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Confused

Posted , 5 users are following.

deborah80143
deborah80143

Hi I have been suffering with multiple joint pain now for 8 months GP suspected RA due to morning stiffness joint swelling etc but bloods came back ok except for high platelets got referred to rheumatologist who I saw 3 weeks ago. They put me on prednisone reducing dose for 2 weeks to see if it helped and more bloods done. The pred has been great morning stiffness reduced swelling reduced fatigue gone but when I reduce it all symptoms come back so GP has told me to stay on it for now. also bloods came back normal again apart from platelets has gone up again. I'm so confused as to what's going on frightened they will take me off pred and the pain will all come back anyone else had this.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • lesleyp
    lesleyp deborah80143

    Posted

    Hi Deborah,

    I'm fairly similar in that I have joint pain in hands, feet, elbows and sometimes wrists. GP referred me to rheumy who I saw in June. All my tests so far have been negative but as the doc says you can be servo negative and still have RA. The rheumy thinks I may have and gave me a steroid shot which has been amazing! Pain and stiffness pretty much went although it's starting to creep back now. I have more bloods to get back and have to go back for xrays. If the pred is working then it kind of helps diagnosis. Make sure your GP and the rhuemy know just how much it helps you! It can be hard to diagnose when bloods are ok but it's more common than you think. Hth xx

    • lesleyp
      lesleyp

      Posted

      Sero negative even!
    • deborah80143
      deborah80143 lesleyp

      Posted

      Thanks for reply going to GP this morning to see where we go from here as not seeing rheumatologist for 3 months
    • lesleyp
      lesleyp deborah80143

      Posted

      Yeah I go back in Nov to see how the steroids helped and where we go now. Good luck and let me know how you get on with your GP xx
  • EileenH
    EileenH deborah80143

    Posted

    Is it JUST joint pain? Is it also sore and stiff muscles?
    • deborah80143
      deborah80143 EileenH

      Posted

      It is mainly joint pain I do get get alot of pain in thigh muscle but that's it.

    • deborah80143
      deborah80143 EileenH

      Posted

      It has been mentioned but they reckon at 41 I'm to young apparently I will ask GP today can that cause high platelets?

    • EileenH
      EileenH deborah80143

      Posted

      High platelets - not sure offhand.

      41 is young - it is generally accepted that over 50s get it but we have increasing numbers on the PMR/GCA forums who are in their 40s. My belief is that they don't have many in their 40s because they refuse to look for it and give out other diagnoses such as fibromyalgia or depression/somaticism and so on. 

      But as has been pointed out - seronegative does NOT mean it isn't an autoimmune arthritis, I wish I knew why GPs are so convinced that a negative RF test means it isn't. You can have it and be seronegative and be RF positive and perfectly healthy!

  • kristin3351
    kristin3351 deborah80143

    Posted

    My labs were all normal except for slightly elevated CRP. I have 3 fingers that are very swollen and red, bad morning stiffness etc and my rheumatologist diagnosed RA. They say RA can affect any part of you so that could be cause of elevated platelets. Did they do liver function tests?  Why the long wait to see rheumatologist?  I am on prednisone 20mg and started to wean down to 10mg and pain got worse so I am back up to 20 a day but still pretty miserable pain and swelling. I start methotrexate this morning for the first time. Hoping that will help. Good luck Deborah. Hope you get some answers and relief. 
  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 deborah80143

    Posted

    I have sero negative for RA, but I definately have some kind of arthiritis going on.

    Rheumo tells me I have Prorasis arthiritis because I have prorasis on my skin, and my father also had psorasis on his skin, and I remember him having hands like boxing gloves, they were soooo swollen.

    Symptoms were and are very stiff joints, unable to flex wrists, unable to lift arms to peg out washing, swollen fingers, looking like I am wearing boxing gloves at its worst, no knuckles showing at all, unable to fold up fingers into a fist, inability to hold kitchen utensils, pen, I have giant novelty pen that I use to write with, pen gets some very strange looks when I pull it out to sign documents.

    Treatment with MTX and leflunomide has helped bring things under control, double hip replacement has also helped hip joints, they were also affected with stiffness, diagnosed osteo arthiritis in hips joints, but I also believe they were affected by psorasis arthiritis as well.

  • deborah80143
    deborah80143

    Posted

    Thanks for reply GP has said it's not a problem for me to stay on prednisone and what dose I am most comfortable at advised to ring rheumatologist and explain what's going on and I am not happy to wait 4 months for next appointment so we will see

    At least don't have to come off meds as they definitely help.

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