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...

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What were your first symptoms?

CDS1003
CDS1003

My PCP suspects I have RA. My first rheumatology appointment/consult is in 2 weeks. My symptoms correlate with what I've read but I'm also afraid that I'll be told I'm ok. The reason is because I'm in the medicL field and I know Rheumatologist can sometimes be hesitant to diagnose. 


I have a history of thyroid cancer and about 5 years ago I started having purplish fingertips and all over body aches. At that time I had a +RNP antibody (associated with mixed connective tissue disease) but no other symptoms. Fast forward....in April and May I was working out with a trainer 3x per week. Come June I'm limping, can barely walk, quit my trainer because I was so tired and hurting. My eye Dr also started me on Restasis around this time, she said my eyes are really dry. In July my fingertips were purple, I was fatigue and achy(feet, ankles, knees, everywhere). So I had my Dr check my thyroid levels. They were normal. I was told I was fine. In August, started having significant pain, limited range of motion, stiffness, swelling at times in my: knuckles, base of thumb, wrist including the underside and shoulder pain, worsening knee pain.  My PCP the ordered labs and my ANA is 1:640 and RF 47. He started me on Plaquenil. Voltaren and Lodine don't help much. This has been going on now for 2 months. For example, I'll wake up and my wrist is painful(severe with movement)/stiff/weak, sometimes Miley swollen but not always...it'll last maybe 3 days then fade. Then within a day or two I wake up and it's somewhere else in my body. Again, lasting about 3 days. 


Does this sound familiar?  RA symptoms from your experience?  I'm 42 and I feel like I'm 90. I'm also now very depressed because I "feel" like something is wrong.

Angelpuss
Angelpuss
Welcome to this group. The dry eyes could well be indicative of Sjourns Syndrome which is an autoimmune disease often associated with RA but your symptoms certainly sound like RA. It might help you to diarise each day, which joints are hurting and how long the pain lasts and give your pain a score from 1-10 before your rheumy appointment. You are your own best advocate because you know how your body feels. Sometimes, a mild anti-depressant can help with feeling depressed and it is quite common to feel depressed with RA. Let us know how your appointment goes. Good luck.
rackerby
rackerby
First symptoms was a pain in the arch of one foot that I thought was plantar fasciitis. The next day it had spread to my ankle and then the other foot. I made an appointment with my PCP and he had some blood work and x-rays done. By the time it came in the following day with the Rf factor sky-high, the pain was terrible and my wrists had become involved. At first he suspected that it was Polymyalgia Rheumatica, a treatable disease, but said "…it might be RA". He put me on 30mg of prednisone and consulted with a Rheumatologist who recommended another test for anti-CCP antibodies. That also came in very high. I was referred to the Rheumy and the minute he saw my swollen wrists and ankles, he said "No doubt. This is RA." He said I had probably had it for years (odd, temporary pains that I always dismissed as mysterious sprains). What I was experiencing was my first major flare. It took 6 months of MTX and prednisone until he began trying biologics, which eventually took effect. Never had dry eyes but pain and the pain and swelling of joints would move from one spot to another until the flare subsided. It was pretty bad for a long time. I still have minor pain from time to time and the drugs really don't do much for the fatigue even now, two years later.
oceans11
oceans11
I had terrible shoulder pain in only 1 shoulder (right), went to Urgent Care & doc wrote it up as bursitis, put me in a sling, gave me some anti inflammatories. Actually went away for about 4 months. Then it came back stronger, couldn't even sleep without ice on it, then it spread to both shoulders. I put up with it for about 1 week, then I had pain at the arch of my feet, thought it was my new shoes. After that it started to spread to fingers, wrists & of course at that time I knew something was up. Went to my PCP & he said, "You don't really fit the mold of a typical RA patient". I told him, "I want to the RA tests just to rule it out". So it was ordered & now I'm here! LOL!
Millcomp
Millcomp
I basically was diagnosed 6 weeks ago without any serious symptoms. Mine started with some transient pains that wouls last minutes and moved around. After a few weeks it was in both knees and hands and lasted a couple of days. Better for a week and now in hands. Its been there for a few days. Mainly stiff in the morning but occasional pain just to remind me. Even though most stiffness is gone inthe morningthey just do not feel the same.
CDS1003
CDS1003
I've had "aches and pains" for the last 5 years. I would tell my PCP at times but my pains were so vague.

Ocean11....your shoulder pain describes an episode perfectly. About 6 weeks ago, I mowed the lawn. No big deal, I've mowed before. 2 days later I honestly couldn't move my shoulders. ZERO range of motion. I was in tears for 3 days....ice, sling...nothing worked. Couldn't was my hair or change my clothes. Then my wrists. that's when I went to my PCP. Gave me Ultram and prednisone. Ultram didn't even touch the pain. It was horrible.
CDS1003
CDS1003
My feet (arches, toes) hurt. Hurts to flex my foot. My ankle aches. My hips hurt sometimes. I feel like I'm falling apart and it stinks!!!
poolgirl
poolgirl
My RA came on very suddenly. I was walking my husky 8 miles a day feeling great then one day had a twinge in my left ankle. 3 days later I couldn't walk at all. I thought I somehow twisted or injured it. The ankle was swollen.

I saw ortho doc who put me in a boot for 6 weeks. That didn't help at all. By the time the boot came off both ankles were involved and I suspected RA. By the time I could get in to see a rheumatologist I had disease in all joints plus morning stiffness for an hour so diagnosis rather easy at that point.

I know what you mean when you say you feel 90. I'm only 59 and have many neighbors in their 70s and 80s who are so much healthier than me now. They're the ones helping me out when it used to be me helping them. I've always been so independent. I've really had to change my attitude about accepting help.
WarriorGal
WarriorGal
May be RA, may also be primary Sjogrens Syndrome because of your dry eye. Or, you could have both. If you live on either coast there are Sjogrens centers. It's hard to diagnose.
dd25
dd25
My symptoms were all over muscle/bone/joint pain, extreme fatigue and brain fog. It came on slowly...thought it was because I was getting older...I was 49...