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 to all,
I am new here and want to thank all of you for sharing your struggles. It is helpful to read how others are dealing with this.
I have been with my rheumatologist for a couple of years, but don't feel good about diagnosis. It seems like she's very on-the-fence on whether it is or isn't RA and finally in August told me "mild RA".
I have the swelling, pain in joints (but not horrific), and MRI showed damage up in tops of my fingers even though the pain is nowhere near there! All blood work is fine, but she's tested nothing beyond the basics.
My toes and feet are swelling now as well as hands, fingers, wrist, and sometimes jaw. I am on Plaquenil and doing well with it. Doctor told me if I did better on this type of drug it would be RA rather than OA I'm dealing with.
When I read online, I have the RA symptoms, but just feel she's not sure that's what it is. Maybe it's just me and I want "proof".
Did anyone else go through this type of process for a couple of years? Does a test result ever change a few years later? How did you handle not being "sure"?
Thank you ~
I am new here and want to thank all of you for sharing your struggles. It is helpful to read how others are dealing with this.
I have been with my rheumatologist for a couple of years, but don't feel good about diagnosis. It seems like she's very on-the-fence on whether it is or isn't RA and finally in August told me "mild RA".
I have the swelling, pain in joints (but not horrific), and MRI showed damage up in tops of my fingers even though the pain is nowhere near there! All blood work is fine, but she's tested nothing beyond the basics.
My toes and feet are swelling now as well as hands, fingers, wrist, and sometimes jaw. I am on Plaquenil and doing well with it. Doctor told me if I did better on this type of drug it would be RA rather than OA I'm dealing with.
When I read online, I have the RA symptoms, but just feel she's not sure that's what it is. Maybe it's just me and I want "proof".
Did anyone else go through this type of process for a couple of years? Does a test result ever change a few years later? How did you handle not being "sure"?
Thank you ~
You can speak freely without fear of ridicule or resentment.
Welcome to a safe haven
Peace
Bluedogs2
If possible, could you get a 2nd opinion?
just a couple quick things
welcome welcome welcome
glad you are here!
and has the rheum ever done the "poor man's test" for RA? you know jack you up on pred and you come back and say you are cured? that's one way
the MRI is the diagnostic tool for erosions and diagnosis also - can you grab the actual results yourself and read them (the radiologist's interpretation of your MRI that you reference above) sure it's possible for damage to be in process without you having horrific pain from it.
yep plaquenil is a dmard used in first diagnosis commonly - you are doing well on it? that means she does not want to add methotrexate?
see RA Sally's thread for more of a thorough understanding yourself of the many components of the life and loves of RA otherwise known as "proof" :) (it will help)
mild RA is RA.
do you agree?
do you find your limitations and restrictions to be mild? are you doing the same career work, home work, exercise, activities, yadda yadda yadda now that you were doing before RA? If so maybe you agree with her that your case is mild. it's good if the ravages have not hit your human highway.
However, a lot of doctor's like to be more aggressive in order to halt progression
welcome again
depot