Re: Help, my Rheumy is a nightmare

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Wow, your rheumy sounds like a jerk. I have Fbro and haven't been

told I do have osteo. My rheum treats me for all my symptoms. OA is

when the cartilage and lining in your joint breaks down causing

bones to rub together. That's what if my knees feel like when I

walk. But knee xrays where normal. Now my right shoulder is doing

that. But my rheumy still treats me. He gave me Elavil, Ultram,

Lodine and Darvocet N100.

Get a recommendation from your regular doctor to another rheum. Tell

your regular one what's going on.

Good luck to you. Stay in touch.

Debbie L

-- In , " " <melissahancock@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi all, I don't know if you will remember me or not. It has been

awhile since I posted. My reg doc diagnosed me with RA in Sept 04. I

had been hurting for a long time before that . She finally got a

rheumy to see me April 27, mind you that this rheumy is a 3 hour

drive away. On my first visit she done the pressure point test for

Fibro and decided that I have that. Then she sent me to the lab

where they took 8 tubes of blood from me and took a urine sample.

She also sent me to x-ray and they x-rayed my hands, wrists, ankles,

and feet. I went back this past Friday for the results. She said

that all of the tests she done showed that I did not have RA. She

said that i have no joint damage and the RA factor is negative.

Which is wonderful if it is true. The blood tests that my reg. doc

did in 2004 showed the RA factor as positive. The rheumy says that I

have Fibro and Osteoarthritis, and that my reg doc can treat those.

She prescribed elavil to help me sleep and that is all. She said she

would fax other medications that would work for me to my reg. doc

and she could treat me. I am in so much pain I can't do anything,

it hurts to move. Do any of you know how I could be positive for RA

and then be negative? Also I know nothing about osteo, can any of

you enlighten me on this? I really just got the impression that this

Rheumy didn't want to have to fool with me. Because all the ins. I

have is medicare and medicaid. I hate to be a bother, but I am

miserable and I don't know what else to do. Thank You and God

Bless All of You! in KY.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I get nervous about that with medicaid, too, well, I used to, when my kids were

on it. Even when they broke their arms, the ER tried to say they do not cast

kids, and when dh had his motorcycle accident and he had Medicare, they

discharged him locally, but VA kept him in ICU 3 weeks an hour after our ER

discharged him.

I am not sure what the answer is, but it makes me feel like sometimes Medicare

and Medicaide are not worth the paper they are printed on if noone will honor

them and accept them

- In , " " <melissahancock@...> wrote:

>

> Hi all, I don't know if you will remember me or not. It has been awhile since

I posted. My reg doc diagnosed me with RA in Sept 04. I had been hurting for a

long time before that . She finally got a rheumy to see me April 27, mind you

that this rheumy is a 3 hour drive away. On my first visit she done the pressure

point test for Fibro and decided that I have that. Then she sent me to the lab

where they took 8 tubes of blood from me and took a urine sample. She also sent

me to x-ray and they x-rayed my hands, wrists, ankles, and feet. I went back

this past Friday for the results. She said that all of the tests she done showed

that I did not have RA. She said that i have no joint damage and the RA factor

is negative. Which is wonderful if it is true. The blood tests that my reg. doc

did in 2004 showed the RA factor as positive. The rheumy says that I have Fibro

and Osteoarthritis, and that my reg doc can treat those. She prescribed elavil

to help me sleep and that is all. She said she would fax other medications that

would work for me to my reg. doc and she could treat me. I am in so much pain I

can't do anything, it hurts to move. Do any of you know how I could be positive

for RA and then be negative? Also I know nothing about osteo, can any of you

enlighten me on this? I really just got the impression that this Rheumy didn't

want to have to fool with me. Because all the ins. I have is medicare and

medicaid. I hate to be a bother, but I am miserable and I don't know what else

to do. Thank You and God Bless All of You! in KY.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Sorry your rheumy is being a jerk. I tested negative for RA 7 yrs

ago and haven't been told I have OA either. I do have FM though

which my rheum has been treating for 7 years.

Osteoarthritis is when the cartiladge between your bone joints

breaks down, causing the bones to rub together. That's what my knees

feel like when I walk but xrays were normal. My dad had two hip

replacements due to OA.

If your rheum won't treat your FM hopefully your regular doctor

will. If not ask for a recommendation to see a different. rheum if

that's possible on Medicaid.

Good luck,

Debbie L

--- In , " " <melissahancock@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi all, I don't know if you will remember me or not. It has been

awhile since I posted. My reg doc diagnosed me with RA in Sept 04. I

had been hurting for a long time before that . She finally got a

rheumy to see me April 27, mind you that this rheumy is a 3 hour

drive away. On my first visit she done the pressure point test for

Fibro and decided that I have that. Then she sent me to the lab

where they took 8 tubes of blood from me and took a urine sample.

She also sent me to x-ray and they x-rayed my hands, wrists, ankles,

and feet. I went back this past Friday for the results. She said

that all of the tests she done showed that I did not have RA. She

said that i have no joint damage and the RA factor is negative.

Which is wonderful if it is true. The blood tests that my reg. doc

did in 2004 showed the RA factor as positive. The rheumy says that I

have Fibro and Osteoarthritis, and that my reg doc can treat those.

She prescribed elavil to help me sleep and that is all. She said she

would fax other medications that would work for me to my reg. doc

and she could treat me. I am in so much pain I can't do anything,

it hurts to move. Do any of you know how I could be positive for RA

and then be negative? Also I know nothing about osteo, can any of

you enlighten me on this? I really just got the impression that this

Rheumy didn't want to have to fool with me. Because all the ins. I

have is medicare and medicaid. I hate to be a bother, but I am

miserable and I don't know what else to do. Thank You and God

Bless All of You! in KY.

>

>

[Guest guest]

This is a duplicate note. I didn't see my first answer on the board.

-- In , " Debbie Lohf " <clohf@...> wrote:

>

>

> Hi ,

>

> Sorry your rheumy is being a jerk. I tested negative for RA 7 yrs

> ago and haven't been told I have OA either. I do have FM though

> which my rheum has been treating for 7 years.

>

> Osteoarthritis is when the cartiladge between your bone joints

> breaks down, causing the bones to rub together. That's what my

knees

> feel like when I walk but xrays were normal. My dad had two hip

> replacements due to OA.

>

> If your rheum won't treat your FM hopefully your regular doctor

> will. If not ask for a recommendation to see a different. rheum if

> that's possible on Medicaid.

>

> Good luck,

>

> Debbie L

>

>

> >

> > Hi all, I don't know if you will remember me or not. It has been

> awhile since I posted. My reg doc diagnosed me with RA in Sept 04.

I

> had been hurting for a long time before that . She finally got a

> rheumy to see me April 27, mind you that this rheumy is a 3 hour

> drive away. On my first visit she done the pressure point test for

> Fibro and decided that I have that. Then she sent me to the lab

> where they took 8 tubes of blood from me and took a urine sample.

> She also sent me to x-ray and they x-rayed my hands, wrists,

ankles,

> and feet. I went back this past Friday for the results. She said

> that all of the tests she done showed that I did not have RA. She

> said that i have no joint damage and the RA factor is negative.

> Which is wonderful if it is true. The blood tests that my reg. doc

> did in 2004 showed the RA factor as positive. The rheumy says that

I

> have Fibro and Osteoarthritis, and that my reg doc can treat

those.

> She prescribed elavil to help me sleep and that is all. She said

she

> would fax other medications that would work for me to my reg. doc

> and she could treat me. I am in so much pain I can't do anything,

> it hurts to move. Do any of you know how I could be positive for

RA

> and then be negative? Also I know nothing about osteo, can any of

> you enlighten me on this? I really just got the impression that

this

> Rheumy didn't want to have to fool with me. Because all the ins. I

> have is medicare and medicaid. I hate to be a bother, but I am

> miserable and I don't know what else to do. Thank You and

God

> Bless All of You! in KY.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi :

Yes, I remember you! No way could you ever be a

bother! Don't feel bad for coming here to vent, that

is what we are here for. Wow, and a three hour drive,

I am so sorry for that. What a waste. How

frustrating and depressing for you.

Yes, you can have a negative RA factor, and negative

x-rays and still have RA. You could also have had a

false positive RA factor the first time. There are a

lot of " ifs " that could have happened, and it all

still needs to be checked out.

Osteoarthritis is basically wear and tear arthritis

which tends to come on most normally with age, and is

more prone in joints that you have injured. I have OA

in both of my knees, and my thumbs, and this shows up

on x-ray. My RA does not show up on x-ray. My blood

work for the RA factor was positive at the beginning 8

years ago, and I don't think it has been tested again,

or if it has, it has not changed. That doctor at least

diagnosed you as far as the fibro stuff - that is the

one that usually falls through the cracks most often.

All of these diseases tend to mimic each other often,

and sometimes it takes a while to find out what is

exactly going on, but you would need to see another

rheumy probably for that, and from what you say it is

hard for you to find a doctor to accept your

insurance. That is terrible.

What were the other meds she was going to send your

GP? Did she tell you, other than the Elavil, what she

would prescribe for your fibro? I have fibro too, and

that also has a component of stiffness and pain in the

joints, but does not have the warmth, swelling, or

redness of the joints that RA has. It gets very

confusing at times for me too, but I can usually tell

if it is my RA flaring or my Fibro from where the pain

is. The knee pain, OA pain that is, is pretty much

always there. Treatment is basically something for

pain, like Motrin, Aleve, or if the pain is severe,

than pain medications might be prescribed.

I am sorry that you had to go through this, but it's

not all that uncommon, unfortuantely. I hope that

or a are more helpful to you as far as all of

the positive, then negative with the RA factor, and I

am sure that they can find you great information on OA

too. You can always come here, my friend, and vent,

complain, laugh, whatever, we are here for you.

Take care - Kathe in CA

Kathe

" To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. "

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

, sorry to hear that you are in such a frustrating and painful

situation.

The rheumatoid factor (RF) test results can fluctuate between positive and

negative, especially if your initial test was only borderline positive to

begin with. A positive RF isn't specific to RA, and the test results can't

rule RA in or out.

In addition to the RF test and the X-rays, your physician would likely have

been looking for a positive sed rate (ESR) or CRP, significant swelling in

several joints, and a report from you that you experience more than an hour

of stiffness after waking. An anti-CCP test is something you can ask for

that is more specific to RA than the RF test.

I forgot whether you were/are taking anything for your RA. If you were/are,

the meds could have suppressed signs of RA-related inflammation.

It is possible that you don't have RA. Fibromyalgia and OA can indeed be

very painful.

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Help, my Rheumy is a nightmare

Hi all, I don't know if you will remember me or not. It has been awhile

since I posted. My reg doc diagnosed me with RA in Sept 04. I had been

hurting for a long time before that . She finally got a rheumy to see me

April 27, mind you that this rheumy is a 3 hour drive away. On my first

visit she done the pressure point test for Fibro and decided that I have

that. Then she sent me to the lab where they took 8 tubes of blood from me

and took a urine sample. She also sent me to x-ray and they x-rayed my

hands, wrists, ankles, and feet. I went back this past Friday for the

results. She said that all of the tests she done showed that I did not have

RA. She said that i have no joint damage and the RA factor is negative.

Which is wonderful if it is true. The blood tests that my reg. doc did in

2004 showed the RA factor as positive. The rheumy says that I have Fibro and

Osteoarthritis, and that my reg doc can treat those. She prescribed elavil

to help me sleep and that is all. She said she would fax other medications

that would work for me to my reg. doc and she could treat me. I am in so

much pain I can't do anything, it hurts to move. Do any of you know how I

could be positive for RA and then be negative? Also I know nothing about

osteo, can any of you enlighten me on this? I really just got the impression

that this Rheumy didn't want to have to fool with me. Because all the ins. I

have is medicare and medicaid. I hate to be a bother, but I am miserable and

I don't know what else to do. Thank You and God Bless All of You!

in KY.