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anxiety and rheumatoid fear is killing me

Posted , 7 users are following.

danbb
danbb

Hii all. I would like to share my situation with u guys.

Its been 2 months since knee pain started in my right leg. I was diagnosed with chondromalacia patella, thats ok. After 10 days of onset of pain my left knee also started pain. Well i asked few docs they said its chondromalacia and nothing else but i have fear of rheumatoid arthritis. Knee pain in right leg is like burning when prolonged sitting not while walking. And pain in left knee is while walking as if my patella is grinding.

In the mean time i also had or sometimes have ankle pain which ortho said is due to load on ankle due to knee pain.

.. . I started having numbe ring finger and pinky finger due to my sleeping position.

.. i am going extremely worried about RA . . I concentrate tok much on things like fingers in morning that make me feel them stiff. It can also be due to nerve issue due to sleep as stiffness or numbness does not last more then 2-5 mins .

I dont have fatigue or weakness or anything. Please suggest something. Well no swelling or tenderness at any place even at knees which hurts. Regards

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • blair97497
    blair97497 danbb

    Posted

    Hi Danbb. Let your doctor know about your anxiety levels and all the physical symptoms. If you would like them to explain the reasons for your diagnosis, I’m sure they will.

    If they have not done so already, they can order blood tests to assist with your diagnosis. If you ask them to check this to eliminate the possibility of RA for your peace of mind, they may agree that it is reasonable. They are the best people for you to talk to about your worries and your speculations. 

     

    • danbb
      danbb blair97497

      Posted

      Dear hi

      . Thanks for the reply i basically asked dr everything well he did his part actually . I asked him about my concerns of RA, he asked me if i had morning stiffness which lasts half an hour or more. Which i dont have. He basically was assured with this. He still wrote me the blood work i.e RA FACTOR, ESR AND CRP .. which i didnt go through yet ... as i m scared. As per dr i didnt need it .. it was to clear my worries only . ..

  • AlexandriaGizmo
    AlexandriaGizmo danbb

    Posted

    Hi Dan please don't worry regarding RA your symptoms do not sound typical of RA

    But say you where to be diagnosed with it it's not the end of the world, I have lived with it for many years and lead a near normal life.

    What you can't change you learn to endure.

    I'm on crutches full time and have been for over two years, not RA related and I deal with it by just getting on with it, worry or not want change what disease's we get.

    But like I said you don't have classic symptoms of RA

    • danbb
      danbb AlexandriaGizmo

      Posted

      Dear thank u so much for the reply. I really appreciate. Sorry to hear that u are having lot of trouble as well. I always try to comfort myself but cant do due to my anxiety. Please advice that i have beem dealing with pain for about 2 months now, if it would be RA there would be morning stiffness for more then 1 hr ? Pain area would be swollen also and tender but i dont have it .. thats actually the thing ?

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo danbb

      Posted

      Hi in a flare my joint's swell and are very painful and red and feel hot and yes I struggle with stiffness when I wake in the mornings if I'm flaring, I'm quite typical as well as it usually effects both sides of my body in the same joints, why are you anxious about RA in perticularry, I also have osteoarthritis which is random and can hurt in any joint. Please don't worry about things you cannot change, anxiety can also cause aching joints amongst other pains

    • danbb
      danbb AlexandriaGizmo

      Posted

      I dont know y i have been thinking about RA.. one reason is my both knees affected .. then ankle mild pains .. finger numbness which i suppose and hope is ulnar nerve related due to my sleeping style .. all these make me anxious.. .. knees are diagnosed as chondromalacia with the help of xray snd physical exams ...... i just find pain in my body and no tender points actually .... i dont know how much is my anxiety out of it sad
  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 danbb

    Posted

    When I hurt my cartledge in my hip, needed a hip replacement with investigation, rough ball of hip had torn cartledge, local GP said cartledge 12 weeks, and muscle 6 weeks, I asked him to repeat himself, as above.

    I did not belive him so talked to my sister/sibling, who is a very senior nurse, nurse tutor, and asked her the same question, her reply 12 weeks for carteldge and 6 weeks for muscle injury exactly the same as the Dr had said in the first place.

    I was not a happy girl as I was in sooooo much pain.

    12 weeks passed, and I thought is this pain never going to go away, and then one morning on the 13 week I woke up in no pain, WHAT IS GOING ON, moved very slowly and carefully, still no pain, or not like it had been.

    Saw ortheopedic surgeon the following week after 14 week wait for appt, explained what had happened, he had an x-ray of hip joint from previous hip replacement on right side, but showed enough of left side to give him comparision, cartledge half of what it had been 6 months previous, amazed at such a huge change in such a short time but the x-rays don't lie, booked for surgery, no urgent, 7 months later hip replaced, and yes by that time did need the hip replacement.

  • Bish8
    Bish8 danbb

    Posted

    I think i lasted that long until ALL my joints flared up, couldn't move without pain couldn't get much sleep because of the pain, everything was such a f'in effort. Fear of losing job, not being able to holiday any more like i could... depression, frustration, huddled over crying like a girl looking at what the end result of inflammatory arthritis can do to someone's hands and feet and those fantastic side effects id have to look forward to within months or years from the dmards they say "may" help prevent it.

    If this hasn't happened to you then id sit back and relax mate.

    @Alexandria in my humblest opinion you have given up. Plenty of studies showing participants going in full remission following trials. So near normal isn't exactly optimal and anything less isn't acceptable.

     

    • blair97497
      blair97497 Bish8

      Posted

      Hi Bish8, I wonder if you have jumped too quickly to judge Alexandria. It sounded to me like she is saying that there are many things that can cause pain, among them RA, using her own experience as the example.

      While DMARDs and other treatment might be effective for RA, pain or damage from other causes and/or injuries will need to be treated correctly.

      I feel relatively lucky here in having few other conditions and complications, but many others have a range of serious health problems affecting them. Let’s not be too quick to judge each other.

      If you are saying we have to be persistent and advocate for our own health, I agree.

      Regards

      Blair

  • danbb
    danbb

    Posted

    hi all,

    I would like to thank all for the advice and suggestions and reassurance given to me.

    With all the courage I went for the blood tests to relieve my anxiety and it all came back negative.

    Feeling relieved and relaxed.

    Regards

    danny

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo danbb

      Posted

      I'm really pleased for you Danny, I would suggest you stay away from Dr Google, he is rubbish at diagnosing people with out seeing them, try as well not to find another illness to replace RA sad it's easy to fall into the trap. Now you have been reassured and can move on x

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