Anyone.had experince.of rheumatoid arthritis

[whatisforteamum]

I spoke to the GP.about very painful knees.and hands.They swell.and hands almost.bang.with pain.Sometimes even mugs feel too heavy to lift and knees.so bad I can barely walk downstairs.I do a physical job.The doc has done bloods for Rheumatoid arthritis.Mum has.knee trouble.Man was.treated for rhumatism.If you have RA how d it start please?

Hi Whatis

I have RA. It first appeared when I was 19. I woke up and couldn't open my hand. That sorted itself out but it slowly worked through various joints in this way. One morning I woke up and couldn't open my mouth!

It all went away and then after about a year my joints slowly started to hurt again.

I'm 39 now. I can't move my wrists at all and I have some pain but nothing too bad. I blame the wrists on the period (about 3 years) where I wasn't taking any medication due to TTC and being pregnant.

It's also worth looking into changing your diet - it worked quite well for me but obviously be led by the specialists.

On I'm sorry to hear your story.I dont.have stiff joints more pain and swelling.I wonder if it is repetitive strain.Thank you for replying.

I also get pain and swelling. I also used to find lifting things like the kettle or saucepans very difficult.

I hope you get sorted soon but even if it is RA the medication can help a lot but make sure you get tablets for your stomach as well as they are very strong.

I've found acupuncture very helpful too.

Good luck

Thank you interesting.I feel guilty using doctors time when today my joints are fine.my daughter has had knee pain too and has been sent for physio.we both walk everywhere and are slim so it will be interesting to find out what we need to do.we.don't smoke and alcohol is only moderate.

The receptionist said the results.are.back.and the Go has to.look at.them.and so I need to call.monday......would this concern.you?

I would think it's fairly normal. I wouldn't think a receptionist would be allowed to tell you the results over phone. It might also be that the GP hasn't had time to look at them yet.

Hope it goes well on Monday

@HmmInteresting please do you mind if I ask what diet changes have been helpful for you?

There’s a good book called Treating Arthritis the drug free way. It is quite an intense change of diet but it seemed to improve my arthritis quite a bit.

Also, you have to cut out quite a few foods so it might be worth checking with your dr.

Thank you very much HmmInteresting. I've already noticed a difference from cutting out dairy so I will check this out.

Dh has had RA for about 5 years now. His started when he dropped a huge drill on his foot, missing the steel toe cap. It took us a long time before getting the diagnosis as doctors thought he had lots of other conditions first, don’t be afraid to ask for second/more opinions if you are not happy.

Getting on the right medication is crucial- dh tried several before he found the one that worked for him. Some days he is in a lot of pain but others are ok. There seem to be no rhyme or reason to them, apart from if he works too hard during the day he is then sore in the evening.

Good luck for Monday.

Kahlula thanks for your reply.I.assumed.mine.was.tendonitis.as.I work in a physical job..,..too.many hours.then pain.i.worked.14 hours sat.and nothing so far.I guess.I get test results monday.Sorry.your dh.is.suffering with this.

My mum was diagnosed with RA several years ago, it’s controllable with the right medication, if you are diagnosed make sure you are referred to a rheumatologist at your hospital.

Thank you.our area is well served when it comes.to refferals.Both my parents had advanced cancer and were given ex given treatment.what symptoms did your cm have?

Mine also started when I was 19, I had the flu but instead of getting better my joints got stiffer and more painful. I couldn't open my front door or make a cup of tea, I'd turned into a hundred year old overnight! I could hardly walk, I ended up with a wheelchair and sticks.
I was diagnosed after a month or so and they started aggressively treating it. It took about 18months to get a drug combination that really helped.
I'm now 39 and a lot more stable. Over the years I have had to change drugs and take breaks (to have 2 kids) and it has been has been a journey that has sometimes been very hard. I am generally doing well and don't have a stick or wheelchair but do have splints. I still have flares (have one at the moment) but generally not too bad. I am on Humira & methotrexate. Aggressive treatment at the beginning seems to have prevented too much actual joint damage except in my toes.

Oh.sonny im.sorry.to read this.I am glad you are on the right track now.My symptoms. Come and go which makes me think it is work related over doing it.Thank you for sharing your experience.

I haven't got it but I treat people who have. It's much more controllable now than it used to be, agreed on above posts, pro-active drug therapy is the way forward.

Be very wary of non-pharmaceutical options for this, as the damage it does to joints amongst other things is irreversible and progressive and you don't want to stall protection against that because someone is flogging a book. And that's coming from someone who doesn't like taking paracetamol!

I was diagnosed late last year. Mine is mild and hasn’t affected by joints. I started feeling pain in hands, wrists, ankles and elbows both sides. I was very tired and lacked energy. My GP did the blood test and it showed the rheumatoid factor was positive. Rheumatologist double checked the bloods and could see when I went in I had swollen joints in my hands and they were hot to the touch. I’m on hydroxychloroquine which seems to work for me and am taking lots of vitamins as everal of mine were extremely low, which can be linked to RA as well. (Vit d, b12, iron). I also have sjogrens which explains why my skin has been so dry for years!

I started taking a daily Tumeric supplement (which helps with inflammation) 2 months ago, and about 20 days ago, I realized that my hands weren't sore after work, which is just miraculous for me. I'm a pastry chef and my arthritis can make my life a misery. The difference in my joints is amazing. It's worth a try!

@whatisforteamum

How did it go?

On thanks aquamarine I'm a chef too and my fingers get so painful after a 13 hour day.Results are.back.Bloods are.normal and above normal......I guess that would be fbc.My fingers are sore tonight.
I guess it is tendonitis or just repetitive strain.Thank you all for the support.though.