We all have slightly different symptoms for our disease. There is no "one size fits all" list of what to expect.

I had a lot of stiffness in my hands when I was not on medications that worked. Mostly that consisted of waking up and finding my hands in claws that had to open up with the other hand. I always had red hot flares, until the disease was under control.

But it is good for you to notice changes and differences. Maybe you should chart them. Do stiffness, pain levels, meds taken, and whatever else you think might be useful.

But, like you said, it those symptoms might have been with you a long time. If the stiffness goes away in 6 -8 months, then you will know that Plaquenil is working, and that you probably have RA. I am sure your rheumatologist will confirm it, one way or another.

PS. I hope you are seeing a rheumatologist. A GP just doesn't have the training and experience to treat this disease.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, my doctor is a rheumatologist with a very good reputation. He suspects it's RA due to a positive RA factor, symptoms, and family history. I just find it hard to believe, or maybe I'm just in denial. :(

I'm not sure this is helpful, I've been in "testing" mode for almost 3 years~ and doc is still unsure beyond "inflammatory arthritis" but my hands have the red knuckles at the base and on my fingers/thumb which are swollen and at first it felt like the worst case of dry skin or maybe sunburn ever- like the joints were pulling inward.
My right hand is worse and while it's not as bad as the previous post from Marlene J. I seldom have my fingers straight. They are usually always curving in (like making a fist)- which is my new "natural state".
Also, I've been on PLaquenil for about a year and found it helpful. Be careful with your eyes~ Like you I'd had symptoms a long time and just thought it was normal~ or at least part of again. My blood work and body aren't in agreement, so thinking I might just have to learn to live without a diagnosis that's more definitive.
Best of luck!

ShanR - that's interesting! I have noticed my right hand doesn't straighten out like my left does. It's not curved as much as a fist, but it's definitely curving inward. I can straighten it if I try, but I can feel it stretching when I do. My natural state looks like my hand is resting on a computer mouse - that's the amount of curve. My left hand lies flatter. I was checked by EMG for carpal tunnel and don't have that. It's definitely a tightness at the base of my finger joints (I think they are the MIPs?).

What I and others experience as classic morning stiffness is difficulty making a fist and straightening the hand. Fingers are often swollen.

What medication are you on?

I just started plaquenil 2 days ago. This is all brand new to me. My hands feel tight in the morning, and are better later in the day. But I can still make a fist and open my hands -- the right one just doesn't open fully without really stretching it.

saamom~~ The description about the computer mouse is spot-on for me as well. I can do the fist, but the "natural state" is now more a modified claw and requires straightening and stretching on my part.

Also-- my swelling started three years at the base of my finger joints on my right hand.

I was checked for carpal tunnel a few years back (possibly it was a flare???) and it came back negative. Not a fun test~~

I'm thinking your doctor is all over this~ but wanted to also let you know that Plaquenil working or not working was supposed to really help rheumy diagnose me. It did help me and does, but didn't help her confirm a diagnosis. My thinking is your blood work will help your doctor diagnose~ as all mine shows is inflammation but no positive factors.

Best of luck~~ S

Having AM stiffness is a symptom that differentiates Ra from osteoarthritis as most with OA feel better after a night's rest. I have severe OA as well as RA and so I know those signs well.

So I test my hands in the AM. I try to make a fist.....I usually can't. Fingers go just so far into the hand. As I get my morning cup of tea and some fruit to eat, I keep testing. When I can finally make a fist without forcing my fingers, then I know how long the AM stiffness is lasting....another thing the docs want to know...do you have it and how long does it last?

That heat and stiffness sure sounds like classic Ra. The reason it's hitting your Achilles is that tendons are covered with the same tissue that's inside the joints that becomes inflamed with RA.....synovial tissue. Tendons count too!.

Never push those joints in the AM....let them slowly wake up and start to move again on their own. Note if they stiffen up again during the day. Mine do after letting them sit still for even as little as 15 minutes. The key to Ra is to get moving slowly and then keep moving slowly. Mind you, I've had Ra for 39 years.

gentle hugs.................Jen

Thank you ShanR and Jen! ShanR - if the plaquenil helps you, I wonder why your dr still won't confirm your diagnosis? I hate not knowing for sure. Today I have the all over joint aches and fatigue, plus that flu-like feeling. I never get a fever - but sometimes have the chills. I'd love to know that this is all just RA, but it sounds like I may not know that for certain for a long time.

My stiffness would come and go and it was always in my legs and feet. Going downstairs first thing in the morning was so much fun. I also started having periods of exhaustion, both started over a year ago. Like you I would blow it off to being age. I also do a lot of moving about at work and would think that maybe we were busier than I thought. This year I started having the joint pains and after bloodwork, I was diagnosed with seropositive RA. After the initial interview and diagnosis, I pointed out how my wbc count was high last year as it is this year and she told me it is the RA. Then I started thinking about all of her questions and realized that this has been going on for awhile. I am now into my second month of methotrexate and it seems to be working for me.

Ginny

Do you walk like Frankenstein in the morning? That's a dead giveaway . . .

or the Tin Man without a brain.

saamon~ I have read a good deal about RA in the years I've been "testing" and the exhaustion you describe is what I've read to be part of the illness. I've had it from time to time, but without fever. I describe it as "hitting the wall", I can do nothing further until I rest. For me, it usually doesn't last long.

I thought with the positive Plaquenil we'd be sure of diagnosis, but she's still unsure. I am awaiting results of an MRI on my ankle/foot to see what to do next. Like Ginny- my feet have been somewhat affected with swelling in ankles and toes.

I think when the blood work is more positive, like yours it's more cut and dried. Also, like Ginny- my white count has been up some.

Take care- hope you can tell some improvement with the Plaquenil. Shannon

Good luck with the mri results -- I hope you can finally get some definitive answers! Strangely, my wbc is a little low. Nothing major, but I wonder why that is.

Well...the plot thickens again for me. Nurse called yesterday about MRI and said my foot has one toe with degenerative arthritis and the tendons and other part of my foot show psoriatic arthritis. She said you can have it without psoriasis.
I'm confused (as always, lol). Not sure yet when I go back and holding off thinking they are sure because every time I feel there's a diagnosis, she backs off it. We'll see~
Take care all~~S