Perplexed

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I'm 42. I have had a low level, intermittent, undiagnosed problem for

about five years. My primary physical symptom is joint pain. No

significant swelling (a little in the knuckles of one hand), no

redness or heat. I have some mild fatigue. Basically, I feel well. I

have consulted with both an internist and a rheumatologist since the

pain began and have been tested several times for autoimmune

diseases. I have a slightly elevated ANA and RF, but they are both in

the " equivocal " range. I have some definite OA in knees and feet.

About a month ago, the rheumotologist suggested I try Plaquenil.

After 11 days, the side effects of nausea and dizziness brought an

end to that experiment. I see him again on Friday and wonder what

will come from that meeting. Any ideas? I know early, aggressive

treatment is important for RA, yet, is there such a thing as " too

soon " ? I'm not sure what is going on with me, but no doubt, time will

tell.

I also recently quit Vioxx after one month because of side effects,

so I'm back to using ibuprofin cautiously--minimal dose, on full

stomach, not too close to bedtime--I've had past stomach pain from

it. I was sorry to have to quit the Vioxx; it worked well initially.

I've always been sensitive to meds, and I worry that this may limit

future therapies. In addition to the 200-400 mg. of ibuprofin a day,

I take dried ginger capsules and fish oil for their anti-inflammatory

properties.

Besides getting traditional medical care, I'm vigorously pursuing

complementary therapies:

-acupuncture

-Rolfing

-massage

-supplements (came up with a plan from lots of reading, but mostly

from the book " Preventing Arthritis " by an MD who worked with

arthritis patients for over 50 years--Zucker?)

-dietary changes (am investigating possible food sensitivities)

I like the work of Dr. Weil and have taken a lot of guidance

about dietary changes from his writings.

I'm nervous about my meeting with the Rheumatologist on Friday and

would appreciate any thoughts about what I might expect to hear at

this stage of the game. One more question: has anyone experienced

symptoms getting much worse immediately after going off a strong anti-

inflammatory like Vioxx?

Thanks in advance for anything you can offer,

Sierra