New Boy with sore bits

Hi everyone, just discovered your forum & hope you wont mind me popping in.

I'm a 40 year old guy who is worried that the Arthritis is finally catching up with me, both mother & grandparents have it so I guess its only a matter of time!!

Had sore feet for several weeks now, particulary when I first get up in the morning, (it feels like I'm walking on marbles) Had put it down to a lot of running around at work & bad shoes but not so sure now.

A couple of weeks back had a really severe night, teeth chattering with cold one minute, then pooring with sweat the next, really thought I was on the way out! never felt so ill (not even when I had pneumonia several years ago), anyway it passed in a relatively short time & although I felt a bit under the weather I though it was gone, then last week (about a week after this bad night) I woke up one morning with badly swollen hands & feet, again this cleared up in around 24 hours but I'm left with lots of aches.

Main symptoms are base of feet, ankles, hands, wrists, knees; also elbows ache a little & back of neck/head on both sides (just where you can feel a lump each side)

Hoping that this is just something that will pass but after a week or so of struggling to get going each morning & then being achy all day I think a visit to the doctor may be coming Problem is after previous family experience with the medical proffession (no offense meant to any Docs here) I really have a huge lack of trust or belief in Doctors.

Does this sound like Arthritis? apart from the feet seems like a very quick onset?? I dont really have any other medical problems apart from a little asthma & excema.

Many thanks for any comments.

Kind Regards, Tony

Dear Tony,
I am not a doctor, but I sure can relate to what you are going through.
I had an arthroscopic procedure done. I got much worse after the scope.
The rheumatologist concluded I had psoriatric arthritis. I have been told this is similar to RA. The rheumatologist put me on Humira, which is a biologic. I had my first 40 mg injection at the hospital. I could not believe how much better I felt within 24 hours. I was able to go to a movie theatre and watch the whole movie. I was able to walk out of theatre without a cane or assistance. Normally if I had sat that long, I would totally stiffen up. I stayed well for several days. It was not until the following week that I started to feel arthritic again. The people, nurses, from the Humira site told me that patients that do well so quickly are usually excellent candidtes for Humira. Two days ago I had my second shot. I think I left the drug out of the fridge too long. I did not get the same relief the second time. It could also be that I was diagnosed with a staph infection in my lungs and chest by my family doc on Friday. So maybe this added stress was more they I could bare. Who knows? I will be sure to not leave humira out in the heat again.

I was wondering if you are 100 per cent sure you had excema and not psoriasis. It is very easy for docs to confuse the two conditions. If it was psoriasis you should definitely be checked for psoriatric arthritis. If not, it still sounds like you should see a good rheumatologist.
I hope you get a diagnosis soon and an action plan for treatment.

I hope this info has been of some help to you. keep us posted. May God grant you some anwers and relief soon.
Judy/effie

Post Edited (effie) : 8/23/2005 9:47:21 AM (GMT-6)

Dear Tony,

welcome to HW.  I understand what you mean with having little faith with doctors.  From all of the docs I have seen I still can't figure out why no one has been able to bring me to a functioning level.  Over a dozen specialists and my condition deteriorates still.

I've a background in nursing and currently "trying" to specialize in rheumatics and infectious disease.

From what you listed RA, OA, or Gout is suspected from what you describe.  Since you're a man and you noticed it in your feet and ankles and hands....I would suspect Gout.  Are you noticing if your condition (joints) feel extra worse after shellfish? That would trigger more pain if it's Gouty arthritis.

Is the joint pain bilateral? (equal on both sides of your body?)

The whole process of starting with rheumatologists and specialists is such a pain in the a**!  I feel half the time they have no idea what they are doing....especially if you are not a TEXT BOOK case of arthritis.  Since I am pretty young (24) and my joint pain started in my knees when I was 13; been positive RA @ 15 (docs told me to ignore it) . Now I'm so bad that biologics and DMARDS aren't even doing the trick, and since i rarely have "swollen" , joints i get all of the time "well maybe it's something else other than RA". 

If what you are feeling is disrupting your life and you are in pain I would find the best NO NONESENSE internists or rheummy in your area and don't leave that office until you get appropriate and aggressive actions from the doc.  I would hate to see a case of arthritis be neglected at a point where it might still be treatable and where you can resume a normal "you" again.  If you know in your gut there's a problem definitely see someone with a good reputation and who is a good diagnostician.

Bless you & I wish you the best

sincerely,

erin