your husband's arthritis

[Guest guest]

Hello K,

So sorry to hear about your husband's arthritis problems. Alot of us here

in the group have had difficulties getting a definite, correct diagnosis. I

am unfortunately one of those people. My docs go back and forth between the

different diseases but I'm pretty sure I have sero-negative RA. Your

husband, from what you said, has a high Rheumatoid factor and typical

symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. I'm surprised they haven't diagnosed him,

at least with RA. I have the sore stiff muscles like he does as well. You

feel like you have run a couple miles and you ache and feel hot all over but

you actually haven't done anything but walk around the house a little. Many

medical web sites list muscle stiffness and muscle pain as RA symptoms but

it can be due to Fibromyalgia as well. A good internist ect.. should be

able to do the simple Fibromyalgia Pressure Point test to diagnose him

though. I have sharp pains in my joints sometimes (hands, wrists,

shoulders, feet)and my hands swell up to make my fingers look like sausages

too. I think it is pretty common with RA even though some Rheumys still go

by the old days when just the knuckles would swell. Psoriatic Arthritis can

cause your fingers to look like sausages too but I have never had Psoriasis.

Is that a possibility for your husband? I can tell you my whole hands look

like balloons Usually with the Connective Tissue diseases, the lab work will

show up with ANA etc in a speckled pattern. Again this can vary. One thing

I do know is that the antibiotic therapy worked for me. If I had very

serious, severe disease like your husband, I would RUN to a well experienced

Ap doctor and start with the I.V.'s which can greatly boost your chance of

beating this disease. I wish you both the best.

Roseanne*