Re: children and PsA

[Guest guest]

Hi Tammie

I'm sure any children's hospital would like to hear a doctor say a child is too

young to have arthritis.

By all means I think you should have your daughter see someone. Her problem

could be any number of things -- lets hope its not serious. You may even have

to take her to a clinic just to get a referral.

Best of luck.

SD

[Guest guest]

Tammie, I'm not a parent, but I would take her see a rheumy. I had the same

pains all my life and remember beimg told its " growing pains. " Here I am, 44

years old, diagnosed with PA. My P didn't show up until 3 years ago.

Karol

[Guest guest]

I would have her tested for the gene marker for PA first. then find a rheumy

that has a strong background in treating people with PA. Good luck

  S. Carrington

[Guest guest]

Tammie, only a rheumatologist will be able to tell you whether your daughter has

PA. We did have a discussion here some time ago about how many of us

experienced growing pains in our legs as children much worse than what other

children experienced. Not everyone had this, but many of us did.

Does your daughter have any problems with finger- or toenails? Having nail P

increases one's risk of developing PA. Does she have inordinate fatigue? Any

eye pain, sensitivity to light, or conjunctivitis (pink eye)? Does she ever

complain that it hurts when she breathes, or have soreness around her ribs? Any

jaw pain? Urinary tract " infections " where it turns out they can't find any

bacteria in the culture? These are some little-known symptoms that may point to

PA, but not necessarily.

Is the Tylenol effectively controlling her pain? If not, and she has psoriasis

with pain, I would be inclined as a mother to push for a referral anyway. It

might not be PA, or it might too early to diagnose it, but at least you will

have tried another avenue to help ease her suffering.

Sherry

[Guest guest]

Hi Tammie - You really need to see a ped Rheumy. They are the only ones

specially trained to treat Juvenile arthritis. Maybe you can just ask your

pediatrician to refer you to a ped rheumy. The ped rheumy will check every

joint for inflammation and go from there.

& Grant (12, PsA/Uveitis)

[Guest guest]

Any major teaching hospital in the area should have a pediatric rheumatologist

on staff. At age 11, that's the sort of specialist you want to see your

daughter. Some good pediatrics centers, depending on what area of the country

you live in, include Boston Childrens', Milwaukee Childrens, and Childrens

Memorial in Chicago. (Sorry West Coasters, I don't know what the better peds

center in the California area and so on are. I've heard of Primary Childrens in

Salt Lake but don't know how good it really is.)

" dreimutter1957 " <dreimutter1957@...>

" tamilulu2 " <tamilulu@...> wrote:

Should I go over the head of the pediatrician and try to get a rheumy to see her

(mine won't-she's too young)? Any advice? "

[Guest guest]

Thank you all so so much. I went ahead and called a pediatric rheumy at a CHKD

hospital. They can't get her in until May, but I feel better. I am having her

start a pain journal. The Tylenol helps. I will check her nails more closely-I

don't know why I didn't think to do that (DUH Tammie) That's why I need y'all.

She is just coming home more and more from school saying that PE is hurting her

and she barely rides her bike anymore-and she just got a really nice one for

Christmas. She was always running and biking but her knees hurt.I walk everyday

and she can't keep up with her old fat mom (HAHA). She tires out before me. THe

more I write and remember the more I wish I had done something sooner.

SIGH....Hoping it was nothing but growing pains I guess.

Thanks again everyone!

Tammie

" tamilulu2 " <tamilulu@...>

[Guest guest]

Did you forget about the south? Texas Children's Hospital in Houston and there

is a hospital in Little Rock with a good pediatric rheumatologist - don't know

the hospital or doctor's name, but I know my niece has been treated there since

she was 15 for Lupus.

" S. Zorzi " <szorzi_1999@...>

<< Any major teaching hospital in the area should have a pediatric

rheumatologist on staff. >>

[Guest guest]

" tamilulu2 " <tamilulu@...> wrote:

<<They can't get her in until May, but I feel better.>>

Tammie, if you speak with your daughter's primary care pediatrician, he may be

able to call the pediatric rheumatologists office and you may be able to get her

in sooner that way. Most specialists reserve a few appointment slots specially

for community physicians who call and speak with them personally to tell them

how sick their patients are and how urgent it is they be seen sooner.....it's

what we call " doubling " or " overbooking " them in. If she's in that much pain

that it's affecting her activities she normally enjoys such as biking, I would

see if the pediatrician would be willing to call to get her in with the rheumy

sooner rather than later. The docs and the other nurses in our practice do this

all the time, and when it's necessary in a case like this, we don't mind doing

it. (This method works best if your pediatrician is affiliated with the

hospital where the specialist is you want to see though.)

Take care.

Drei.