Non-symmetrical pain -- Pam

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam,

This is in VA. I have Reactive Arthritis, which is an arthritis that is triggered by an infection (for me it was an eye infection). RAA is one of the few types of arthritis that is always assymmetrical. I test negative for the Rheumatoid Factor. Before I got diagnosed, my Sed rate was over 200. My last bloodwork it tested at 16 (Yeah! Normal range!)

Unfortunately, RA and other types of arthritis are not as easy to diagnose as you might think. For me, a neurologist (my 13th doctor) referred me to a rheumy, who instantly believed it was arthritis. I think one thing that prevented me from an earlier diagnosis was that none of the first 12 doctors really listened to what I was telling them.

Take care,

> Hi--I just joined this group. I do not have a definitive RA diagnosis-

> -right now my rheumatologist is calling it undifferentiated > connective tissue disease (polyarthritis.) He has me come in every 3 > months, and I am on Plaquenil and Mobic. In the past I was diagnosed > with lupus like syndrome, but my rheum. thinks it is more like RA. > It seems to be worsening with time. I get swollen, painful joints, > and when I flare I get little fevers and feel very fatigued and ill. > In general, I am fatigued from very little effort all the time. Also, > the pain is not symmetrical--for instance, right now my left ankle is > swollen and painful, but not the right. I thought that RA pain was > always symmetrical. And the bloodwork is not definitive for RA, but > my sedimentation rate is high. I was just wondering how many of you > have symmetrical pain with your RA. I was under the impression that > RA was usually fairly easy to diagnose, but I am in limbo here. > Thanks so much for any insight! > Pam

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