Primary Dr/Rheumatologist

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone, Does anyone else here get confused about what both your Primary Dr

& your Rheumatologist tells you? I feel like they are telling me two different

things and I don't know who to believe. :-( For instance, my Primary tells me

that the tingling in my fingertips is due to Neuropathy and that is due to my RA

and then the Rheumatologist tells me they don't know. So what am I supposed to

think? Who do I believe? Please help, I am confused. Traci

[Guest guest]

When it comes to RA, you have to put your trust in your rheumatologist. If

you have doubts about his knowledge or skills, find another rheumy.

I think that a primary care can provide a great deal of information for you,

but he/she is not a specialist and couldn't possibly be kept up to date on

every specialty.

Just my opinion....

_____

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of lucydes29

Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 2:16 AM

Subject: [ ] Primary Dr/Rheumatologist

Hi everyone, Does anyone else here get confused about what both your Primary

Dr & your Rheumatologist tells you? I feel like they are telling me two

different things and I don't know who to believe. :-( For instance, my

Primary tells me that the tingling in my fingertips is due to Neuropathy and

that is due to my RA and then the Rheumatologist tells me they don't know.

So what am I supposed to think? Who do I believe? Please help, I am

confused. Traci

[Guest guest]

- Hello again Traci,

Realise I have just posted to you re carpal tunnel! (Am reading these

mails backwards, better than upside down, lol!)

Your Oh so natural feelings of worry and confusion remind me so much

of my friend trying to get to grips with the shock and bewilderment

of the RA diagnosis a year ago while in the throes of all the ghastly

painful symptoms, and changes in the body.

The need for EXACT answers seems urgent. (I think modern

outlook 'find it then fix it' solutions in general public and press

doesn't help here. These conditions sadly just don't obey the rules!!

Gradually you will realise that this group of illnesses don't fit

neatly into pigeonholes,and what is more sometimes the rheumy doesn't

want to 'own' the off joint symptoms as necessarily in his dept!!!

Here is a tip:

If you keep a kind of 'shorthand' journal over time and treatment,

you will likely know wether the neuropathy and other symptoms

connects with your RA. You will spot patterns. My hunch would be with

your Primary doc that your tingling does, but other causes should be

checked out too.

Best wishes and good luck,

retired doc UK

-- In , " lucydes29 " <lucydes29@...> wrote:

>

> Hi everyone, Does anyone else here get confused about what both

your Primary Dr & your Rheumatologist tells you? I feel like they are

telling me two different things and I don't know who to believe. :-(

For instance, my Primary tells me that the tingling in my fingertips

is due to Neuropathy and that is due to my RA and then the

Rheumatologist tells me they don't know. So what am I supposed to

think? Who do I believe? Please help, I am confused. Traci

>