Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 , If I try to hop out of bed for something quickly , I am usually so stiff in ankles, knees and such I almost fall over...and my hands are always stiff and feel swollen for an hour or more...especially now that it is colder in mornings(in Az about 40 in AM ).I usually have more trouble staying comfortable and keeping asleep at night . I wake up from tossing and turning trying to find an unsore spot to sleep....I know my RD always asks how bad pain and stiffness is and how long it lasts.Some mornings I stay away from the glass dishes....and lately I have had bad pain in hands and wrists and in shoulders..flares are the pits......Judy in AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 Hi all, I was wondering...do you ALL feel morning stiffness? Doc kept asking me this while trying to come up with a diagnosis for my joint pains and rheumatologist practically TOLD me I had this. Truth is, I DON'T have this and sometimes feel better upon awakening. It's after a day of lugging myself around that I would normally feel the same or a little worse at nite. Am I unusual (well at least in this context!)? Just wondering.... Kossart /Celine Kossart kozys@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 , I don't know if everyone has morning stiffness or not. Mine is better since I got my featherbed so maybe you just have the best mattress in the world that alleviates the stiffness. I have 5 kids and know I have morning stiffness but don't have time to think about it. My Rheumy makes me so mad because he is always concerned about how long it lasts. I don't have time to time. You know. The biggest, funniest question he asks is how is the pain on a scale from 1 to 10 -10 being child birth. Like he knows what that feels like, I literally ripped with my last child so what do you tell him? You have to laugh at all this. I know reading what everyone has to say some of it is all the same and in other ways everyone is completely different. Just say your prayers and God will take care of you. Bless you, . ----- Original Message ----- From: /Celine Kossart <kozys@...> < egroups> Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 10:19 AM Subject: Re: [ ] Morning Stiffness > > Hi all, > > I was wondering...do you ALL feel morning stiffness? Doc kept asking me > this while trying to come up with a diagnosis for my joint pains and > rheumatologist practically TOLD me I had this. > > Truth is, I DON'T have this and sometimes feel better upon awakening. It's > after a day of lugging myself around that I would normally feel the same or > a little worse at nite. Am I unusual (well at least in this context!)? > > Just wondering.... > > Kossart > > /Celine Kossart > kozys@... > > > > > Our websites: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/ > http://www.rasupport.webprovider.com/ > Change subscription options: > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 et. al, Don't you just love that phrase-morning stiffness? Let's be honest-it is pain. *** Temple*** Kuddle Kritters Farm Chelmsford, MA dat2352@... www.homestead.com/kuddlekraft/index.html www.homestead.com/kuddlekrittersfarm/index.html www.homestead.com/kuddlekrittersdairygoats/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 Welcome, ! Your case is very complicated and I'm afraid that I'm forced to roll out my " Get a Second Opinion " speech. From what you describe here regarding your rheumatologist's unwillingness to accept the fact that you aren't reporting any morning stiffness, his diagnosis may not be a very objective or accurate one. Instead of listening carefully to your history, examining you, reviewing your labs, and then making a diagnosis (or deciding that he is unsure), he may have diagnosed you with RA in haste or in error. He also may have been asking you leading questions. Under the circumstances, I believe a second opinion would be wise. Getting a solid diagnosis is extremely important. Morning stiffness or " gelling " is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. Stiffness lasting longer than 30 minutes after awakening is used as a classification criterion for RA. On what did your rheumatologist base your RA diagnosis? Unfortunately, RA is a difficult diagnosis to make, especially in the early stages. In addition, there is no one single lab test that can either rule in or exclude RA. A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a clinical one. I read your introductory post and am wondering when your doctors decided to put you on prednisone. Was the prednisone supposed to treat the pericarditis? In answer to some of the questions you posed in your first email, following are some good links to information on RA. Here is an solid, general overview of rheumatoid arthritis: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/rheumatoid/rheumatoid.txt This is a very good article on RA that is very detailed and discusses drug treatment options, too: http://my.webmd.com/content/dmk/dmk_article_40005 This link will take you to an excellent discussion of current treatments and the future for people with RA: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1700.50682 I way behind in my mail and haven't had time to find anything on Type II diabetes and RA, but I do know that I have read that the inflammatory nature of RA is thought to contribute to problems with glucose metabolism in diabetics as well as non-diabetics. Prednisone also influences the glucose and insulin balance, but can be beneficial in low doses. Hope I've given you some help and not just muddied the waters. Please let me know what you think. ----- Original Message ----- From: " /Celine Kossart " <kozys@...> < egroups> Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 10:19 AM Subject: Re: [ ] Morning Stiffness > > Hi all, > > I was wondering...do you ALL feel morning stiffness? Doc kept asking me > this while trying to come up with a diagnosis for my joint pains and > rheumatologist practically TOLD me I had this. > > Truth is, I DON'T have this and sometimes feel better upon awakening. It's > after a day of lugging myself around that I would normally feel the same or > a little worse at nite. Am I unusual (well at least in this context!)? > > Just wondering.... > > Kossart > > /Celine Kossart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 , I couldn't agree move, it is pain. My Rheumy is always asking me about the stiffness too. Me Mom ---------- > From: Temple <dat2352@...> > egroups > Subject: Re: [ ] Morning Stiffness > Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 2:20 PM > > et. al, > Don't you just love that phrase-morning stiffness? Let's be honest-it is > pain. > *** Temple*** > Kuddle Kritters Farm > Chelmsford, MA > dat2352@... > www.homestead.com/kuddlekraft/index.html > www.homestead.com/kuddlekrittersfarm/index.html > www.homestead.com/kuddlekrittersdairygoats/index.html > > > > Our websites: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/ > http://www.rasupport.webprovider.com/ > Change subscription options: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 IT IS PAIN. MORNING STIFFNESS DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 CONSIDER YOURSELF VERY LUCKY TO NOT HAVE THE MORNING STIFFNESS(PAIN) WATCH FOR IT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE WEATHER CHANGES , YOUR PERIOD IS DUE, HIGH STRESS LEVELS, ETC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 , I really wonder if your diagnosis was correct. Do you have copies of your lab work? What criteria did your doctor use? Morning stiffness is present in most all cases of RA in varying degrees. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, and it is very common for RA to be misdiagnoses because there no specific tests. There are many tests that POINT to RA, but even those are not definite diagnosis. Here are some links that explain arthritis caused by diabetes: http://my.webmd.com/content/dmk/dmk_article_1458179 Diabetes is associated with: Neuropathic Arthropathy (Charcot Joint) An extreme form of osteoarthritis caused by a disturbance in the sensory innervation of a joint. Causes include diabetes (foot), tabes dorsalis (lower extremity), syringomyelia (upper extremity), Hansen's disease, myelomeningocele. http://www.worldortho.com/database/lectures/lecture2.html a ----- Original Message ----- From: /Celine Kossart <kozys@...> < egroups> Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 11:19 AM Subject: Re: [ ] Morning Stiffness > > Hi all, > > I was wondering...do you ALL feel morning stiffness? Doc kept asking me > this while trying to come up with a diagnosis for my joint pains and > rheumatologist practically TOLD me I had this. > > Truth is, I DON'T have this and sometimes feel better upon awakening. It's > after a day of lugging myself around that I would normally feel the same or > a little worse at nite. Am I unusual (well at least in this context!)? > > Just wondering.... > > Kossart > > /Celine Kossart > kozys@... > > > > > Our websites: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/ > http://www.rasupport.webprovider.com/ > Change subscription options: > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 Very well said . ----- Original Message ----- From: Matsumura <Matsumura_Clan@...> < egroups> Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 3:39 PM Subject: Re: [ ] Morning Stiffness > Welcome, ! > > Your case is very complicated and I'm afraid that I'm forced to roll out my > " Get a Second Opinion " speech. From what you describe here regarding your > rheumatologist's unwillingness to accept the fact that you aren't reporting > any morning stiffness, his diagnosis may not be a very objective or accurate > one. Instead of listening carefully to your history, examining you, > reviewing your labs, and then making a diagnosis (or deciding that he is > unsure), he may have diagnosed you with RA in haste or in error. He also may > have been asking you leading questions. Under the circumstances, I believe a > second opinion would be wise. Getting a solid diagnosis is extremely > important. > > Morning stiffness or " gelling " is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. > Stiffness lasting longer than 30 minutes after awakening is used as a > classification criterion for RA. > > On what did your rheumatologist base your RA diagnosis? Unfortunately, RA is > a difficult diagnosis to make, especially in the early stages. In addition, > there is no one single lab test that can either rule in or exclude RA. A > diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a clinical one. > > I read your introductory post and am wondering when your doctors decided to > put you on prednisone. Was the prednisone supposed to treat the > pericarditis? > > In answer to some of the questions you posed in your first email, following > are some good links to information on RA. > > > Here is an solid, general overview of rheumatoid arthritis: > > http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/rheumatoid/rheumatoid.txt > > > This is a very good article on RA that is very detailed and discusses drug > treatment options, too: > > http://my.webmd.com/content/dmk/dmk_article_40005 > > > This link will take you to an excellent discussion of current treatments and > the future for people with RA: > > http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1700.50682 > > > I way behind in my mail and haven't had time to find anything on Type II > diabetes and RA, but I do know that I have read that the inflammatory nature > of RA is thought to contribute to problems with glucose metabolism in > diabetics as well as non-diabetics. Prednisone also influences the glucose > and insulin balance, but can be beneficial in low doses. > > Hope I've given you some help and not just muddied the waters. Please let me > know what you think. > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: " /Celine Kossart " <kozys@...> > < egroups> > Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 10:19 AM > Subject: Re: [ ] Morning Stiffness > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > I was wondering...do you ALL feel morning stiffness? Doc kept asking me > > this while trying to come up with a diagnosis for my joint pains and > > rheumatologist practically TOLD me I had this. > > > > Truth is, I DON'T have this and sometimes feel better upon awakening. > It's > > after a day of lugging myself around that I would normally feel the same > or > > a little worse at nite. Am I unusual (well at least in this context!)? > > > > Just wondering.... > > > > Kossart > > > > /Celine Kossart > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Our websites: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/ > http://www.rasupport.webprovider.com/ > Change subscription options: > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 i have it sometimes so bad i can't get out of bed. it's usualy cold and damp for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 " Matsumura " <Matsumura_Clan@...> wrote: Welcome, ! >Your case is very complicated and I'm afraid that I'm forced to roll out my > " Get a Second Opinion " speech. From what you describe here regarding >your >rheumatologist's unwillingness to accept the fact that you aren't reporting >any morning stiffness, his diagnosis may not be a very objective or >accurate >one. Instead of listening carefully to your history, examining you, >reviewing your labs, and then making a diagnosis (or deciding that he is >unsure), he may have diagnosed you with RA in haste or in error. All the labs from the past couple of months and relevant info was faxed to the rheumatologist by my primary doc, who, by the way has impressed me with his concern and thoroughness through all this - I trust him implicitly. > Under the circumstances, I believe a second opinion would be wise. >Getting a solid diagnosis is extremely important. Unfortunately, rheumatologists are apparently very rare around here in north-central Illinois. My doc got me into to see him quickly as a personal favor but there is normally a three month wait. I had to drive almost two hours to see this guy. The only other one was in Chicago and that was a seven month waiting period. >Morning stiffness or " gelling " is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. >Stiffness lasting longer than 30 minutes after awakening is used as a >classification criterion for RA. I've read the time period is two hours after awakening. >On what did your rheumatologist base your RA diagnosis? Unfortunately, RA >is >a difficult diagnosis to make, especially in the early stages. In addition, >there is no one single lab test that can either rule in or exclude RA. A >diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a clinical one. As mentioned above, diagnosis was based on relevant records and info faxed to him in addition to his questions and examination at his office. > Was the prednisone supposed to treat the pericarditis? I believe so at least primarily. The doctor mentioned he heard a rub in his office and sent me for an echocardiogram the next day which confirmed his suspicion of the pericardits. By late afternoon I was in the hospital and prednisone was started the following a.m. I have the complete progression of my situation and symptoms typed up as so many people have asked me about it. I just trot it out and email as needed. If you are interested I can send it to you, too. Thanks for the help and the links! Kossart /Celine Kossart kozys@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 Judy in AZ < JHend65291@...> wrote: >>, If I try to hop out of bed for something quickly , I am usually so stiff in ankles, knees and such I almost fall over...and my hands are always stiff and feel swollen for an hour or more...especially now that it is colder in mornings(in Az about 40 in AM ).I usually have more trouble staying comfortable and keeping asleep at night . I wake up from tossing and turning trying to find an unsore spot to sleep....I know my RD always asks how bad pain and stiffness is and how long it lasts.Some mornings I stay away from the glass dishes....and lately I have had bad pain in hands and wrists and in shoulders..flares are the pits......Judy in AZ<< Judy, I had pain but only if I moved something the wrong way. Unfortunately, most movements and trying to do every day things apparently moved something the wrong way! I had primary pain and swelling in my hands, writst, fingers and shoulders. Also had a touch in knees and elbows. The swelling limited the movement and if forced would hurt, but if I got in certain positions, there was no pain at all. So I was able to get comfortable in bed at nite but just couldn't fall asleep. Upon awakening, I felt rested and nothing hurt until I went to get up and about, and then of course I was moving things the wrong way again. However, I didn't have stiffness - just always the swelling. I still have a touch of swelling but its reduction since going on Prednizone has been so great that I have a great deal of increased movement and consequently much less pain as there is now a much lesser chance of moving something the wrong way. For example, before I couldn't make a fist due to swelling, now I can though a couple of finger joints still feel a little tight. I also cannot kneel because at a certain point in bending the right knee goes OW! But in normal everyday things the knees feel fine. Other joints affected have similar experiences. Also, sometimes before everyhing would just ache - like a toothache in my arms, hands, shoulders, etc. Anyway, thanks for the response. Kossart /Celine Kossart kozys@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2000 Report Share Posted November 15, 2000 " a " <aA@...> wrote: >>, I really wonder if your diagnosis was correct. Do you have copies of your lab work? What criteria did your doctor use? Morning stiffness is present in most all cases of RA in varying degrees. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, and it is very common for RA to be misdiagnoses because there no specific tests. There are many tests that POINT to RA, but even those are not definite diagnosis.<< I don't know what all my primary tested me for over the past couple months though I know some of them were for Hepatitis B & C, Lyme Disease and some sort of test that indicates if you have antibodies or something for arthritis. He also considered Lupus but really doesn't think it is that due to a lack of many associated symptoms and the results of an ANA test. When I was put in the hospital he thought the pericarditis may have been caused by a reaction to the Pravachol I had been on but last week he said he is becoming more pessimistic about that. I see him again tomorrow (Thursday) morning. Any suggestions from you or the list what I should ask him other than " Now what? Where do we go from here? " BTW, the second link for the world ortho came back as an " unable to locate " message. Thanks for the info, a. Kossart /Celine Kossart kozys@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 16, 2000 Report Share Posted November 16, 2000 , It's not unusual to get up in the morning and not feel stiffness. I too am not so terribly stiff in the mornings, however, it's not that often. When I am stiff it doesn't last very long anyway. If I do a little extra (like standing too long, walking too much, or working with my hands for a long time)during the course of the day into the night, then the stiffness progressively gets worse as does the pain. Regards, Sylvia > > Hi all, > > I was wondering...do you ALL feel morning stiffness? Doc kept asking me > this while trying to come up with a diagnosis for my joint pains and > rheumatologist practically TOLD me I had this. > > Truth is, I DON'T have this and sometimes feel better upon awakening. It's > after a day of lugging myself around that I would normally feel the same or > a little worse at nite. Am I unusual (well at least in this context!)? > > Just wondering.... > > Kossart > > /Celine Kossart > kozys@t... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2000 Report Share Posted November 17, 2000 , I've learned over the years to ask for copies of my tests. It may be very helpful in the future if you asked for copies. Here's a link to my website that has information about testing in RA: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/Drugs%20 & %20testing.htm#lab tests a ----- Original Message ----- From: /Celine Kossart <kozys@...> < egroups> Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 2:57 PM Subject: Re: [ ] Morning Stiffness > > " a " <aA@...> wrote: > > >>, > I really wonder if your diagnosis was correct. Do you have copies of your > lab work? What criteria did your doctor use? Morning stiffness is present > in most all cases of RA in varying degrees. There are over 100 different > types of arthritis, and it is very common for RA to be misdiagnoses because > there no specific tests. There are many tests that POINT to RA, but even > those are not definite diagnosis.<< > > I don't know what all my primary tested me for over the past couple months > though I know some of them were for Hepatitis B & C, Lyme Disease and some > sort of test that indicates if you have antibodies or something for > arthritis. He also considered Lupus but really doesn't think it is that > due to a lack of many associated symptoms and the results of an ANA test. > When I was put in the hospital he thought the pericarditis may have been > caused by a reaction to the Pravachol I had been on but last week he said > he is becoming more pessimistic about that. I see him again tomorrow > (Thursday) morning. Any suggestions from you or the list what I should ask > him other than " Now what? Where do we go from here? " > > > BTW, the second link for the world ortho came back as an " unable to locate " > message. > > > Thanks for the info, a. > > > Kossart > > /Celine Kossart > kozys@... > > > > > Our websites: http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/ > http://www.rasupport.webprovider.com/ > Change subscription options: > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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