Guest guest Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Hi Betsy: Welcome to the group - you will find wonderful, compassionate, and caring people here, and lots of information. I would be confused too, with all these different dx coming at you. I'll try my best to figure some of it out for you. I, too, have RA, and am 52 years old, from California, but was born in El Paso, Tx. When you change doctors, sometimes the new doctor must run new tests to see for himself if the dx is the correct one or not. Has he done blood work? Was your prior blood work positive for RA factor, etc.? Why did he raise your Mtx? Were you having more pain? I also have Osteoarthritis, but not osteoporosis, by bone scan. I have the bones of a 30 year old, they say, but I say I feel my body is more like an 80 year old most of the time. I don't know if the bone scan would show osteoarthritis, I got that dx a few years after my bone scan, by x-rays of my knees, hands, and feet, where the OA shows up along with RA changes. Inflammatory arthritis, I think, is kind of a catch all dx for any kind of inflammation in your body that causes symptoms of arthritis. I've had that dx too from a new doctor, who was not sure if I had RA when she first saw me. I had been dx with RA 6 years or so before I saw her, by blood work and physical presentation of symptoms. I was I was in good control RA-wise, with Mtx 20 mg. and Enbrel. She then began lowering my dose of Mtx (I am also on Enbrel) but when lowering the Mtx caused more pain, she kept the 10 mg. Mtx, and my papers reflect the RA dx again. I think they just like to make their own determination and not depend on what another doctor has dx. Don't know if that is what your doctor is doing, or maybe your RA tests came back negative, and he is unsure? They have so many things for any kind of arthritis like symptoms - there are over 100 types of arthritis, I believe. I have always read that if you had a positive RA dx before, by blood work usually, then you have RA forever. ( or a, correct me if I am wrong here.) I think this new doctor is just trying to get a handle on your case, and not wanting to commit himself to following a dx made by another doctor. I have no idea what tunnel erosion is, but it kind of sounds like something to do with carpal tunnel syndrome, and when there is erosion of the carpal tunnel space due to constant inflammation, it does cause changes in that space, a narrowing, and maybe he calls it erosion instead. This can be caused by either carpal tunnel itself, or by RA in your wrists affecting the carpal tunnel, I believe. Anyway, just my 2 cents worth, and I am sure that there are more informed individuals out there that can further explain these things, and perhaps show that I know nothing at all lol. hang in there - Kathe in CA --- cammiesmom4 <betsyg77041@...> wrote: > Good morning, everyone. I am new to this group, and > I want to start > by saying Thank You for being here. I am from > Texas, and am 59 years > young. > I am very confused right now. I have been diagnosed > with Rheumatoid > Arthritis for one year, and am taking Methotrexate. > I was on 15 mgs. > but just changed doctors and, after running many > tests, including MRIs > of my hands and wrists, has upped the dosage to 20 > mgs. He says that, > for now, he is calling my diagnosis " inflamatory > arthritis " but also > says that I have tunnel erosion in my wrists. He > says I also have > osteo arthritis, and have a normal body bone scan so > I don't have > osteoporosis. So, is the tunnel erosion in my > wrists from RA? Or > Osteo? If it's from RA, why did he call it > inflamatory arthritis??? > I'm very confused..... > Betsy > > > > > > > Kathe " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. " __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Hi, Kathe. Thanks so much for all the information in your email. It helps to know there is so much knowledge available. Tunnel erosion is the term the reader of the mri used, and it applied to the knuckles on my fingers as well as the bones in my wrists. So, unfortunately, it is not something as simple as carpel tunnel (which I have had, also). In fact, one finger, it says there is a deep tunnel erosion going almost all the way across the entire joint. Ugh! Thanks again for your help. Betsy in Houston > > > Good morning, everyone. I am new to this group, and > > I want to start > > by saying Thank You for being here. I am from > > Texas, and am 59 years > > young. > > I am very confused right now. I have been diagnosed > > with Rheumatoid > > Arthritis for one year, and am taking Methotrexate. > > I was on 15 mgs. > > but just changed doctors and, after running many > > tests, including MRIs > > of my hands and wrists, has upped the dosage to 20 > > mgs. He says that, > > for now, he is calling my diagnosis " inflamatory > > arthritis " but also > > says that I have tunnel erosion in my wrists. He > > says I also have > > osteo arthritis, and have a normal body bone scan so > > I don't have > > osteoporosis. So, is the tunnel erosion in my > > wrists from RA? Or > > Osteo? If it's from RA, why did he call it > > inflamatory arthritis??? > > I'm very confused..... > > Betsy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Kathe > > " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. " > > > > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2006 Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 Hi Betsy: At least you hve a definate diagnosis finally, and now you can adjust your treatment program. Sounds like you are on the right course now, and your doctor is trying to help you. It could be the Mtx itself making you feel more tired - I know that I have much more fatigue for the one to two days after my dose. Take care - Kathe in CA --- cammiesmom4 <betsyg77041@...> wrote: > Hi, everyone. I have not posted in a few days, have > not been feeling > well. I wanted to catch you up with the " final > answer " on the tunnel > erosion question I posted a few weeks ago. I had a > visit with my > doctor yesterday, who confirmed that the only thing > that causes tunnel > erosion and scoop erosions to show up in MRIs is RA. > He confirmed > that even though I have a zero RA factor and zero > Anti-CPP score, I > definitely have RA. Said he would do another set of > MRIs in 6 months > to make sure there were no changes, and if there > are, then we will add > additional medication (other than the 20mgs. of > Methotrexate I'm > currently taking). > His nurse called me today to tell me that my sed > rate on my latest > blood tests had jumped from 28 to 54, even though he > had upped my MTX > from 15 to 20 mgs. Don't know why that happened, I > was actually > thinking I was feeling better (pain wise) but have > been more tired. > Anyway, thank you to all of you guys for your > support and the vast > quantity of information! May you have a pain free > evening. > Betsy in Houston > > > > > > Kathe " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. " __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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