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dr. called -really confused!

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 10/22/2008 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
I'm hoping for some help on this one.

I went to a Rheumatologist for the first time about a month ago.

She did tons of bld wk which all came back normal and no inflammation.

I went back to have x-rays of my hands, wrists, feet and ankles.

Nurse just called me back w/the results today - saying they are normal....adding that the Dr. said to call back and make an appt. if the symptoms come back.

I told her they have never went away!!

I'm going back to see her in a wk.

 

I'm really nervous about all of this.

To be completely honest, I've never been a sickly person, only consistant problems are sinus/allergies. As for mental issues I do tend to worry a lot!

I started having panic attacks 2 yrs ago and occasionally suffer from GAD. I have really been doing well:)

 

Just a little recap - I'm 34, female, 2 small kids, been having joint pain for 2 mos.  - Mostly hands, elbows and ankles.

However, the first bout of pain was in every joint!

No family history of any type arthristis, lupus, fibro...NOTHING!

 

I hate to keep worrying about all of this - If this sounds familar to anyone, or if anyone has any insight to what this could be, please reply!

 

Posted 10/22/2008 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
First let me say welcome to the forum and I am sorry you are going through this. I know waiting is difficult and having tests all come back normal is really frustrating but, it is normal for the tests not to show anything for months even if you are eventually going to be serum positive for RA. Also, unfortunately lots of conditions can cause joint pain and it may take a while to figure it out. I hope things go well for you.
Sj
Posted 10/22/2008 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
That sounds very familiar. My RA test turned up negative too, but treating my arthritis like it was RA has certainly gotten rid of the pain!

As for the doctor seeming to blow you off, don't be shy about finding another one. I had started off my hike to discover what was wrong with me by going to a orthopaedic doctor, but he was a quack so I picked up my x-rays and went to another place. They weren't much help either (although they did drain the fluid out of my swollen knee), and since my feet and ankles were the worst, I went to a really good foot doctor I had seen decades before when I was a kid. He had retired though, but his replacement was very concerned about me and was very determined to figure out what was wrong. He was the one who referred me to a rheumatologist and set me on the path to treatment. You will know once you find a doctor that gives a crap.
Posted 10/23/2008 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
I have had x rays taken of my hands recently to check for signs of "rheumatoid" and according to my doctor that only shows signs of joint damange not inflammation.  At least that is what he told me when I commented I couldn't believe how much my hands hurt with normal x rays.  All of my RF factors tests have been normal yet my rheumy kept scheduling me to return based on my symptoms..maybe go back to the one you have or get a second opinion. One way to tell if you have inflammation is if your doctor prescribes prednisone and it works (pain goes away).  This is one of the ways my doctor knew what was going on with me initially.
Posted 10/23/2008 1:00 PM (GMT 0)

Thank you all for your comments -

I'm really afraid to start taking meds for RA if that's not what I have.  Reason being - Rheumy doc told me at my first visit that she didn't want to start me on any meds until after the bld wk came back because RA drugs are very hard on the body, with some serious side effects. ( I have seen commericals where they say may cause: certain types of cancers, TB, ect..)

Thanks to all again!

Jennifer

Posted 10/23/2008 1:36 PM (GMT 0)

Thats very true..I started out with pain in both of my knees when walking for several weeks and after all the tests came back negative, went to a rheumy, and when all of the NSAIDS didn't work and many months later of continued joint pain I then eased into the DMARDS.  Initially we thought my joint pain was viral in nature (parvo) but here I am some four years later still at the rheumy and am now considered an RA patient.  The meds you see on television are the biologics such as Enbrel and these are saved as the last resorts when the others don't work or you just need something more.  I have now graduated for lack of a better word to Enbrel after almost 4 years of other medications for RA.

Trust me when I say I still wonder if I really have this and I wake up every day hoping that my joint pain will be gone.  I can still remember when I didn't have this craziness rolleyes and I have asked my doctor if it will ever just go away and of course he tells me probably not, and he can't tell me how I got the joint pain in the first place.  That is what is so bothersome, is the how and the why, so I do understand what you are going through!

Posted 10/24/2008 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
Ha! - I remember how upset I was that I had to start taking medication. I was very reluctant and was scared of side effects. Well after years of trying different meds with varied results, and I went through all fo them and eventually tapped out the soft stuff (never thought I would call Prednisone "soft") and was still having some flareups and pain, I had no trouble jabbing a needle full of Enbrel into my gut. I'm off to do it again now actually!
Posted 10/24/2008 2:26 AM (GMT 0)

I feel exactly the same way. Started just with swollen knees, pain and joint stiffness only in my knees. I also think of prednisone now as a soft drug but it really works especially short term. Just 7.5 or 10 mg per day won't cause too many side effects and can really help your pain and swelling. It's only if you're on it long term that it causes loss of vitamin D and other nasty things. My blood was also negative for everything. Still is! But I also definately have RA, RF negative, B27 negative, ANA positive.(What ever that all means I don't know!) They call it sero negative RA. There seems to be so many different forms of arthritis and you just have to concentrate on your symptoms, both sides of your body tends to be a good indicator of RA. Good Luck, find a sympathetic rheumy that you can really talk to, it makes a wonderful difference having a specialist that cares.

Jacqui

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