Hi all! I am going to try to make my history brief so not to bore you. I am the questions I'm asking are does this sound like RA? And what are the best treatments to start out with for RA or OA that has the least side effects.
I am female age 29. I was dx with Crohn's Disease at age 15 and was put on 60mgs of pred. for 9 months and then tapered off. The results were terrible to my joints. The last time I went to a Rheumey was when I was 16 years old. I was 5'8 and weighed 88lbs. She said I def. had OA but that any medications would cause futher complications to my Crohns. So I have never went back. The knee pain has gotten worse over the years along with hips and other main joints. I had a knee surgery 4 years ago where I was told the deteration was a -3 and at a -4 I would need a total replacement.
I have also had joint pain in my knuckes the back ones and the middle ones. Not in the first ones although I think it may be starting in my pointer or it is just the pain radiating down. This started years ago around age 18 to 19. Use to tho I could run warm water on my hands of the mornings and after about an hour or so it would be gone. Now it is about 3 hours or more for it to go away and the whole time I'm on my period it stays that way.
I started having severe neck pain and went to the dr for that thinking I pulled a muscle or something. PCP sent me to orthopedic who done and mri that showed a bulging disc and herinated dics. He also said he felt I needed to see an Rheumy but the cloest appointment was 8 months away. I said forget it that puts me in a new year of paying medical bills. He sent me to a neurologist. He had a mri run then said he was repeating a mri to check on the growth of a cyct after 2 months. I also did pt for 3 weeks.
I returned monday for the two month check up after a repeat mri and he said that the cyst was fine but he had wanted to check on something else also and that is part of the reason that he had ran the mri and that it confirmed what he felt he seen on the first one and that he believes that I also have RA (I had not told him anything about any other joint other than my neck hurting). He got me into the rheumy in 3.5 months (do they have more pull than an ortho lol?) Anyways, does it sound like ra to yall? For the women who have confirmed RA does it get worse durning your montly? Also, what could he have seen on the mri to make him think that?
I'm not sure if I will test positive. I know from experiece that blood works like sed rates can be way off. I kept testing normal on the sed rates etc while trying to find out what was wrong w/ my stomache. They thought it was in my head until FINALLY they ran and barum follow through and 2 ft of my intestines was almost completey shut off (eventually I had to have the total 2 ft removed).
I apologize for the length but felt the information was important for yall to help me answer my questions. Thanks for reading all the way through!
Post Edited (catgiggles) : 8/26/2008 10:29:07 PM (GMT-6)