Hi I was wondering if anyone's RA presented similar to this. I have an appt. tomorrow with my GP.
I started out with numbness and tingling in left arm. Trouble gripping things and typing my hand would ache. I am right handed by the way. I went to my dr. who said it was carpal tunnel. He gave me a wrist brace to keep my hand elevated. The wrist brace made it worse but the compression on my forearm helped so I got a brace that would only do that. The pain started in my right arm next. My hands would swell when I had it in the brace. My fingers hurt when gripping the stirring wheel and I have to stretch them out.
Then I started having pain in both of my knees. My knees will ache when the weather is bad. Then my right knee began grinding and I have pain when going up and down steps but only in right knee.
Last year I started having pain in my foot. Only when I'd get up in the mornings or after long periods of rest. It started in my heel. It felt like I was walking on rocks and it was very painful. I got an insert for my shoe for high arches and wore that for a few months and pain finally subsided. It has recently started again in my right foot but now in the ball of my foot. The pain isnt as bad as before but is only present when I get up.
I havent noticed any swelling or warmth in my joints.
I'm 38 years old. I do have ra in my family history. My great grandmother passed away from RA.
When I have swelling in my hands, my right pinky joint hurts the joint closest to my wrist.
Also both sides of my body generally don't hurt at the same time. I may have pain in my right knee then wake up the next day and it's in my left, but rarely at the same time.
Does this sound like RA? Did anyone else have something similar?
I'm just confused as it doesnt sound like ra to me. But if it isnt that, could it be osteoarthritis?
Thank you for reading!
I also wanted to add, a year ago I went to my gp because I was having joint pain extreme fatigue and when I came inside from being out in the sun, I was extremely tired and my skin would itch.
She tested my rheumatoid factor which was 12 and my white blood cell count was elevated. I dont think she did an ANA. She said it was normal for people to he fatigued when out in the sun. My iron levels were extremely low. She said that could be the cause of my joint pain. I also have hypothyroidism. My thyroid is now under control. My iron is somewhat. We have trouble getting it raised as I have endometriosis. The itching and fatigue got better when out in sun as I was outside more as summer progressed.
Post Edited (j2b301) : 11/18/2018 2:28:35 PM (GMT-7)