. I have been suffering from joint pain for quite a while now. It started with bad hand pain whenever I gripped anything. It's now become a constant pain in my hands and usually also hurts in my wrists, elbows, and shoulders. The pain feels like it's in the tendons by my joints, if that makes sense. It's a deep throbbing ache. My joints also pop a lot. I also periodically get pain in all my joints including my knees, ankles, toes, and feet. The best way to describe those days is that the all over aching feels like it does when you have the flu, without the other flu symptoms. This all over pain happens every couple of weeks, and then goes away. But the hand pain is always present. I haven't had swelling, but I do have what the doctor said is a nodule on the tendon of my middle finger knuckle. I also have periodic neck pain that can be so bad I want to throw up. And I get really really tired, especially when I have the all over pain. I have recently had dozens of blood tests, all of them are normal with the exception of a slightly low white cell count (just below normal) and a slightly elevated rheumatoid factor. My CRP and sed rate are both normal. I've had X-rays on my neck and hands. I don't have the hand X-ray results, but the neck showed arthritis and disk issues. My hands and knees are stiff in the morning, but not dibilitatingly so. I'm seeing a rheumatologist. After reviewing all my test results, he suspects RA so he wants to try paquenil for 10 weeks to see if it helps. Two other things to note... I have celiac disease and my grandmother had RA. What do you guys think - does this sound like RA? I want this pain to go away but I'm terrified of the side effects of medications. Thank you!
I'm sorry for your pain.
I've had a lot of the same issues and started Plaquenil last year. I've had some benefit from it, however still not sure if it's RA or not. My body and blood work don't seem to agree...and trying to figure this out without the blood work to support RA has been quite a battle.
At any rate, it takes a long time to get the full benefit from Plaq, so don't expect it to work quickly. I remember doc saying it could take up to nine months. This drug was one of 2 she tried to use to determine if my "inflammatory arthritis" was RA or not. As you can imagine, still not sure, lol but she put me back on it since it was helpful.
Best of luck~ I was worried about side effects too, but have not had any. Also, what you're describing does sound like RA-- but will tell you in my experience it's a very hard condition to diagnose, which is an understatement (again per my experience).
Welcome to our group.... there is a lot of info here that you can learn from along with your doctor's guidance. You can read the older posts and/or ask questions now. Sorry you are having the pain... Remember to be patient because sometimes it is not easy to get that right combo of meds when first diagnosed. Plus they can take time to work for you. As you will learn some meds work for some folks but don't do well for others. It seems for most folks it is trial and error at first. Hope you start to feel better soon. Keep us posted.
I Justin recently learned that sero-negative RA typically presents in the hands and feet. I did have bad hand pain in the beginning, but my feet were the worst.
As for the drugs, there is no side effect in the world that compares with the pain and deformities of severe RA. I had no side effects with Plaquenil at all, although it did nothing for me. But stay on it, maybe you have caught the disease early enough.
Plaquenil is a mild drug, so I wouldn't think twice about being on it. For that matter, as long as your doctor is monitoring you, I can't think of any other drugs and their side effects that would be a problem, unless you are actually allergic and go into anaphylactic shock. I am allergic to one DMARD, but I only got redness itching and bad hives.
Anyway, welcome to the group, and sorry you had to join! Because that means RA! Please keep us updated on how you are doing!
Best to devote time to finding the best rheumatologist in your area. Your symptoms could really be anything. Don't mean to be funny, but I recently had an adverse effect to the OTC Nyquil and ended up with those symptoms.
Don't fear the meds. The only tried and true disease treatment is the prescription meds. Some have side effects, others don't.
Bottom line [assuming it's RA or PsA]: take the meds and have an excellent chance of going into drug-controlled remission, or don't take the meds and run the potential of permanent irreversible joint damage. Easy choice.
also the poor man's cure - some pred for so many weeks (I was a pred virgin going in) and i was cured. you might enjoy that. it makes you feel like wonder woman, well for a few days.
and do a search on RA sally's 100 ways to diagnose thing. it's helpful.
go get a book at the library or used on amazon about the disease and the standard bearers: like disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs like starting with plaquenil and/or sulfasazaline. that way you can head the rheumie off with your brilliance.
sorry you have celiac also i am sure your cup runneth over.
i hope you have fun on here - sometimes we are actually humorous and not pontificating and bossing around, honest :) - you have to submit a kale recipe on the third wed of every month if the planets are in correct alignment so try to remember that.
the bus hit you all over pain is one of the free additional benefits of this disease. we have a van that can pick you up so that you can listen to alto's stand-up. it will take your mind off the minutiae of this lovely challenge.
welcome
glad you are here
depot
Now, about that recipe for kale......