I'm really hoping someone can give me some insight here... I'll try to be brief. :)
I'm a 34 year old female. about 3 years ago, I realized I kept getting joint pain that would come and go without any injury. The pain is only accompanied by very mild swelling, if any, and doesn't make the joints red or hot. I usually have more than one joint flaring up at a time, and usually both left and right joint hurt, although sometimes at different intensities. I'm currently having a lot of pain in both knees, my left middle finger knuckle, and both wrists. The pain diminishes only gradually throughout the day. It sometimes wakes me up at night, especially if I have my knees bent. It seems to be tendon pain. Sometimes I also feel really achy like I have a fever, although I don't usually have anything other than really low grade. I'm really grateful that I can still function normally -- I know many more people are way worse off -- but the constant pain is really getting depressing. I seem to go in cycles. The bad times last 2-6 weeks, and I am usually pretty good again for 2-6 weeks.
I have been to a rheumatologist last year, but I was seronegative for everything she tested, so she basically said come back if I get really swollen. Oh - and last year when I was on the tail end of a flare, she did a bone scan. Only one wrist showed up on that, and when I was sent for a follow-up MRI, it showed up as consistent with a tendon tear. (And I had NOT done anything unusual to that wrist). My PCP just took more bloodwork yesterday, including a CCP which wasn't done before, and I see the rheumy again on 12/22. PCP is convinced something autoimmune is going on and suspects RA, but wants me to see the rheumy before putting me on meds.
The last time I felt really good was when I was put on a short burst of prednisone last year.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? Am I going crazy? I feel like I'm too young to be this achy and old-feeling.