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...
Hello all,
I've been dealing with on and off pain flares for a long time now. But I always found excuses for it: I slept on my shoulder wrong, I'm overweight of course I'm going to hurt, thyroid disease causes pain, or any number of stuff. It's of course been getting worse, to the point where lifting even small weights (think 15 lbs), will bring me almost to tears as my elbow feels like I have glass in it. Or I cant rotate my arm/shoulder back to support a barbell across my shoulders to d squats.
I might be in debilitating pain (yet), but I did go to the doctor on Tuesday and she drew blood to test for RA factor, sed rate, BMP, c reactive protein, ANA 9FANA), and CBC w/ diff. They called today and said my results were negative. I almost laughed but isntead asked for them to mail me copies of my results. I want to see my values and the lab range and compare the two.
Anyway, I asked what was next because my swollen hands and my continued pain tells me something is going on. My family history isn't going to let me just sleep on this and wait it out. My father is only 50 and has had 3 surgeries on his shoulders so far because of RA. My maternal great great Aunt had severe RA as well. I am getting my referral to a rheumy, but I need suggestions from y'all on how to handle my appt. I've been to one before a few years ago for some mild pain that would cycle. He pushed on a few spots on my back, checked my knee reaction with the little hammer, and told me maybe it was CFS secondary to my autoimmune thyroid disease.
Before she drew my blood to test, she told me many of their patients that get treated at the family practice didn't test positive for antibodies and such for RA but still have it. So how do I discuss this with the rheumy? I'm taking Meloxicam and Tylenol along with fish oils and glucosamine and it's not helping with the aches and stabbing pains at all. I don't sleep through the night. I've been tracking what hurts where this week since my appt with my primary doc so I'll have a running list of daily symptoms to take with me once my referral appt is made.
It took me almost 5 years or so to get a diagnosis and treatment for my thyroid issues. And I've been putting this off becfause I HATE doctors, they don't listen. The fact that I'm even feeling and acknowledging the pain is a milsetone. I'm hard headed and rather pain tolerant. I can function with migraines because I had to learn how to with how frequent they were (before chiropractic care saved me from them). I can't ignore it anymore.
Any advice, suggestions, and tips from you guys that have walked (or limped) down this road before me will be greatly appreciated and cherished. Thank you for reading!
I've been dealing with on and off pain flares for a long time now. But I always found excuses for it: I slept on my shoulder wrong, I'm overweight of course I'm going to hurt, thyroid disease causes pain, or any number of stuff. It's of course been getting worse, to the point where lifting even small weights (think 15 lbs), will bring me almost to tears as my elbow feels like I have glass in it. Or I cant rotate my arm/shoulder back to support a barbell across my shoulders to d squats.
I might be in debilitating pain (yet), but I did go to the doctor on Tuesday and she drew blood to test for RA factor, sed rate, BMP, c reactive protein, ANA 9FANA), and CBC w/ diff. They called today and said my results were negative. I almost laughed but isntead asked for them to mail me copies of my results. I want to see my values and the lab range and compare the two.
Anyway, I asked what was next because my swollen hands and my continued pain tells me something is going on. My family history isn't going to let me just sleep on this and wait it out. My father is only 50 and has had 3 surgeries on his shoulders so far because of RA. My maternal great great Aunt had severe RA as well. I am getting my referral to a rheumy, but I need suggestions from y'all on how to handle my appt. I've been to one before a few years ago for some mild pain that would cycle. He pushed on a few spots on my back, checked my knee reaction with the little hammer, and told me maybe it was CFS secondary to my autoimmune thyroid disease.
Before she drew my blood to test, she told me many of their patients that get treated at the family practice didn't test positive for antibodies and such for RA but still have it. So how do I discuss this with the rheumy? I'm taking Meloxicam and Tylenol along with fish oils and glucosamine and it's not helping with the aches and stabbing pains at all. I don't sleep through the night. I've been tracking what hurts where this week since my appt with my primary doc so I'll have a running list of daily symptoms to take with me once my referral appt is made.
It took me almost 5 years or so to get a diagnosis and treatment for my thyroid issues. And I've been putting this off becfause I HATE doctors, they don't listen. The fact that I'm even feeling and acknowledging the pain is a milsetone. I'm hard headed and rather pain tolerant. I can function with migraines because I had to learn how to with how frequent they were (before chiropractic care saved me from them). I can't ignore it anymore.
Any advice, suggestions, and tips from you guys that have walked (or limped) down this road before me will be greatly appreciated and cherished. Thank you for reading!
CRP less than 0.20 {0.20-9.00} CRP MG/L
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS FACTOR 8.3 {0.0-13.9} IU/ML
SED RATE Flag 17 {0-20} ESR MM/HR
Patience with the process. This stuff takes time.
Hugs,
Linda
As far as your lab results go, a good rheumatologist will read them, but will use them as part of the picture and not a make-or-break , stand-alone diagnostic tool. With psoriatic arthritis, negative labs go into the "plus" column towards rather than against a diagnosis. With PsA, many patients, even those with severe disease, never do have elevated inflammatory markers. In RA, I have read that 80% of patients will eventually- NOT immediately- have positive RF tests, and as few as 30% will be positive early on. Anti-CCP levels are elevated in about 65% of RAers. http://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Rheumatoid-Arthritis
Let's just hope you have a good doctor. You're not alone in your distrust of the profession as a whole. Too many of us have gotten the runaround in too many ways. We get it. Too bad for us, we have diagnoses or symptoms we just can't ignore.
Meloxicam + Tylenol has done nothing for me and my pain has ramped up the last couple days. I called my doctor this morning desperate for anything to help me at least sleep through the night. It's been a month or so and I've gotten 2 good nights of sleep. I'm so exhausted. So i get to go pick up Tramadol after work at the pharmacy. I'm praying that it helps, I've never taken it before. I know tylenol, ibuprofen, hydros or vicodin never do anything when I'm in pain. I'm even tough to respond to anesthesia. My body is so resistant to medication it's unreal and extrememly infuriating!!!! Same with my mother. Bla
Anyone kno wanything about tramadol? Will it help the meloxicam work better? I'll of course ask the pharmacist, but chances are he or she never took it before either so they will only be able to relay clinical info to me.
He listen to all my concerns and like you I had written everything down and even had pictures. My family has a huge history with RA, my mother, maternal grandmother and four uncles all had RA. I have also been dealing with all this pain for the last 7 or so years with the last three being severe.
All my blood work came back normal, but he diagnosed me with sero negative RA because of my positive response to meds prescribed, examination, past medical history and family history.
I am now on methotrexate injections and just had my fourth this past Friday. It takes a bit to see if it will work or not but I am doing okay on this med. I too am in NC.
My appt went really well. The doctor was very nice and seemed like he genuinely cared. He was disgusted when I told him about my last interaction when I tried going to rheumatologist a few years ago and I was dismissed. And he took my family history very seriously as well. He didn't need to look at my daily symptom sheets or my photos to listen to me. I never felt like I had to battle him or try to prove anything I was saying I felt or had issues with. I almost wanted to hug him.
He said it definitely sounds inflammatory, and he mentioned psoriatic arthritis and/or anklysosis spondilepathy...however you spell that. They did 16 X-rays, took 5 vials of blood, and Rx'd me a prednisone taper for 12 days to see how sensitive my immune system is and if I find any relief with it. Took my first dose of prednisone this morning and I'm praying that tomorrow I feel even a little better. It would be so great to have a few days with no pain or severe fatigue. I have to follow up with him in a month to review blood work and symptoms and how I did on the prednisone. I have no idea all of what blood amrkers he pulled for, but he did mention genetic markers for arthritis.
Ever since laying on that X-ray table yesterday the back of my hips and lower back have been LIT THE F**K UP!!! Trying really hard to not take any pain meds because the rheumy wants for me to take notes to guage how each dose of prednisone helps me as I step down every 2 days. I can't sit still though, this is killing me. I now realize how much worse off I could be if I didn't have such a nice bed and couch, or car seats. Wow...