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24 and Arthritis?

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 10/2/2007 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
It has been long suspected that I've had arthritis since I was a child, however my mother never did take me to the rhuemtologist as my other doctors suggested. Now, after a back injury, I've been told I have arthritis, which is something my parents and I have suspected for a long time. I'm just wondering if it will progress slowly or will I have 50 to look forward to feeling like I'm 80? Right now I'm taking a Medrol Dose pack, muscle relaxers, and naproxen. The doc wanted to give me a cortisone shot, but having had one before in a joint, it was so painful I could not bear to have another one. Hence the Medrol Pack.

Anyway, I'm just new to this whole thing, and hoping it means I won't be incapacitated by the time I'm in my 50s or 60s. :(
Posted 10/2/2007 8:06 PM (GMT 0)
I was on Steroids from age 18 to 20.At age 25 I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis.Now I have Osteoporosis at 67 but was dx 2 yrs ago.I'm 67 now.All I take is tylenol as I do have a very high tolerance for pain,so I need very little.I have taken pain meds in the past but all they ever did was make me sick at my stomach........
Posted 10/3/2007 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
welcome operachic, do you know what type of arthri*** you have? and more importantly do you sing opera? sry i just watched house so my humor may be influenced? but seriously there are many different types of arthritis each a little different. g;ad you found us as we are all ages young old and inbetween. i am a tweeny lol
hope to hear back from you take care yally
Posted 10/3/2007 10:26 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, it can happen.  I have suffered from RA for well over 10 years and actually only diagnosed 1 year ago.  I am 32 now.  Actually, I had a lot of issues as a child but was told it was growing pains.  The infectious disease doc said it was likely Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis that was never diagnosed because I had the high fevers and rashes to go along with it.  Once you are medicated properly you don't have to feel 50 at 20.  Prednisone works amazingly to bring down the inflammation.  In RA the joints usually affected are bilateral and being hands, feet, knees, jaw, and elbows.  The spine is not or rarely affected by RA.  

Keep in touch and let us know how the visit goes.

Theresa

Posted 10/3/2007 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
Operachic!  Welcome to HealingWell :-) .

But sorry under the circumstances.  Like above mentions...what's your doc thinking?  An autoimmune arthritis like RA?  or from the injury osteoarthritis?

I don't blame you about the shots...can ya' say OUCH!  I have my knees done (drained then shot up w/ steroids) and I darn near pass out each time.

 

Hey you'r about my age (I'm 26) with RA...like yourself I didn't get proper treatment until I was in my 20's.  I had the start of RA when I was in the 8th grade...then at age 16 started showing + in bloodwork...but no one told me to pursue it! Yet, I did feel fine...was able to go to school, work, do everything.  Not till age 21 did it "HIT HARD" it was slowly then suddenly.

 

I think the key thing for you to do is to really keep on top of this.

 

Be in touch soon...we're all here to lend an ear.

 

Take care

erin

Posted 10/10/2007 4:28 PM (GMT 0)

I was a bit older (32) when I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis.  I went the non-medication route and got tested for food allergies.  After eliminating wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and red meat from my diet the arthritis went into remission. It did take a little while. (And the digestive troubles I'd been having cleared up too.)  I ate that way for a year, until I had no joint pain at all and all my tests were normal (SED rate, etc.)  I now eat strictly gluten free and avoid dairy and soy, but I'm pain-free and back to teaching PE and coaching basketball and doing an occasional triathlon. 

It might not be scientifically proven, but it worked for me.  The rheumatologists wanted me to take Methotrexate and Plaquinil and I just couldn't do it after looking at all the side-effects, which is why I went to the naturopath and went the diet route.

If you do have an autoimmune type of arthritis, the food allergy/intolerance connection may be very relevant.

Posted 10/22/2007 3:05 AM (GMT 0)
After having symptoms for decades I was finally diagnosed only relatively recently.

I am 36 now and have had concerns about my joints since age 13 or so. I remember having to convince my mother to take me to the doctor at that time - and she and the doctor actually both laughed at me when I told them my symptoms. I have candidly shot video of myself at the beach with some friends around age 18 where I can be seen grimacing in pain while I was trying to move my shoulders. I ended up at the podiatrist at age 23 or so with swollen feet and no injury to explain it (the bottoms were swollen and I couldn't walk - my feet looked like I had half a tennis ball stuck to the bottom of each one!). I ended up at an orthopaedic clinic around age 26 with a swelled knee and no injury to explain it (the clinic was unfortunatley not a very good one). Knee swelled again, badly, around age 33. Almost immediately I was at the podiatrist with unbearable pain in my feet and ankles - and finally the podiatrist had the inkling I might actually have arthritis. Several agonizing months later I was finally at a rheumatologist with pain in my toes, feet, ankles, knees, hips, lower back, upper back, shoulders and elbows.

Being in contact with a doctor early on is going to be the best thing for you at your age.
Posted 10/22/2007 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
I as well have had issues with my joint's every since I was five and had scarlet fevor.I was diagnosed with RA,OA,As,at the age of 35 I am 40 now.So yes you can have Arthritis at your age.
Posted 10/25/2007 12:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Operachic, So sorry to hear about your condition. Hopefully, the medications you are on right now work well with you. If, down the road they do not work as well, there is so much out there today. I will be 50 years old next August and I was diagnosed with RA when I was 23. My disease was progressing quickly and I was on most of the medicines used for RA. It has been an uphill battle with side effects from some of the meds, cortisone shots in most of my joints....which can I say owwww....and have had surgeries on both feet and one hand. I am now on the injectable Enbrel and my doctor and I are so pleased and relieved that finally something is working for me. I have been on the Enbrel for 5 years now. I couldn't feel more better today and my mobility and pain is not the first thing I think about in the morning. Well, I'm rambling on aren't I? Take care and keep us updated.
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