1 - no
2. - no
3 - no

My answers to questions 1&2 would be no. I was actually diagnosed with sero negative RA by one rheumatologist, then got a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis a few weeks ago by a different rheumy. She saw on an MRI of my spine the inflammation that leads to that diagnosis.

I'll be asking her at my next visit if she thinks I have both, or just AS. They both have very similar symptoms and follow similar treatments, as well.

Fibrolizzy....I'll add again that having known several people with AS and having been misdiagnosed with it for about 5 years myself, it's worse than RA. That is why I'm so glad you have finally been diagnosed......now you can begin treatment. I wouldn't wish AS on anyone but I am glad that you've gotten it when good drugs are available.

You are in my prayers daily................Jen

1. No
2. No
3. I was first diagnosed Palindromic Arthritis, and I was supposed to get better with no damage. I actually met someone who was diagnosed with RA, when it was Palindromic and she got better with no damage.

Then I was ?? After two years I got sero-negative and not severe, even though my joints were a mess. I was put on 15 mg daily prednisone and it barely touched it. Then with my 4th try at a rheumatologist, I got a diagnosis of RA, but only put on Plaquenil which didn't work, then finally mthx and NSAIDS. Another 5 years to get on a biologic and get the disease into remission for about 8 years.

I knew two women diagnosed with RA, who got changed. to PsA and Aklosingspondilitis. The PsA person found that she was severely limited in treatment options and the AS person took 10 years to get diagnosed, and by then she was wheelchair bound, and her spine was almost totally fused.

That is why you cannot wait and let the damage go on for a long time. And please note that sometimes placebo effect can make us feel better, even though the damage continues. That is why I urge you to get on medications, or you will have damage that cannot be corrected. Even surgery is generally a bad fix, from what I know with myself and other people. And who wants a surgery that can take months and months to heal, and in my case, has left me in worse shape than before the horribly deformed foot!

I don't think your father is helping much with this terrible denial you are in. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get on some meds which stop not just the pain and flares, but the disease itself. Masking symptoms is not the way to go, as you will continue to have deformities. Please talk to your doctor and tell your father it is so important to get treatment quickly with RA.

1. no

2. no

3. no

you'll have about 60 years (hopefully) to try out all your theories, and probably every naturopathic remedy your dad has and every western med your rheumie wants you to when you are done doing your own research. i really don't blame you for going slow.

since you are age 24 and in the midst of creating a family. maybe the 20 somethings on here will pipe up also.

the auto immune family of diagnoses is huge so a lot of us have multiple diagnoses across the fun spectrum.

you are sero-positive, additionally, how would your doctor be making a mis diagnosis? you mean the lab got it wrong and switched your blood specimen with someone else's?

you might want to stick your wrist joints in the MRI can also to get a baseline for erosions. that will help when you look back from 44 someday to age 24

i'm glad you can chase the 1 and 3 year old this week and feel better. the disease is fickle. it give and it takes away. you have to get an attitude adjustment with it. it's kind of an emotional whiplash disease you know?

depot

1) No.

2) Kinda sorta. I had problems for at least 30 years before getting to a rheumatologist. Some years were better than others, but I did have 6 orthopedic surgeries during that time, and always lived in pain.

3) Kinda sorta. My original diagnosis was "unspecified inflammatory polyarthropathy". This has since been refined to either psoriatic arthritis with axial involvement or ankylosing spondylitits with peripheral involvement.

Ditto
My answers are much the same.
On the Fibro I'm going into my next appointment armed with questions.
My DX of Fibro was recent, in addition to RA.
I've said this before, but it's very different then RA when it comes to pain & areas of pain. It's not joint pain.
For example if my grandson pushes his feet into certain muscle areas on my legs it sends me through the roof. It's extremely painful & sensitive. Nothing like the RA pain.
I'm sure there are misdiagnoses but IMO the doctor is failing to do his or her job. In its own way it's very distinct. Now I can see where other
Forms of autos like RA & AS may be confused but that's about it.
The only other thing I've heard brought up that has thrown patients is Lyme disease & I don't know enough about that to comment on the whys & how's.
Sammy

1. No
2. No
3. Sometimes I wonder but then I'm honest with myself

Depotblue always has the "straight talk" answer.

It's probably not what you wanted to hear Robyn but it's the most honest straightforward approach.

I'd like to add that this disease, I guess like a lot of others, is very unpredictable! You have people on this post who are sero-positive & can take the lowest dosage of a treatment & feel 99% normal like nothing happeend. You have others who are sero-negative, have been around & around on all sorts of medicnal "soups" & nothing has helped or it's helped very little.

Another member stated he/she became a bit of a hypochrondriac which I think is right on the money about this disease. You're constantly self diagnosing!

I wake up EVERY morning & the first almost unconscious thing I do is flex my fingers to see if they're "stiff"? Which they haven't been in over a year! But I still do it!

For myself & my journey. I was diagnosed 2yrs ago. I went on prednisone for like 2 months & that brought me back to about 95% normal, then went on Methotrexate & have steadily reduced the dosage down to the lowest 2.5mg until now I'm completely off & I still feel about 90-95% fine. I believe I get hit hard with flareups when I get a flu bug or work out a bit too vigoursly.

But I also know this could change dramatically as time goes on. Maybe it stays the same, maybe I get 100% or maybe I get worse? Who knows.

To Jen....I have to thank you for saying that you pray for me. That is so very thoughtful of you, and I can't begin to express how much I appreciate it.

When you said you think AS is worse than RA, is it because of the possible damage that can happen with the spine? I've always had back pain and troubles, from my neck all the way down to my fanny. Now I know why! I just took it as something I had to live with. But what got my attention was when I started having the peripheral swelling and pain....especially my feet and ankles.

Again, thank you so much for your concern. And Robyn, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hijack your thread.