New to group - have questions.

[Guest guest]

I have not been diagnosed with RA, but think I have had many of the symptoms.

About a month ago, my hands and feet started swelling and I experienced a great

deal of pain. Went to GP and he gave me a steroid shot, Celebrex and Lortab. I

had instant results with pain and swelling. My hands are still numb and feet

and bottom part of legs are giving me a lot of pain. I have been very fatigued

and thought it was due to just retiring and I might be a little depressed. I

went to a hand doctor and he diagnosed me with carpel tunnel in the hands. This

doctor gave me Lyrica, which has helped a great deal, but my feet are still

hurting, but tolerable. My GP ran a series of test and they did not indicate

RA, he diagnosed me with osteo. I have went ahead and made an appt with a

Rheumatologist. that sees my cousin, since auto immune disease runs in our

family. My grandfather died of RA in 1949. My cousin has RA and we have

compared symptoms. I have all the symptoms he had, even the itching, and he

tested negative on his RA factor test. Am I wrong to make an appt with a

rheumatology? I just feel the earlier I start treatment, if I have RA, the

better I will be for it. If I don't have RA, then I need to find out what is

causing the pain. Do my symptoms seem like RA?

Regina

[Guest guest]

Regina,

You're not wrong to want to see a rheumatologist. Please do.

Not an MD

On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 10:57 PM, Regina <regburns@...> wrote:

> I have not been diagnosed with RA, but think I have had many of the symptoms.

 About a month ago, my hands and feet started swelling and I experienced a great

deal of pain.  Went to GP and he gave me a steroid shot, Celebrex and Lortab.  I

had instant results with pain and swelling.  My hands are still numb and feet

and bottom part of legs are giving me a lot of pain.  I have been very fatigued

and thought it was due to just retiring and I might be a little depressed.  I

went to a hand doctor and he diagnosed me with carpel tunnel in the hands. This

doctor gave me Lyrica, which has helped a great deal, but my feet are still

hurting, but tolerable.  My GP ran a series of test and they did not indicate

RA, he diagnosed me with osteo.  I have went ahead and made an appt with a

Rheumatologist. that sees my cousin, since auto immune disease runs in our

family. My grandfather died of RA in 1949.  My cousin has RA and we have

compared symptoms.  I have all the symptoms he had, even the itching, and he

tested negative on his RA factor test.  Am I wrong to make an appt with a

rheumatology?  I just feel the earlier I start treatment, if I have RA, the

better I will be for it.  If I don't have RA, then I need to find out what is

causing the pain.  Do my symptoms seem like RA?

>

>  Regina

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Regina:  I think seeing your Rheumy is a good idea.  If you do have it, it is

wise to begin aggressive treatment right away.

 

Wishing you pain free days ahead.

 

Hugs,

 

Barbara

From: Regina <regburns@...>

Subject: [ ] New to group - have questions.

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 11:57 PM

 

I have not been diagnosed with RA, but think I have had many of the symptoms.

About a month ago, my hands and feet started swelling and I experienced a great

deal of pain. Went to GP and he gave me a steroid shot, Celebrex and Lortab. I

had instant results with pain and swelling. My hands are still numb and feet and

bottom part of legs are giving me a lot of pain. I have been very fatigued and

thought it was due to just retiring and I might be a little depressed. I went to

a hand doctor and he diagnosed me with carpel tunnel in the hands. This doctor

gave me Lyrica, which has helped a great deal, but my feet are still hurting,

but tolerable. My GP ran a series of test and they did not indicate RA, he

diagnosed me with osteo. I have went ahead and made an appt with a

Rheumatologist. that sees my cousin, since auto immune disease runs in our

family. My grandfather died of RA in 1949. My cousin has RA and we have compared

symptoms. I have all the symptoms

he had, even the itching, and he tested negative on his RA factor test. Am I

wrong to make an appt with a rheumatology? I just feel the earlier I start

treatment, if I have RA, the better I will be for it. If I don't have RA, then I

need to find out what is causing the pain. Do my symptoms seem like RA?

Regina

[Guest guest]

You could eventually be diagnosed with seronegative RA. I have been told

that 20% of all individuals with RA are seronegative. This just means that

you test negative on all of the typical diagnostic tests. I was diagnosed

as seronegative RA two and a half years ago and saw immediate results with

methotrexate and folic acid. Good luck to you!

-Jackie

On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 10:57 PM, Regina <regburns@...> wrote:

>

>

> I have not been diagnosed with RA, but think I have had many of the

> symptoms. About a month ago, my hands and feet started swelling and I

> experienced a great deal of pain. Went to GP and he gave me a steroid shot,

> Celebrex and Lortab. I had instant results with pain and swelling. My hands

> are still numb and feet and bottom part of legs are giving me a lot of pain.

> I have been very fatigued and thought it was due to just retiring and I

> might be a little depressed. I went to a hand doctor and he diagnosed me

> with carpel tunnel in the hands. This doctor gave me Lyrica, which has

> helped a great deal, but my feet are still hurting, but tolerable. My GP ran

> a series of test and they did not indicate RA, he diagnosed me with osteo. I

> have went ahead and made an appt with a Rheumatologist. that sees my cousin,

> since auto immune disease runs in our family. My grandfather died of RA in

> 1949. My cousin has RA and we have compared symptoms. I have all the

> symptoms he had, even the itching, and he tested negative on his RA factor

> test. Am I wrong to make an appt with a rheumatology? I just feel the

> earlier I start treatment, if I have RA, the better I will be for it. If I

> don't have RA, then I need to find out what is causing the pain. Do my

> symptoms seem like RA?

>

> Regina

>

>

>