Re: Symptoms coming and going?

[Guest guest]

I think you should see a rheumatologist to find out what you really have and what your prospects are with and without medicines. Doctors only prescribe medicines, they don't make you take them. Some people start off mildly and by the time they are bad enough to see a rheumatologist they have irreversible joint damage. If you see a rheumatologist early there is less chance that you will have permanent damage without any warning from your doctor. With modern medicines most people live quite well with rheumatoid arthritis, and maybe that's not what you have. I've heard of Palindromic Arthritis that seems to come and go as you describe, and can either go away or turn into full blown RA. Your rheumatologist can give you more accurate and complete information. Also it may take quite a while to get a diagnosis (often many months) so start early and be patient. Good luck and God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: duluth_aahs

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 3:54 PM

Subject: Symptoms coming and going?

Hi,Last year I started having joint pain, the Dr. said that my RA factor was just mildly elevated. This year she said it is higher but I shouldn't worry--yet.My question is that for about a week or so it will be intense, although the fatigue is worse than the joint pain (although that seems to be increasing) and then it is like it is gone. Perhaps a twinge here and there but generally no swelling or fatigue.It seems like I am having about 3 good weeks and then it hits again. Does this sound like RA still? I do not improve as the day goes on either. If I wake up hurting it doesn't seem to let off.I am avoiding running to a rhuem right away, it seems to me that I am not that bad off at this time and don't want to take a bunch of drugs if I don't really need to.Insights?Dawn

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I also have these " intermittent " flare-ups. Mine come about once a

month and last about a week. Some are worse than others but I agree

with you about the fatigue. I run a low grade fever for several days

that just drains the life out of me. My joints will hurt for several

days then, once the pain subsides the muscle ache from all the

shivering sets in for a couple of days. I continue to take my meds

(Plaquenil and Feldene) because without it the flare-ups would be

more frequent and more severe. My rheumy says I shouldn't have any

fever that it must be from something else, yet most information I

have read about about RA says that fever is a sympton. Go figure. My

pain is not always symmetric either, it may be in one foot, the other

knee, and an elbow. I basically go to my rheumy for maintenance

scripts when I need it and am trying to avoid the stronger meds with

more side effects. I am afraid of methotrexate and some of the

infusion drugs.

Good luck with yours,

Brad

> Hi,

>

> Last year I started having joint pain, the Dr. said that my RA

factor

> was just mildly elevated. This year she said it is higher but I

> shouldn't worry--yet.

>

> My question is that for about a week or so it will be intense,

> although the fatigue is worse than the joint pain (although that

> seems to be increasing) and then it is like it is gone. Perhaps a

> twinge here and there but generally no swelling or fatigue.

>

> It seems like I am having about 3 good weeks and then it hits

again.

> Does this sound like RA still?

>

> I do not improve as the day goes on either. If I wake up hurting

it

> doesn't seem to let off.

>

> I am avoiding running to a rhuem right away, it seems to me that I

am

> not that bad off at this time and don't want to take a bunch of

drugs

> if I don't really need to.

>

> Insights?

> Dawn

[Guest guest]

Hello, This is in Virginia again. I generally run a very low grade fever in the early afternoon as my meds are running out. Also, I take Remicade every 8 weeks the fever gets higher during weeks 6 and 7 as my treatment wears off. I respect your fear of the stronger meds. However, for me, the pain was too awful without the meds. Also, I'm 25 years old and was diagnosed when I was 22. I just can't imagine not working.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>Hi, >My rheumy says I shouldn't have any >fever that it must be from something else, yet most information I >have read about about RA says that fever is a sympton. Go figure. My >pain is not always symmetric either, it may be in one foot, the other >knee, and an elbow. I basically go to my rheumy for maintenance >scripts when I need it and am trying to avoid the stronger meds with >more side effects. I am afraid of methotrexate and some of the >infusion drugs. > Good luck with yours, > > Brad

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[Guest guest]

Dear Anneta,

I completely agree with you. I was lucky -- I was diagnosed only 2 months after my symptoms first started. To me it felt like forver but it was a short time compared to most people. I do take a good bunch of meds -- Azulfidine EN, Prednisone, Ibuprofen, Methotrexate, Folic Acid, and Remicade. I walk quite a bit (I've done 1 marathon & 1 half marathon for the Arthritis Foundation since being diagnosed) but do not follow a good diet (I blame it on the Prednisone!)

To the newly diagnosed, one of the most important things I learned that it is sometimes necessary to fight with people/organizations in order to get the treatment you deserve. I've fought with hospitals, doctors, HMOs, medication supply companies, etc. One of the doctors I complained about got dropped from my medical coverage as an approved provider for false billing (he billed for tests he didn't give me).

With arthritis and other chronic illnesses, it is vital to have a doctor that realizes that your illness affects all facets of your life.

Take care,

in VA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>I was diagnosed in 2000 and like you believed that the intermittent "bad spells" meant I should not go on meds, did not want the diagnosis made, it seemed to final. I started to have more problems, fatigue, insomnia and aches and pains. I live in the desert and when the humidity goes up its miserable, more so than the colder weather. When I finally went in, I found that many of the symptoms and related damage could have been lessened if I had just gone in for the proper treatment. I don't take many meds so far, just follow a good diet and excercise routine that works for me (all people react to different stimuli). I look and feel better now than I have in the last 5 years. Just remember to follow your instincts, speak up if the prescribed treatments don't work, a good relationship with the Doc is imperative to a good outcome. > >Good luck to you >Anneta >

>Hi, > >Last year I started having joint pain, the Dr. said that my RA factor >was just mildly elevated. This year she said it is higher but I >shouldn't worry--yet. > >My question is that for about a week or so it will be intense, >although the fatigue is worse than the joint pain (although that >seems to be increasing) and then it is like it is gone. Perhaps a >twinge here and there but generally no swelling or fatigue. > >It seems like I am having about 3 good weeks and then it hits again. >Does this sound like RA still? > >I do not improve as the day goes on either. If I wake up hurting it >doesn't seem to let off. > >I am avoiding running to a rhuem right away, it seems to me that I am >not that bad off at this time and don't want to take a bunch of drugs >if I don't really need to. > >Insights? >Dawn

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