Help?

Not in my experience for OA. I would go see another doctor and get a second opinion.

I have found with OA that some exercise is good and keeps my joints moving. However, I ride a motorbike and the two times I have seen rapid detoriation is when I have done extensive off roading. Once you are down to bone on bone it gets painful and options are limited.

Seems like a lot of doctors just want to prescribe pain killers. Have you been to an osteopath or any other specialist ? You need a correct diagnosis but I'm not sure where you should start. Have you thought of laser therapy or acupuncture ?

I use to have sciatica but that went away with yoga. At present I go to aquafit as

I don't have to bear any wieght on my knees. Perhaps you should try some more gentle exercise for now. It's important to keep active. I can't ride my bike at present but my physiotherapist suggests I try a floor cycle. He says painkillers damage the liver, I'm sure he's right. I'm not sure about the flu symtoms.  Trusting you will find the source of your problems, Alpine

sorry to hear your having a tough time at the moment. I would go back to your doctors and insist in being refered to oa specialist. I got sent to a clinc and then on for xrays, but was later told I was too young for hip operation your five years younger so may be told the same thing unless yours is chronic, mine was severe. I was also told to take pain killers I ignored this and got flexacil, you can get off amazon. However your symtoms don't sound like a typical oa sufferer to me the pain does but flu like symptoms suggest something else. If it persists ask(firmly) for an  mri scan perhaps. If your doctor isn't helpful then change doctors. Good luck

Well I must say your doctors sound very unsympathetic!  I don't bother with doctors anymore because as you say they just give you pain killers.  Have you seen a specialist at the hospital?  Ask for a referral if your doctor has not suggested this. 

I asked the doctor to refer me to the hospital for physiotherapy twice.  Also if you can afford it have you tried going privately to an osteopath or chripractor or physiotherapist.  They could help relieve your pain. 

You are too young to be suffering like this.  As you are getting flu like symptoms, I would definitely tell a doctor about that.  It may not be normal for OA. 

Take care and I hope things improve for you

Thankyou for your replys, update so far.....

Flu symptoms still remain, however my feet and hands are starting to swell at night with a dull ache and occasional sharp pains.  I went to work today and I could hardly hold the steering wheel.  Im now back off work again.  Seen another doctor again today and im going for blood tests tomorrow.  I really hope they show something, because I'm absolutely scunnered.

Hi

Well my blood tests have all come back "normal", I phoned my doctor and and I asked him what do we do now......his reply was "you tell me".  Im getting nowhere with my doctor.

However, I have been digging.......  Turns out, I am positive Epstein Barr Virus.  THis happened from a Needle Stick injury back in 2007.  No one told me.  I found this out from my medical records.  Also another virology report states I am also positive for cytomegalovirus and two years ago I had Parvovirus B19.  

Now my symptoms are similar to the parvovirus, how do I get to the bottom of this.  My GP says as I tested negative for RA, he doesnt know what it is and if it is flair up of parvovirus just to deal with it.

Do i spend money and go to a private rheumatologist, my GP said he would only send me to the rheumatologist for an opinion and it would take months.....

what do i do?

Well, after months of testing and CT Scans etc,  My consultant has it fixed down to eith CFS or Fibromyalgia.  However he says it looking more like Fibromyalgia.