Re: Possible diagnosis of RA

[Guest guest]

> Welcome Geri,

>

> There are no specific lab tests for RA, but there are several that can

> indicate RA.

> Rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages for

> several reasons. First, there is no single test for the disease. Symptoms

> differ from person to person and can be more severe in some people than in

> others. They

> also can mimic other types of arthritis. To diagnose RA, your physician will

> take a medical history and perform a physical examination. Some of the

> conditions your doctor looks for include swelling and warmth around the joint,

> painful motion, lumps under the skin, joint deformities and joint contractures

> (inability to fully stretch or bend the joint). He will take blood tests and

> x-rays. The blood tests may indicate an antibody called rheumatoid factor, an

> indicator of RA. They will also show if you have inflammation by tests called

> C-reactive protein and sed rate. You can read about these tests at these

> sites:

>

> http://www.rheumatic.org/tests.htm

> http://arthritiscentral.com/html/tests.htm

> http://arthritis.about.com/library/weekly/aa091697.htm

>

> It is very common to wake up at night with pain. RA is symmetrical, meaning

> that it is on both sides as you describe. Stiffness and pain are common,

> especially when you wake up. At the bottom of every email is a link to my

> site that has links to a lot of information on RA.

>

> http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/

>

> Feel free to ask any questions. We have many very knowledgeable people on

> this list and someone usually has the answers. There are over 100 different

> types of arthritis, so try not to get upset about the possible diagnosis.

> a

>

>

>

> Hi,

> I'm a 41 year old female with a possible case of rheumatoid

> problems & I'm wondering if anyone can answer any questions for me.

> I just woke up one day about 2 months ago & my right hand,

> especially the index & ring fingers, were swollen & stiff. Since I

> have lymphedema in my legs I thought this was the same thing. I

> finally got in to see a lymphedema specialist & he said it was

> probably a rhemuatoid problem & to see a rheumatologist. My

> appointment with the rheumatologist is on July 8th.

>

> Thanks for listening to my medical background - now for the

> questions:

> Are there any tests to definitively diagnose this

> condition?

> Is it common to wake up at night with pain in the

> affected areas?

> Does this usually affect both sides in a similar fashion?

> (My left hand & fingers are now swollen too.)

> My fingers are now starting to get 'stuck' when doing

> certain activities (holding a paintbrush while painting the deck).

> Is that a common occurence? I was able to relax the fingers & get

> them to bend after about 30 seconds or so.

>

> I appreciate any insight anyone can give me. I would like to be

> able to ask intelligent questions of the doctor & have some

> knowledge of the disease before I see him. Thanks!

>

> Geri

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Geri!

I'm very sorry to hear about all of your problems.

What caused the lymphedema in your legs, may I ask? Why did the specialist

rule out lymphedema as the possible cause of the new problems in your hands?

When you say that your hands and fingers are swollen, is the swelling more

pronounced near any particular joints or is there swelling over the entire

digit or hand?

As a mentioned, a rheumatologist must listen to you, examine you, read

over your medical history, order any appropriate lab tests, and then try to

determine if you could have any one of over 100 different conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is just one of them.

I'm glad you found us. We'll try to help you any way that we can.

[ ] Possible diagnosis of RA

> Hi,

> I'm a 41 year old female with a possible case of rheumatoid

> problems & I'm wondering if anyone can answer any questions for me.

> I just woke up one day about 2 months ago & my right hand,

> especially the index & ring fingers, were swollen & stiff. Since I

> have lymphedema in my legs I thought this was the same thing. I

> finally got in to see a lymphedema specialist & he said it was

> probably a rhemuatoid problem & to see a rheumatologist. My

> appointment with the rheumatologist is on July 8th.

>

> Thanks for listening to my medical background - now for the

> questions:

> Are there any tests to definitively diagnose this

> condition?

> Is it common to wake up at night with pain in the

> affected areas?

> Does this usually affect both sides in a similar fashion?

> (My left hand & fingers are now swollen too.)

> My fingers are now starting to get 'stuck' when doing

> certain activities (holding a paintbrush while painting the deck).

> Is that a common occurence? I was able to relax the fingers & get

> them to bend after about 30 seconds or so.

>

> I appreciate any insight anyone can give me. I would like to be

> able to ask intelligent questions of the doctor & have some

> knowledge of the disease before I see him. Thanks!

>

> Geri

[Guest guest]

a & ,

Thank you both for your speedy replies! As you know this is a frightening &

confusing time. Of course the big questions of the doctor are: What do I have?

What is the prognosis? etc, etc

I hope to check out the sites that a recommends later today. I

appreciate your sharing your medical knowledge on the subject. It makes it

easier to ask the right questions of the doctor when you've got some background

on the disease.

The lymphedema in my legs is primary lymphedema, meaning nobody knows why it

occurred all of a sudden, it just did. I spent over 6 months getting a correct

diagnosis on that one a couple of years ago. I went through all the doctors &

tests they could come up with at Mass General Hospital, no one ever found a

cause for it. The doctor at Lahey Clinic that I went to see for my hands felt

it was not lymphedema in the hands because the swelling is worse in the morning

& gets a little better as the day progresses - the opposite of lymphedema. Also

the amount of pain in my hands is unusual for lymphedema.

The swelling is in both hands, right more than left (I'm right handed if

that makes any difference). It seems to be worse in the index & middle fingers

of both hands, above & below the lower knuckle. There is some swelling in all

my fingers, since I can't fit my rings on any of my fingers any more. Also the

base of the fingers and the area below my thumb on the right hand are swollen at

times.

Thanks again for your answers and concerns. Anything else anyone has to add

is more than welcome! ;-)

Geri

[ ] Possible diagnosis of RA

> Hi,

> I'm a 41 year old female with a possible case of rheumatoid

> problems & I'm wondering if anyone can answer any questions for me.

> I just woke up one day about 2 months ago & my right hand,

> especially the index & ring fingers, were swollen & stiff. Since I

> have lymphedema in my legs I thought this was the same thing. I

> finally got in to see a lymphedema specialist & he said it was

> probably a rhemuatoid problem & to see a rheumatologist. My

> appointment with the rheumatologist is on July 8th.

>

> Thanks for listening to my medical background - now for the

> questions:

> Are there any tests to definitively diagnose this

> condition?

> Is it common to wake up at night with pain in the

> affected areas?

> Does this usually affect both sides in a similar fashion?

> (My left hand & fingers are now swollen too.)

> My fingers are now starting to get 'stuck' when doing

> certain activities (holding a paintbrush while painting the deck).

> Is that a common occurence? I was able to relax the fingers & get

> them to bend after about 30 seconds or so.

>

> I appreciate any insight anyone can give me. I would like to be

> able to ask intelligent questions of the doctor & have some

> knowledge of the disease before I see him. Thanks!

>

> Geri

[Guest guest]

Geri, it's no fun being a medical mystery, I know. From your description, it

sounds like

carpal tunnel syndrome could be part of your problem.

Here is some good reading on that subject:

http://www.arc.org.uk/about_arth/booklets/6008/6008.htm

http://www.medicalmultimediagroup.com/pated/ctd/cts/cts.html

http://www.fpnotebook.com/ORT331.htm

Re: [ ] Possible diagnosis of RA

> a & ,

>

> Thank you both for your speedy replies! As you know this is a frightening

&

confusing time. Of course the big questions of the doctor are: What do I have?

What is

the prognosis? etc, etc

>

> I hope to check out the sites that a recommends later today. I

appreciate your

sharing your medical knowledge on the subject. It makes it easier to ask the

right

questions of the doctor when you've got some background on the disease.

>

> The lymphedema in my legs is primary lymphedema, meaning nobody knows why

it occurred

all of a sudden, it just did. I spent over 6 months getting a correct diagnosis

on that

one a couple of years ago. I went through all the doctors & tests they could

come up with

at Mass General Hospital, no one ever found a cause for it. The doctor at Lahey

Clinic

that I went to see for my hands felt it was not lymphedema in the hands because

the

swelling is worse in the morning & gets a little better as the day progresses -

the

opposite of lymphedema. Also the amount of pain in my hands is unusual for

lymphedema.

>

> The swelling is in both hands, right more than left (I'm right handed if

that makes

any difference). It seems to be worse in the index & middle fingers of both

hands, above &

below the lower knuckle. There is some swelling in all my fingers, since I

can't fit my

rings on any of my fingers any more. Also the base of the fingers and the area

below my

thumb on the right hand are swollen at times.

>

> Thanks again for your answers and concerns. Anything else anyone has to

add is more

than welcome! ;-)

>

> Geri