Re: My First time here/Thanks to you all

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for your responses, Harold thanks to you for suggesting seeing another rhuemy, I myself thought I might have the fibromyalgia first but this doctor doesn't seem to think so. I have had another rhuemy recommended and I think I will make an appointment with him. To the ones who suggested the Ambien the doctor I am using now wants me to try OTC sleep aids first, if they don't work then he will call in the Ambien. This past week I had some chest pain and had to go to the ER and now I am going to have a treadmill test done this week. Do any of you have chest pain with the RA? Again thank you all for you input and I hope you all have a good day. God Bless.

MikeHarold Van Tuyl <hvantuyl@...> wrote:

From your description I'm not so sure you have RA. Things that come to mind are fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, either of which might cause more of the symptoms you describe. There are certain sensitive points for a doctor to check for fibromyalgia but diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome is difficult and controversial. I suggest getting a second opinion from a rheumatologist.

Prednisone is a strong anti-inflammatory and usually helps quickly to relieve the symptoms of RA at least somewhat. if Prednisone does not help you, that is diagnositic information that tends to rule out RA, but does not rule it out completely. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: michealt1956

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 10:30 AM

Subject: My First time here

Hello, my name is Mike and I have been diagnosied with RA in the last few months. The question I have right now is that I have more tissue pain than joint pain. They have just put me on plaquenil and I take prednisone also. I am tired all the time, I don't sleep well and generally feel unwell. I am 48 and am not ready to quite working yet, if any of you could give me some insight it would be great.Thanks,Mike__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Mike,

Good luck with the new rheumatologist..I just wanted to comment on the chest pain issue...I have had bouts with pleurasy (inflammed lungs related to RA) and it is quite painful, constant, and hurts to breathe kind of thing. It sometimes lasts a week or so....and the prednisone I take normally helps it (I take 10 mg. a day) I've never had any heart problems, so I'm not sure what that kind of chest pain is like...and I'm sure your dr. is just trying to rule out all possibilities.Sleep is something we all need to function, and those of us who live with chronic pain learn this pretty quickly....I applaud your desire to continue working and I hope that your employer is accomodating and willing to be understanding and work WITH you.

Best to you, and never give up!

Mike on <michealt1956@...> wrote:

Thank you all for your responses, Harold thanks to you for suggesting seeing another rhuemy, I myself thought I might have the fibromyalgia first but this doctor doesn't seem to think so. I have had another rhuemy recommended and I think I will make an appointment with him. To the ones who suggested the Ambien the doctor I am using now wants me to try OTC sleep aids first, if they don't work then he will call in the Ambien. This past week I had some chest pain and had to go to the ER and now I am going to have a treadmill test done this week. Do any of you have chest pain with the RA? Again thank you all for you input and I hope you all have a good day. God Bless.

MikeHarold Van Tuyl <hvantuyl@...> wrote:

From your description I'm not so sure you have RA. Things that come to mind are fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, either of which might cause more of the symptoms you describe. There are certain sensitive points for a doctor to check for fibromyalgia but diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome is difficult and controversial. I suggest getting a second opinion from a rheumatologist.

Prednisone is a strong anti-inflammatory and usually helps quickly to relieve the symptoms of RA at least somewhat. if Prednisone does not help you, that is diagnositic information that tends to rule out RA, but does not rule it out completely. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: michealt1956

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 10:30 AM

Subject: My First time here

Hello, my name is Mike and I have been diagnosied with RA in the last few months. The question I have right now is that I have more tissue pain than joint pain. They have just put me on plaquenil and I take prednisone also. I am tired all the time, I don't sleep well and generally feel unwell. I am 48 and am not ready to quite working yet, if any of you could give me some insight it would be great.Thanks,Mike

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Mike, I had chest pains once and whether it was related to the RA or not I don't know. My GP sent me for a lung x-ray and some blood work for heart enzymes and got me an emergency appointment with a cardiologist. He also told me that if it happened again I should go directly to the emergency room instead of using perhaps valuable time in seeing him first. Anyway my lungs were clear, no heart attack, but I had inflammation around the heart (pericarditis). I was told to take the maximum recommended Ibuprofen and increase my Prednisone to 10 mg daily. A week later I was fine and began a quick taper off the Prednisone. Then I also began decreasing the Ibuprofen because of possible stomach problems. This took care of the pericarditis and it hasn't come back. That was about two years ago.

When I have chest pains I can't distinguish where it is coming from so I assume it might be the beginnings of a heart attack. On the other hand I don't want to be a hypochondriac. It's hard to know when a chest pain is bad enough to require medical treatment but it is better to err on the side of caution.

Inflammation around the lungs can happen similar to pericarditis around the heart. I think that might be what pleurisy is and the treatment is the same. Anyway it is prudent to get it checked out. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: Mike on

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 5:42 AM

Subject: Re: My First time here/Thanks to you all

Thank you all for your responses, Harold thanks to you for suggesting seeing another rhuemy, I myself thought I might have the fibromyalgia first but this doctor doesn't seem to think so. I have had another rhuemy recommended and I think I will make an appointment with him. To the ones who suggested the Ambien the doctor I am using now wants me to try OTC sleep aids first, if they don't work then he will call in the Ambien. This past week I had some chest pain and had to go to the ER and now I am going to have a treadmill test done this week. Do any of you have chest pain with the RA? Again thank you all for you input and I hope you all have a good day. God Bless.

Mike

[Guest guest]

I know exactly what you mean Harold! I was diagnosed after 10 days

in hospital with initially going to Accident & Emergency with chest

pains, where I was found to have fluid around my heart. According to

my rheumy RA can cause fluid around your heart and lungs, it can

also cause your liver and spllen to swell!

I have had a couple of days when I've had quite bad paid around my

heart, up my neck and down my heart, I've seen little point in going

to the docs because I know exactly whats causing and know there is

little they can do. Of course if I started getting short of breath,

blue around the lips and getting clammy then thats the time to call

the ambulance!

> Mike, I had chest pains once and whether it was related to the RA

or not I don't know. My GP sent me for a lung x-ray and some blood

work for heart enzymes and got me an emergency appointment with a

cardiologist. He also told me that if it happened again I should go

directly to the emergency room instead of using perhaps valuable

time in seeing him first. Anyway my lungs were clear, no heart

attack, but I had inflammation around the heart (pericarditis). I

was told to take the maximum recommended Ibuprofen and increase my

Prednisone to 10 mg daily. A week later I was fine and began a

quick taper off the Prednisone. Then I also began decreasing the

Ibuprofen because of possible stomach problems. This took care of

the pericarditis and it hasn't come back. That was about two years

ago.

>

> When I have chest pains I can't distinguish where it is coming

from so I assume it might be the beginnings of a heart attack. On

the other hand I don't want to be a hypochondriac. It's hard to

know when a chest pain is bad enough to require medical treatment

but it is better to err on the side of caution.

>

> Inflammation around the lungs can happen similar to pericarditis

around the heart. I think that might be what pleurisy is and the

treatment is the same. Anyway it is prudent to get it checked out.

God bless.

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Mike on

> Rheumatoid Arthritis

> Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 5:42 AM

> Subject: Re: My First time here/Thanks to

you all

>

>

> Thank you all for your responses, Harold thanks to you for

suggesting seeing another rhuemy, I myself thought I might have the

fibromyalgia first but this doctor doesn't seem to think so. I have

had another rhuemy recommended and I think I will make an

appointment with him. To the ones who suggested the Ambien the

doctor I am using now wants me to try OTC sleep aids first, if they

don't work then he will call in the Ambien. This past week I had

some chest pain and had to go to the ER and now I am going to have a

treadmill test done this week. Do any of you have chest pain with

the RA? Again thank you all for you input and I hope you all have a

good day. God Bless.

>

> Mike