Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 I have a question- What is the difference, symptom-wise, between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis? I had a family member argue with me that OA was just as " bad " as RA, just that RA could be in more places. I haven't read up that much on OA. Thanks, Kristi --------------------------------- Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs.Try it free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 > I have a question- What is the difference, symptom-wise, between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis? I had a family member argue with me that OA was just as " bad " as RA, just that RA could be in more places. I haven't read up that much on OA. Thanks, Kristi > > --------------------------------- > Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs.Try it free. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 I think the pain from OA can be VERY bad in whatever joint is affected... I had the base joint on my thumb replaced because of OA, and I am very glad I did. From my perspective, as a person who has only had a dx of RA since Jan., and have only had symptoms that I recognize as having been caused by RA since approximately last Sept., the biggest difference is that OA doesn't make you sick and tired. I sometimes get low grade fevers, and feel like I have the flu, which never happens with OA. I also just don't have the stamina I used to. This is not related to the pain... even when I am having good days pain-wise, I typically have to take a nap in the afternoon. Even then, I am usually in bed by 8:30 or so. While the pain has at time been terrible (particularly before I started being treated), I think the fatigue has affected my life more than the pain. That said, at least at the stage of RA I am in, the pain in any particular joint is not constant the way it is with OA. With my thumb, it just hurt all the time, and doing specific activities was always out of the question until the joint replacement. With RA, at least in the beginning, before/unless you start to have joint damage, there are times that the joints are not inflamed and don't hurt. When I was first dx'ed my hands and shoulders were very bad. Right now, my shoulders are fine, and my hands aren't bad. My feet and hips have been pretty bad all along, but still, there are times that they are much better, and times that they are worse. I wouldn't wish either one on anyone. I know that OA can be miserable. It also depends on how bad the OA or RA is in the particular person. I know one person with RA who has had RA for years, has been on Plaquenil for years, and does great... as long as she takes her meds (and she has no side effects from them) she feels fine. I know several people with OA who have needed bilateral hip or knee replacements. I sure wouldn't want to tell those people that their OA wasn't as " bad " as the other lady's RA.<g> So, I guess it depends.<g> > > I have a question- What is the difference, symptom-wise, between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis? I had a family member argue with me that OA was just as " bad " as RA, just that RA could be in more places. I haven't read up that much on OA. Thanks, Kristi > > --------------------------------- > Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs.Try it free. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 I think the pain from OA can be VERY bad in whatever joint is affected... I had the base joint on my thumb replaced because of OA, and I am very glad I did. From my perspective, as a person who has only had a dx of RA since Jan., and have only had symptoms that I recognize as having been caused by RA since approximately last Sept., the biggest difference is that OA doesn't make you sick and tired. I sometimes get low grade fevers, and feel like I have the flu, which never happens with OA. I also just don't have the stamina I used to. This is not related to the pain... even when I am having good days pain-wise, I typically have to take a nap in the afternoon. Even then, I am usually in bed by 8:30 or so. While the pain has at time been terrible (particularly before I started being treated), I think the fatigue has affected my life more than the pain. That said, at least at the stage of RA I am in, the pain in any particular joint is not constant the way it is with OA. With my thumb, it just hurt all the time, and doing specific activities was always out of the question until the joint replacement. With RA, at least in the beginning, before/unless you start to have joint damage, there are times that the joints are not inflamed and don't hurt. When I was first dx'ed my hands and shoulders were very bad. Right now, my shoulders are fine, and my hands aren't bad. My feet and hips have been pretty bad all along, but still, there are times that they are much better, and times that they are worse. I wouldn't wish either one on anyone. I know that OA can be miserable. It also depends on how bad the OA or RA is in the particular person. I know one person with RA who has had RA for years, has been on Plaquenil for years, and does great... as long as she takes her meds (and she has no side effects from them) she feels fine. I know several people with OA who have needed bilateral hip or knee replacements. I sure wouldn't want to tell those people that their OA wasn't as " bad " as the other lady's RA.<g> So, I guess it depends.<g> > > I have a question- What is the difference, symptom-wise, between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis? I had a family member argue with me that OA was just as " bad " as RA, just that RA could be in more places. I haven't read up that much on OA. Thanks, Kristi > > --------------------------------- > Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs.Try it free. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 > > >i was wondering that myself. notice i am using no caps. that is > because i am typing with one finger. i had an operation for basal > joint reconstruction last monday. get another cast on thursday. > mine was due to oa not ra. i just naturally want to blame it all on > the ra cause it causes so many problems. carolyn The good news is that your hand will feel MUCH better once you are healed up! That's the surgery I had, and my only regret was that I waited so long to have it done! Now if RA was HALF as easy to cure!<g> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 > > >i was wondering that myself. notice i am using no caps. that is > because i am typing with one finger. i had an operation for basal > joint reconstruction last monday. get another cast on thursday. > mine was due to oa not ra. i just naturally want to blame it all on > the ra cause it causes so many problems. carolyn The good news is that your hand will feel MUCH better once you are healed up! That's the surgery I had, and my only regret was that I waited so long to have it done! Now if RA was HALF as easy to cure!<g> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2006 Report Share Posted July 5, 2006 Thank you so much everyone for the information on OA vs. RA. It is interesting to know that OA is a different kind of beast than RA and what those differences are. I told my family member that it wasn't a matter of whose was worse, because it definitely isn't something measurable anyway- even within RA I had learned that everyone's degree of symptoms and variations of symptoms- are different. Anyway, good information here! Thanks! Kristi --------------------------------- Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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