Should I a doctor about possible RA?

Hi

Sorry to hear you have this pain and stiffness.

sounds like inflammatory arthritis - but that could mean anything from short term reaction to a virus to the beginnings of rheumatoid arthritis or similar

So maybe it s good to go see a doctor  because if it is RA then it s important to get an early diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible as this helps long term outcomes( which are much more favourable now than 10 years ago because of newer treatments)

I m afraid it sounds very like how my RA began - so best to take it further rather than delay. 

 

Hi Ashley, first of all I am sorry about the insurance issue. It can be RA but it can be something else too, starting with TSH issues which are very common after pregnancy or liver problems (can happen after pregnancy too). Are you increasingly tired since the birth giving? Although you are two years after so it's a very delayed start... I am asking this as in my opinion you should go and see the dr in either case. What you are describing fits RA (unfortunately). But it escalates very fast from what you describe and it's somehow symmetric. That's less common with RA at its first stages but does fit other possible autoimmune problems. Sorry to bring this up but depression is something that can trigger completely physical response too... And it's common after pregnancy as well... Shortly, I think that you should see a dr / from what you describe it seems that whatever you have escalates. Hence blood tests are a minimum to do. I hope that they will find what's wrong with your body. I wish I could say that lack of swelling and redness mean that it's not RA. It's not a sure sign - but you are young - tend yourself now rather than waiting for increase in pain (speaking from experience). It will cost more to treat something developed chronic.. Good luck!

Thank you both for reading and responding.. one of you mentioned depression.. I have had depression off and on since I was a teenager and it was really bad after my pregnancies.. all 3 of them. I did have aches and pains but it was a different kind of pain if that makes sense.. but with the extreme fatigue that has hit me recently, I will definitely mention my history of depression to the doctor when I go.. the fatigue has been so bad since this started, that some days I can't even get up to get my kids to school on time because I'm so tired.. it's been really bad the past 2 weeks.. The only reason I didn't immediately assume it was my depression returning is because I usually have bad mood swings and withdraw from everybody during my depressive episodes and I haven't had any of that in a while. It probably seems crazy for me to jump to something so serious as my first assumption but there were (they have passed away) a few cases of RA in my family and a more closely related family member (who recently passed) had some type of autoimmune disorder, not RA though. Either way, I'm gonna take both of your advice and get on in to the doctor because whatever this is, it needs to be checked out.. thanks again for your time : )

Ashley - i too have systemic arthiritis. I believe it started as a virus that attacked firstly my first or pointer finger, knuckle joint, GP ignored the symtoms and said it was post viral. I had had a nasty dose of the flu or very nasty cold in the months previous.

From there it advanced through my joints, affecting wrists, shoulders, but I had alot of swelling, you could not see my knuckles at all the swelling in my hands was so bad.

Tests for your Dr, these can also be affected by a virus, ESR and CRP, mine have been as high as 77 ESR and 36 CRP, currently 45 ESR and 17.5 CRP with medication.

Just to complicate the issue I come back sero-negative for RA and also my genetic test for Psorasis Arthritis also comes back NIL, but specialist tells me I have the symtoms of psorasis arthritis, it is a complication of skin psorasis, so she is treating me for that, with some success.

She also tells me there is over 100 different types of arthritis so choose your kind, you really are in the land of best guess it seems.

specialist has me on 6000mg of odourless Fish Oil, a day, thats 6 x 1000mg capsules, that I have with food, as it seems to be the only way I can tolerate, they do work, they settle the immflamation and the aches and pains in other joints as well.  Disadvantages - Makes you hair very greasy, I wash every morning, and now keep my hair very short for convience, also have to be careful if you are on blood pressure tablets, you have to work with your DR, as the fish oil can drop your blood pressure, Benefits - no dry skin, always have had a tendency to have lizard skin on my legs especially, and the micro lines around your eyes vanish as your skin plumps out.

Look after yourself and i hope you can come up with some answers.

helo ashley, sorry to hearn you are in discomfort, the 3 main things of the joints is heat, pain, and swelling. This doesnt mean you havent got r/a. I had my first bout of inflammation 10 years ago but only diagnosed with r/a last year after a full body bone scan which revealed active inflammation. it will be a long road ahead of you darling so do start the process now. im still not in remission and esr@ 74 and crp@61, so it will or could be years down the line to get a diagnosis . It may just be starting to tell you there is something wrong. i wish you all the best finding what you are looking for. like i say it took me years to find out but it doesnt change the fact that it is a life long illness without much of break, well in my case anyway. good luck hunny. xx

Hello. 

Do you have extreme fatigue?

Do you struggle to walk up stairs?

Does it hurt when you press on your sternum?

Does it hurt when you press on your shins?

Ashley, I was going to tell you also, get copies of your reports, blood tests, all lab reports. If you end up going to muptiple doctors they will come in handy. Keep a diary of events so you can relate them to your doctor and also it will come in handy when you look back at certain events. You don't have to write in it every day, just when you have flares, etc...