Rheumatoid Arthritis

[JustLaura]

Hi

Can anyone tell me how their Rheumatoid Arthritis started?

Early symptoms?
Symptoms now?
Diagnosis? (what blood tests showed an issue and results if known)
How long diagnosed?
Are your symptoms permanent or flare up?

Thanks

Can anyone give any advice please?

Sorry I don’t know but am bumping. And sending a hug. Is there anything in any of the arthritis uk websites?

Thanks x

Nothing seems to quite fit my symptoms/blood tests. Still waiting for my RA blood tests to come back but starting to panic it's something else.

Hi my first symptoms were waking up with a different joint flared each day ie one finger, the next day a different finger. Then progressing to other joints.
Rheumatoid factor in blood tests was positive which meant progressing from GP to a rheumatologist.
On medication and still get occasional flare ups.
Had over 30 years. Treatment has very much improved in that time.

Thanks @JenniferandJuniper

When you say flared do you mean swollen or painful or aching?

Is it small joints initially?

Thanks

Started with aching toes for a year or two, on and off. Kinda ignored it. Then woke up one day with sausages for fingers, literally huge. Ibuprofen did nothing, trip to dr, naproxen for couple weeks then the blood test. Bloods off the scale so easy diagnosis. Tried a few different meds over months and now stable.

Thanks @Whoopsmahoot

Do you know which blood tests they were?

My white fell count is abnormal but waiting on RA and ANA blood results.

Mine was diagnosed from bloods and X-rays of joints following regular pain and swelling. I don’t think every case is going to start the same, I’ve got it in my collar bone for example, as well as various joints. It all flared up together from what I could tell. I had steroids then RA medication which pretty much stabilised things.

Thanks @Relaxd

This is what confuses me. I have aches and pains but no swelling recently?

White blood cell count has been high for 3 months and CRP too. Waiting on RA and ANA result?

Do you think it sounds like RA?

If I am absolutely honest, my very early symptoms were painful feet going down the stairs. At this time, I was a frequent gym goer and found using the cross trainer lead to the small bones of my feet feeling like they were rubbing together. My daughter was only about 1 at the time, and I put it down to not losing the baby weight and needing new running shoes. Another couple of miscarriages and then a horrific fall fall from my horse sent the symptoms sky high with my hands being most affected. My lovely GP prescribed a short course of Naproxenn with clear instructions that if they did not work to come back. Symptoms returned a couple of days after finishing the course. A full blood screen was done, which showed normal Esr and Crp, but borderline positive Rheumatoid factor and sky high Anti ccp. A Rheumatology referral was made, and the Consultant agreed with my own diagnosis of sero positive Rheumatoid arthritis. You can be diagnosed with RA without raised markers in the blood. This is sero negative RA. I'm nearly thirteen years on from diagnosis and have a good set of meds, although the quality of my life is nowhere near what it was but could equally be so much worse than it is.

Hard to say, plenty of things including other forms of arthritis that can cause aches and pains. Many of which can have periodic flare ups. CRP generally means you have some inflammation somewhere but mine is caused more by my endometriosis sim never drops completely even when my RA is well controlled. There are however some distinctions between RA and other forms of arthritis so I’m sure your rheumatologist will get to the bottom of it.

Thanks @julesagain

The soles of my feet hurt (mainly where the arch of the foot is) and this is worse when I'm walking down stairs.

My knees hurt when I walk up stairs or inclines.

My shoulder hurts but only 1 side.

My ribs feel internally sore as though I've been coughing all day when I haven't coughed once.

Does this seem to fit with RA in your experience?

When I said flared I meant mainly stiff joints for the first few days, this then progressed to swollen as well. In myself I felt not ill but not right.
It is commonly thought that RA does mainly start in the small joints, hands feet wrists. There are many forms of arthritis and your GP or specialist will get to the bottom of it.
There is an organisation called the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society who are very good and have booklets to download or send by post. 01628 823524. They are extremely helpful.

My early symptoms were painful fingers. This went of for a few years, GP said osteoarthritis, bloods were negative. Eventually after about five years my fingers were visibly swollen and very painful and I was generally achey.
CRP and RF were high and I saw a Rheumatologist who diagnosed Palindromic Rheumatism. After another 3 years it progressed to full RA. I also have OA.
The nature of RA is that it flares up and recedes. In a flare almost any joint can be affected, sometimes only one at a time, sometimes all at once. Toes, knees, elbows, hips, fingers. Fatigue is also a symptom.
It's pretty well controlled now. Triggers for a flare up are mainly infection of any kind - covid, cold, flu etc.

I don't have RA but have osteo arthritis in multiple joints due to a connective tissue disorder, so I get pain all over sometimes worse than others, they take turns to hurt.

I first noticed my knuckles would hurt when stamping things at work and my ankles and feet hurt in the morning when walking to get the bus. It gradually got worse and I would be in a lot of pain in the mornings until I warmed up. I got fed up of being in pain so went to the doctors around 6 months after it started and luckily was diagnosed fairly quickly. I had bloods done and X-rays of my hands, feet and chest.

I had issues with swollen, stiff and painful joints; strong family history of seronegative RA and initial blood tests were negative although white cell count and inflammatory markers were slightly elevated, I also sought out cold surfaces for relief of the pain and was advised by a work colleague (rheumatologist) to push for referral by GP. Ended up with same consultant as DM and told there can be a strong familial link to RA so he would treat me as having a diagnosis. 18 years on and I’m waiting to go onto biological treatment when I next see rheumatologist.

Thanks @LovedFedAndNoonesDead

I'm totally baffled.

I don't seem to get the swelling just pain and/or soreness.

Is yours a single joint or multiple? Is it 1-side more so?

My WBC and CRP are always elevated.
ANA has come back normal.

Mine is both sides and in most major joints -
shpulders, hips, knees, wrists and ankles. Plus my fingers and toes are also affected. I was diagnosed about 17 years ago so have got used to living with it now.

Have the Drs suggested anything else that they might look at with the ANA being normal? Or perhaps repeat bloods in 2-3 months to get a pattern?

Thanks @LovedFedAndNoonesDead

Any ideas appreciated if you have an inkling?

I'm having blood tests every month but not really sure why!

I have wondered if they're just hoping my white blood count and CRP will correct itself.

The GP did give me steroids as thought PN was possible but that got ruled out as the steroids did nothing other than give me side effects.

Does it impact your daily life?

The soles of my feet throb, knee pain but far worse on 1 side, shoulder pain but far worse on 1 side, hip pain but far worse on 1 side, ribs ache in general, fingers sometimes tingly, same for the leg shins downwards.