Re: Is It Rheumatoid or Is It Osteo??

[Guest guest]

" kezerl "

Did he say that you don't have RA or that certain areas are osteo?

Most of us have both. I lived with Osteo for more than 25yrs before I

was dx'd with RA. My last visit I was aking about my feet, my rheummy

showed me which damaged joints are osteo and which are RA. There are

certain joints that typically (but not always) RA effects and the same

thing for osteo.

I take meds for RA but not osteo, because they quit working. I

remember when we were posting our meds, a while back, several people

posted osteo meds also.

When you go back ask your rheummy. Mine is pretty sharp. Even though I

haven't had x-rays for a year and a half, she examines me well for

changes.

I hope this helps,

Shirley

>

> At my last appointment with my rheumatologist, he announced that the

> arthritis in my knees is osteo and not rheumatoid. He's been

treating

> me for rheumatoid for a year. I don't know what made him change his

> diagnosis. He didn't say whether my fingers are rheumatoid or

osteo.

> He did say my back is osteo.

>

> How do they determine which it is, and why would he change his mind

> after a year of treatment?

>

[Guest guest]

My Rheumy said that to me one day when we were talking about some difficult

problems I was having in my knees, especially the left one. It would swell

once in a while and need wrapping to keep it warm and still for a few days

at a time.

I remembered I had been out the last winter and had to catch a rooster. I

was wearing insulated overalls and squatted down to pick him up. When I did,

BOY did my knees hurt! My pants and overalls bunched up behind my knees,

stretching the ligaments because of the 4 " wad of unforgiving clothing. So

yes, there can be Osteo and Rheumatoid Arthritis, and the Rheumy can tell

the difference most of the time.

Dennis in eastexas

On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 12:22 PM, kezerl <linn@...> wrote:

> At my last appointment with my rheumatologist, he announced that the

> arthritis in my knees is osteo and not rheumatoid. He's been treating

> me for rheumatoid for a year. I don't know what made him change his

> diagnosis. He didn't say whether my fingers are rheumatoid or osteo.

> He did say my back is osteo.

>

> How do they determine which it is, and why would he change his mind

> after a year of treatment?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It's common to have both RA and OA.

RA and OA produce different clinical symptoms and radiographic (or MRI) changes.

The best thing to do is to ask your rheumatologist whether you have one or both.

Not an MD

On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 12:22 PM, kezerl <linn@...> wrote:

> At my last appointment with my rheumatologist, he announced that the

> arthritis in my knees is osteo and not rheumatoid. He's been treating

> me for rheumatoid for a year. I don't know what made him change his

> diagnosis. He didn't say whether my fingers are rheumatoid or osteo.

> He did say my back is osteo.

>

> How do they determine which it is, and why would he change his mind

> after a year of treatment?