Is this Rheumatoid Arthritis?

[Guest guest]

Hello Group!

I have just singed up with this group as I am wondering if I have RA.

I have had joint pain for the last 10 years and although I have seen

doctors several times in those years asking why I have joint pain I have

only recently been told that I " may have a bit of ostoarthritis " .

However, all this started off with pain in my finger and toe joints which

cleared up after several months but has reoccured many times since, pain

in my elbows, and wrists. More recently my shoulder, and in the archilles

tendons and I now have to ice my heels as there is immflamation there too.

I experience morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting. Also,

symmetric pain, it starts on one side and then usually the other side is

painful but not exactly the same. However, I have not been able to detect

obvious swelling, although there is slight swelling in my hands. I have

not detected nodules.

I am fed up with this as I had to resign my job as a teacher aide last

year due to the ache I experienced at night after working - being on my

feet all day.

Is there anyone out there with a similar story?

Should I try to see a rheumatologist? Even though this would mean going

back to yet another GP for a referal.

Cheers - Robin

[Guest guest]

Robin,

My story is similar to yours except that it spanned a shorter time

period. My joint pain gradually worsened over the last few years

and I was just blown off until I finally got in with a

rheumatologist and he diagnosed me within one week! That is a

record I think huh? Anyhow, if it were me again, I certainly would

go see a rheumy to find out for certain if you have an autoimmune

disease and if so what type. The sooner you start treatment the

better. Because my treatment was delayed by those couple of years,

I have had great difficulty in obtaining a remission of sorts from

my flare, but I am staying hopeful that it will happen on one of the

biologics (I just started Humira). They are expensive, but they

have some great assistance programs out there. So, yes, would be my

answer, go see that rheumy!

Tracie in Maine

--- In , " frlkingfisher " <mrjsj@o...>

wrote:

> Hello Group!

>

> I have just singed up with this group as I am wondering if I have

RA.

> I have had joint pain for the last 10 years and although I have

seen

> doctors several times in those years asking why I have joint pain

I have

> only recently been told that I " may have a bit of ostoarthritis " .

> However, all this started off with pain in my finger and toe

joints which

> cleared up after several months but has reoccured many times

since, pain

> in my elbows, and wrists. More recently my shoulder, and in the

archilles

> tendons and I now have to ice my heels as there is immflamation

there too.

> I experience morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting. Also,

> symmetric pain, it starts on one side and then usually the other

side is

> painful but not exactly the same. However, I have not been able

to detect

> obvious swelling, although there is slight swelling in my hands.

I have

> not detected nodules.

>

> I am fed up with this as I had to resign my job as a teacher aide

last

> year due to the ache I experienced at night after working - being

on my

> feet all day.

>

> Is there anyone out there with a similar story?

>

> Should I try to see a rheumatologist? Even though this would mean

going

> back to yet another GP for a referal.

>

> Cheers - Robin

[Guest guest]

Robin,

My story is similar to yours except that it spanned a shorter time

period. My joint pain gradually worsened over the last few years

and I was just blown off until I finally got in with a

rheumatologist and he diagnosed me within one week! That is a

record I think huh? Anyhow, if it were me again, I certainly would

go see a rheumy to find out for certain if you have an autoimmune

disease and if so what type. The sooner you start treatment the

better. Because my treatment was delayed by those couple of years,

I have had great difficulty in obtaining a remission of sorts from

my flare, but I am staying hopeful that it will happen on one of the

biologics (I just started Humira). They are expensive, but they

have some great assistance programs out there. So, yes, would be my

answer, go see that rheumy!

Tracie in Maine

> Hello Group!

>

> I have just singed up with this group as I am wondering if I have

RA.

> I have had joint pain for the last 10 years and although I have

seen

> doctors several times in those years asking why I have joint pain

I have

> only recently been told that I " may have a bit of ostoarthritis " .

> However, all this started off with pain in my finger and toe

joints which

> cleared up after several months but has reoccured many times

since, pain

> in my elbows, and wrists. More recently my shoulder, and in the

archilles

> tendons and I now have to ice my heels as there is immflamation

there too.

> I experience morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting. Also,

> symmetric pain, it starts on one side and then usually the other

side is

> painful but not exactly the same. However, I have not been able

to detect

> obvious swelling, although there is slight swelling in my hands.

I have

> not detected nodules.

>

> I am fed up with this as I had to resign my job as a teacher aide

last

> year due to the ache I experienced at night after working - being

on my

> feet all day.

>

> Is there anyone out there with a similar story?

>

> Should I try to see a rheumatologist? Even though this would mean

going

> back to yet another GP for a referal.

>

> Cheers - Robin

[Guest guest]

Hi Robin. Can your current GP refer you to a rheumatologist? Have you

had any blood tests done?

Have you had any x-rays done? I don't see a lot of inflammation, but

my x-rays show severe bone erosion, so you can't just go by looking at

your joints. RA is diagnosed by blood test, x-rays, physical

examination and symptoms.

a

On Jun 12, 2005, at 5:15 AM, frlkingfisher wrote:

> Hello Group!

>

> I have just singed up with this group as I am wondering if I have RA.

> I have had joint pain for the last 10 years and although I have seen

> doctors several times in those years asking why I have joint pain I

> have

> only recently been told that I " may have a bit of ostoarthritis " .

> However, all this started off with pain in my finger and toe joints

> which

> cleared up after several months but has reoccured many times since,

> pain

> in my elbows, and wrists. More recently my shoulder, and in the

> archilles

> tendons and I now have to ice my heels as there is immflamation there

> too.

> I experience morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting.  Also,

> symmetric pain, it starts on one side and then usually the other side

> is

> painful but not exactly the same.  However, I have not been able to

> detect

> obvious swelling, although there is slight swelling in my hands.  I

> have

> not detected nodules.

>

> I am fed up with this as I had to resign my job as a teacher aide last

> year due to the ache I experienced at night after working - being on

> my

> feet all day.

>

> Is there anyone out there with a similar story?

>

> Should I try to see a rheumatologist?  Even though this would mean

> going

> back to yet another GP for a referal.

>

> Cheers - Robin

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Robin. Can your current GP refer you to a rheumatologist? Have you

had any blood tests done?

Have you had any x-rays done? I don't see a lot of inflammation, but

my x-rays show severe bone erosion, so you can't just go by looking at

your joints. RA is diagnosed by blood test, x-rays, physical

examination and symptoms.

a

On Jun 12, 2005, at 5:15 AM, frlkingfisher wrote:

> Hello Group!

>

> I have just singed up with this group as I am wondering if I have RA.

> I have had joint pain for the last 10 years and although I have seen

> doctors several times in those years asking why I have joint pain I

> have

> only recently been told that I " may have a bit of ostoarthritis " .

> However, all this started off with pain in my finger and toe joints

> which

> cleared up after several months but has reoccured many times since,

> pain

> in my elbows, and wrists. More recently my shoulder, and in the

> archilles

> tendons and I now have to ice my heels as there is immflamation there

> too.

> I experience morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting.  Also,

> symmetric pain, it starts on one side and then usually the other side

> is

> painful but not exactly the same.  However, I have not been able to

> detect

> obvious swelling, although there is slight swelling in my hands.  I

> have

> not detected nodules.

>

> I am fed up with this as I had to resign my job as a teacher aide last

> year due to the ache I experienced at night after working - being on

> my

> feet all day.

>

> Is there anyone out there with a similar story?

>

> Should I try to see a rheumatologist?  Even though this would mean

> going

> back to yet another GP for a referal.

>

> Cheers - Robin

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Robin,

It sounds a lot like RA to me. Get in to see a rheumy as soon as possible. The

longer RA goes untreated, the more likely damage is going to occur.

There is a lot of useful info on these web-pages that might help you when

learning about RA - our wonderful moderators have collected all of this

wonderful info for us!

http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/Rheumatoid Arthritis.html

http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/edu/acr/acr.html#class_rheum

Good luck!

McK in VA - via NM

-- In , " frlkingfisher " <mrjsj@o...> wrote:

> Hello Group!

>

> I have just singed up with this group as I am wondering if I have RA.

> I have had joint pain for the last 10 years and although I have seen

> doctors several times in those years asking why I have joint pain I have

> only recently been told that I " may have a bit of ostoarthritis " .

> However, all this started off with pain in my finger and toe joints which

> cleared up after several months but has reoccured many times since, pain

> in my elbows, and wrists. More recently my shoulder, and in the archilles

> tendons and I now have to ice my heels as there is immflamation there too.

> I experience morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting. Also,

> symmetric pain, it starts on one side and then usually the other side is

> painful but not exactly the same. However, I have not been able to detect

> obvious swelling, although there is slight swelling in my hands. I have

> not detected nodules.

>

> I am fed up with this as I had to resign my job as a teacher aide last

> year due to the ache I experienced at night after working - being on my

> feet all day.

>

> Is there anyone out there with a similar story?

>

> Should I try to see a rheumatologist? Even though this would mean going

> back to yet another GP for a referal.

>

> Cheers - Robin

[Guest guest]

Robin,

It sounds a lot like RA to me. Get in to see a rheumy as soon as possible. The

longer RA goes untreated, the more likely damage is going to occur.

There is a lot of useful info on these web-pages that might help you when

learning about RA - our wonderful moderators have collected all of this

wonderful info for us!

http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/Rheumatoid Arthritis.html

http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/edu/acr/acr.html#class_rheum

Good luck!

McK in VA - via NM

-- In , " frlkingfisher " <mrjsj@o...> wrote:

> Hello Group!

>

> I have just singed up with this group as I am wondering if I have RA.

> I have had joint pain for the last 10 years and although I have seen

> doctors several times in those years asking why I have joint pain I have

> only recently been told that I " may have a bit of ostoarthritis " .

> However, all this started off with pain in my finger and toe joints which

> cleared up after several months but has reoccured many times since, pain

> in my elbows, and wrists. More recently my shoulder, and in the archilles

> tendons and I now have to ice my heels as there is immflamation there too.

> I experience morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting. Also,

> symmetric pain, it starts on one side and then usually the other side is

> painful but not exactly the same. However, I have not been able to detect

> obvious swelling, although there is slight swelling in my hands. I have

> not detected nodules.

>

> I am fed up with this as I had to resign my job as a teacher aide last

> year due to the ache I experienced at night after working - being on my

> feet all day.

>

> Is there anyone out there with a similar story?

>

> Should I try to see a rheumatologist? Even though this would mean going

> back to yet another GP for a referal.

>

> Cheers - Robin