update and questions

[Guest guest]

(I am pasting info from my previous email below to avoid re-typing, see that if

interested)

Since then, my only new symptom is weird swelling and pain around joints - left

ankle, left foot and a bit on right wrist.

Comes and goes away. I guess this confirms the overall diagnosis, does not it?

Historically I am not good taking Prednisone (sp). My RD is now putting me on

MTX for the first time. From what I read about it, MTX sounds evil. So my

question to the group is: as far as taking MTX, any recommendations, pointers,

suggestions?

Also, interesting detail is that my RD suggested AOSD about 10 minutes into our

first conversation. She sounds very informed about it. Is it true that this is

NOT a typical experience and therefore I got a good doctor?

And another question, how many of you started your trip down Still's lane with

muscle pain focused in the feet and legs first?

I think a few people mentioned it, but this is not mentioned in any

commonly-available Still's info.

Thanks, and be pain-free.

General background:

I am 39yo male. Around June 1st I went to local emergency room with progressing

muscle pains in my legs and sore throat. Pain got to the point where I had

problems walking. I had very invasive dental surgery few weeks before so from

the beginning doctors suspected some sort of auto-immune reaction. In

subsequent weeks symptoms came and went while I underwent complete neurological

evaluation (they suspected GBS). All neuro stuff including million bucks worth

of MRIs came out clean. Additional symptoms appeared later and warranted visit

to the RD (my PCP is a nice guy but this is way over his head).

My blood was totally normal on all counts. RD introduced me to the AOSD and

symptoms to watch for and took me off my blood pressure meds and Lipitor both of

which _may_ produce muscle pain related symptoms.

In the last two months my symptoms progressed more and currently I do have:

Faint pink rash coming and going on my arms and chest;

Well-defined daily cycle - I am a lot worse between 5-8 pm;

Larger " flare " cycle - about every 4-5 weeks;

Feeling feverish and then chilly, typically at the same time rash is present;

Muscle pains all over body, mostly in feet and legs;

Joint pain that comes and goes - hips, lower back, knees, elbows, wrists and

weird places like individual finger joint;

Stiff in the morning;

Terrible sore throat and pain around larynx with " clicking " , just like someone

else described;

Chest discomfort, not the heart-attack type but feeling full and " coughy " .

However, I do _NOT_ have:

High fever;

Changes in the blood cell counts.