I should add that I don't have an official DX of RA...just two (non-rheumy) doctors believing I do.

Dry eyes, that's a biggie. When do you see the rheumy; don't drive yourself too crazy until you have a diagnosis. Have a great day. Trish

I see the rheumy on the 18th....sadly I've had to wait 4 months for the appointment. Crazy long waits for appointments. Don't know what the heck I would do if I do have RA and go into a major flare. No way could I wait that long for an appointment. I'm hoping that once this "new patient" appointment is done that it's easier to get in.

Let's see, there's stupidity, crankiness, frustration with the medical profession, those are all tied to it.

Sorry. Seriously, it seems like if you have one autoimmune problem you probably have others, too. The level of understanding of these diseases isn't very good. Long way of saying it may all very well be related, but good luck finding out. You have probably seen a cardiologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, and an orthopedic surgeon. Maybe a couple of others. The right hand hasn't a clue as to what the left hand is doing, thinking, or seeing. That was the beauty (and fiction) of Dr. House. He could look at three seemingly unconnected problems and come up with an elegant explanation for all three.

Altoclef....you're absolutely right I have seen all of those and more. Some months I feel like a voodoo doll being poked and prodded so much. I've seriously thought about trying to be seen in a large clinic in hopes that someone could view all of my issues at once. Probably wishful thinking on my part.

I'm planning on writing a letter of sorts to the rheumy before my appointment. I just want to make sure he has all the information he might need. Of course my PCP and pain doctors have sent records.

You might be a great candidate for someplace like Mayo that actually has a team of specialists sit down together to come up with a treatment plan. The drugs given for RA and all its evil cousins are hard on the body, and depending on diagnosis, you will need to be carefully monitored in light of all your other diagnoses.

WEll since r.a. dx..I now have planter faciitis, Raynauds.(I knew my hands were cold but this is unreal... I need gloves to handle items in my freezer...) My feet and legs have been swelling like crazy.. I have had slight swelling off and on but this is getting to be a real pain.. It is usually gone by morning but lately you can still see it and I can feel it..dry patchy skin..like small dots here, there, everywhere.. Unusual twitching of fingers and toes...They have developed a mind of their own... Loss of strength... dropping things without warning...Just oops gone to the floor.. just a lot of little glitches in the trail of life....

Altoclef.... Mayo is a great idea. I'm very worried about the meds and I'm sort of thinking that all the steroids and meds for my MS have contributed to some of the issues. Not the illness itself but the medications.

Cassie....Ugh, I'm so sorry. I have that Raynaud's thing too. Can hardly hold anything cold more than a few seconds. Hugs!

Out of all these other A-I diseases that could be some of the problems I encourage you all to have a pulmonary test done. Most of my problems come to find out was lack of oxygen. Even my "Raynauds" turns out to be fron not getting enough oxygen to my fingers. A lot of the pain and night sweats, memory problems, brain fog and well you get the ideal. I was so low on oxygen my organs were starving for oxygen..even my brain. It's worth the check. And don't let them just use that little finger monator. Get a pulmonary test. It tells more at different stages of breathing. They found out I needed a cpap and oxygn 24/7 and that I had Pulomonary Hypertention. And I thought I just had RA.

No need to be panic before problem. Find out any good rheumy who can check you as soon as possible without waiting long time. But don't expect that disease to come to you. When auto-immune problem comes then every kind of problem follows up.

Leo

Not certain if I am reading your question correctly, but other things that can be tied to RA can be stress and insult to the body, asthma, lung problems. RA can affect all part inner and outer of the body and problems with the body inner and outer can lead to RA.

4months is a lengthy time to wait for an appointment and I know some folks wait longer. Once you are a known established patient the wait is generally not that long. with my Rheumatologist the wait is about 6 weeks and when I call a well established patient, they will give me the next available which may be in 2 weeks. I recently told the front desk I need to be seen in 10 days before I have my next Rituxan treatment to be cleared by the doctor. The front desk said they only had the 16th of Frb. I told them I needed to be seen the 1st week in Feb and to have the nurse or doctor call me. The nurse called me, I explained that I needed to be seen before the 11th. My appt. was made for the 6th of February. My point is that once you are established with your doctor, things are different or at least they hsoudl be. Good luck with your appt. and hope you get a diagnosis real soon. Then you will know what you are dealing with.

Autoimmune is caused by inflammation in the body. Too much heat can affect everything. Chinese and Indian medicine figured this out thousands of yrs ago. I wish Western research would put it all together. I believe its all connected. Too many coincidences not to be. The body is a system and this lovely disease is systemic.

I think the body gets overloaded and short circuits causing all kinds of issues. Stress for me is the biggest trigger.

Then again I'm just a patient not a Dr. Every illness with itis is inflammation. I think Ive had every one. The trick seems to be finding a Dr that believes in the connection too. At least validates your symptoms and doesn't dismiss you as hormonal or hypochondriac.

Thank you all for your replies. I'm certainly counting on wait times for appointments to be shorter once I'm an established patient. Sometimes I think I should travel to another city for an appointment...as these "specialty" wait times are crazy.

I'm really not panicking or trying to put the horse before the cart. I do understand how crazy auto-immune can be. I was just trying to determine if any of my random issues sounded familiar as part of RA. I'm still not convinced that's what I have...even though 2 doctors have stated as much. Maybe just wishful thinking for me to want all of these things to fit nice and comfortably into a pretty little box with ONE name. Sometimes I think it would be easier to just tattoo my illnesses on my forearm so when people ask. HAHAHA.

I'm thankful for this forum....it's enabled me to ask questions and research "real life" experiences - something that isn't shown in the medical journals.

My Ra tied with Sjogren's Syndrome, lupus ,vertigo because of inner ear problem , the cold feelings when I had flare with cold fingers and feet which called raynauds, drying eyes , ringing ear drying skin u can say this disease is all of everything

So is dry skin part of the package? I've been finding huge dry spots on my legs- way worse than anything I've ever had.