Could this be RA or is it something else?

Very good point. I had a negative RA and been diagnosed recently. I had raised white blood cell count which is a sign of RA or auto immune disorders.

This has been going on for a few months, but just recently started getting the pain on the top sides of hands.

When i wake up, my finger joints are painful and stiff, they loosen up as the day goes on but it never really goes away. If i lift weights my fingers seem to loosen up and not be as stiff or painful but like waking up, it's always there.

Hi Mike, it all sounds matching, but once again, there are many illnesses that impersonate one another. I am in ~ the same pain/stiffness condition right now (hurts to type) but the life goes on, right? :-) that's the important thing to remember about RA in general...

I didn't get your comment about your GP. Anxiety? It's his/her duty to treat you regardless of what any of you think of one another... Maybe you should consider changing the GP and not only scheduling an appointment to reumi... As well, in most cases (but I am not from UK, so maybe it's different here), you need your tests before you get to reumi to speed things up. The initial tests are standard. And relatively cheap if it comes to this. Every GP knows them. I hope that this all will be resolved and that you will feel better soon.

Try to avoid sugar for a while and see if it helps you. Crocus and cherries may help too. What else? Less salt, less milk (I am almost off dairy products). No white flour. This is to begin with ;-) 

Thanks Michelle.  My knee joints are joining the party also now, as they have been achy lately. Would being shaky be considered a part of RA as well?

Yes I am very shaky and wobbly. Always dropping things and very Clumsy and foggy head some days. There are many side effects of RA I would have a good read up on the symptoms as I did and I had almost every one.

Thank you for the help. Do your muscles get tired fast, or did they? Like holding a cellphone up in one hand for like 10 seconds my forearm will fatigue pretty fast and i have to switch hands or put my hand down and then put it back up.

Just chiming in on your conversation!  I, too, have a problem with the phone issue!  I was diagnosed with RA in November.  I thought I might have carpal tunnel so I went the route of orthopedic doctors.  After a year I finally had a blood test that diagnosed me with RA.  Recently I was taken off methotrexate because of breathing problems and am trying to resume using the treadmill.  I have put on a ton of weight because of prednisone and my rheumatologist finally took me off of it.  I am having a hard time because my wrists ache so bad!  I don't have much balance so I have to hang onto the bars and besides my wrists, my forearms can hardly stand the aches!  I'm hoping I can continue and get better balance so I don't have to hold on.  

In the beginning I couldn't flex my wrists either.  I keep saying I can't do hand stands anymore...never could anyway!  My forearm was so painful it felt like I had broken it!  Right now I am on Enbrel injections weekly and tons of vitamins.  My thought is I will probably have to have something else besides that.  The swelling in my hands has never decreased.  The swelling in my feet and ankles turned out to be from edema and I have melds for that now!  My whole cupboard is filled with medication...don't have room for coffee cups now!  

My thought is, you need to be tested.  Like Michelle said, you can have a false reading.  A good doctor can determine that you have RA without a positive test.  I wouldn't call myself lucky by any means but my RA factor was 815 with normal range being under 14 so it was a no brainier!  

I can only wish you good luck and pray you don't have it!  

Good luck and keep us updated!

Thanks for the reply. What is it they are looking for when they do a blood test for RA?

My neutrophil count was higher and my basophil count although not entirely sure what this means but my nurse explained that it indicates an auto immune problem.

I have difficulty holding my baby boy for Long and have to switch arms so yes my muscles do feel weaker. I can't stand for long periods or my ankles will swell up. You have to do as little as possible to put strain on your joints although mild exercise is great for keeping your joints moving. I always found my stiffness improved once I was up and about and moving. Usually took 3 hours into the day to feel better as mornings were the worst. Struggled to get out of bed some days as the pain was unbearable.

I haven't exactly figured that out yet.  The RH factor and the other one escapes me.  ESR? Can you help out Michelle?

Thank you. I am going to try an make an appointment with a rheumy. My Gp just blows me off as anxiety.

Have you seen the GP a few times about this? I am surprised he hasn't taken this further. I actually asked mine if I could have blood tests and from there was referred quite quickly to rheumatologist as ' something unusual ' had come up on my blood tests. By the time I went in about 3 weeks, my shoulders, wrists, fingers, knees were all painful, stiff and swollen so I pretty well knew what the diagnosis would be. I had already seen a physio for what we thought was tendonitis in the shoulder . Physios are also very good at spotting  the difference between inflammatory joint problems and just a one off cause,  I think you ll have to go private to see a rheumy straight off, but sounds like you're not getting listened to by GP. I have actually found the NHS amazing once you are diagnosed and in the system. Be very realistic about telling them symptoms or they don't know just how much it hurts or how much fatigue. Hope you get some answers soon. I hope it s not RA but if it is ,  recent developments in medication mean the disease can be brought under control for most.

Yes i have seen my GP since this started a few months ago, but he knows i am an anxiety sufferer so he 90% of the time will blow me off as anxiety and give me anxiety meds.

Have you a physical symptom like swelling in your finger joints or knees? In RA pain and swelling go together. Otherwise it might be something else  in which case you might need referring to a physio.How long are your fingers stiff for in the morning?

He can t ignore physical symptoms so try him again or is there a different gp in the practice you could see?Lots of people have had to persist to get a referral. He at least should organise blood tests.

I don't notice any swelling. I used to have a feeling of swelling in my fingers & toes but they weren't visibly swollen. My fingers are stiff from the moment i wake up untill about an hour or 2 afterwards but the pain is always there in the joints, it's does get less painful as the day goes on but it's still always there.

Sometimes you just have to be your own advocate!  I had gone to family doctor about horrible pain in my knees and arm and asked him if there was a test that could tell me why I was having all this pain!  He looked at my fingers and said I didn't have any nodules like RA and gave me arthritis medicine!  A year later After going to orthopedics and physical therapy I found a nurse practioner  who ran blood tests!  By that time she looked at my hands and told me then she suspected it!  Also, I had another nurse, who had RA look at my palms and noticed they were blotchy red and told me that was a sign!