Hello newbie here.....waiting for specialist, getting frustrated

Look up mobility aids, alot of the medical aids are designed for the very elderly rather than specifically for us, but they do work, and make your life a little easier. I have very fat handled kitchen tools, can opener, etc.

None of these items is cheap I'm afraid, and that also applies to clothes that suit. Doing up a bra is almost impossible for me now, so I have resorted to wearing a ahhhh bra, bascially a very stretchy tank top, but designed as a bra, very comfortable, but impossible to get into if you have just got out of the shower, just rolls, then husband comes in useful, other than that have looked into getting front hooks bra, but the costs expensive, and I still don't think I could do up. Fingers just won't do small things, had a shocker of a day today, cannot pick up things without dropping, no strength in fingers at all. Oh well tomorrow's another day.

     There are many interesting articles on the subject in different countries.

      In my own case I have had severe breathing problems due to polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) inflammation going into my lungs since September.  I have been on oxygen and have had 3 high dose prednisone regimens that worked but only briefly.

      I had stopped taking statins nearly 2 years ago because a common side effect of statins is muscle problems and I thought that would confuse the issue since PMR also  causes muscle problems (though a different kind of muscle problem).  That was a mistake!

           I also read that statins help all kinds of respiratory problems from COPD to asthma.  I still had a big bottle of atorvastatin, so I decided to take 40mg.  The results have been a dramatic improvement in my breathing after only 10 days.  I am no longer gasping for breath after merely feeding my dogs or walking across a room.  I can go places without having to sit down every 30 feet to recover, not something you want to do when it is 10 degrees F outside.

     On the other forum someone said statins are dangerous and cause liver problems.  I could quickly answer that because I had just read that out of a million patients, statins would help avoid 300,000 coronary events at a cost of 1 case of rhabdomyolitis (those liver problems).  

     RA patients are particularly susceptible to coronary events, so taking statins sounds like a great idea to me for you guys! 

Currently my Doctor has me on 10mg of predisone daily for 10 days due to arthritis in shoulders.  I am not sure that this is a good drug to take.

    I don't know if this is true in the UK, but you can always take the smell test just to be sure.

    I read somewhere that the Inuit have a special gene for processing fish and fish oil which may explain why studies of the Inuit have found such a low amount of heart disease. Those of us who do not have that gene may not benefit so much from fish.  

ive been recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis, but, was also tested for RA, my tests for that were negative, but, i still think its RA i have, so, how do you prove you have RA if your test was negative??

I was recently diagnosed with oestoarthritis, was tested for RA but it was negative, i feel i have RA, so, how would you go about proving you have Ra if your test was negative?

I keep going extremely hot  inside, from head to toe, its worse in the morning, then it eases, especially if i drink fluid, it makes me feel flu like and fairly poorly, it starts when my hands flare up, yet my tests say im negative for RA, no inflammation, i did however have high inflammation two years ago, was also dehydrated, and borderline aneamic, she said there was a chemical in my blood, which the hospital couldnt identify, keep wondering if that was to do with RA chemical?? it wasnt a rheumatologist that did the bloods at that time, so, feel it could have been missed.  If you have Ra, would your inflammation markers always be up?? but then go higher during flare up?? if thats the case, then i cant have RA, because after my last blood test, my inflammation was normal?? do you all get extreme inflammation inside as a symptom?? it last for weeks, and only goes when i take inflammatory drugs, and drink water, have pain in, both feet, pelvic joint, neck joint, and both hands, x ray shows oesto in both hands, so dont get the reason im going very hot inside, and feel flu like, just like i have a chill. anyone help me with this?? 

If you have had psorasis on you skin, it is possible you have psoratic arthritis, specialist once told me not that much different to RA in reality, pain levels on a par..

Specialist tells me there is no question I have some kind of arthritis going on, when I am very bad, I cannot see my knuckles my hands are sooo swollen, then because of swelling I cannot make a fist, or grip anything, including the steering wheel of the car, this I find to be the most frustrating, so I don't even try to drive anymore.

My ESR has been at 77 for a bad flare, and about 45 for a mild flare, never seems to get below about 24 now, I believe normal is about 8.

And my CRP has been in the 50 range, normal is about 4. I stand to be corrected on what normal is after so long of not being normal.

You speak about Rheumo doing your tests, your local GP i'm sure can order up ESR test, thats definatley a marker of internal inflamation.

My rheumo recommeded I take odourless fish oil, look futher up this list of earlier posting, as an anti-immflamtory, it does work for me, wonderfully well.