Diagnosis--not so easy to come by....

[silverbat]

This is a rant, vent, whine...?? All of the above???

In a previous post, I have mentioned having Meniere's, an auto-immune disorder, as well as asthma and arthritis. Now, I am in a confused state of diagnosis regarding the "type" of arthritis so that appropriate treatment can begin...... ARGhhhh... here goes:

1. when I was 26, xrays showed spurs/arthritis on spine. No fun.

2. arthritis progressing, injured knee, surgery 1992, more surgery 2005..

3. Now need cane to walk, knee worse, surgery a bust, can't afford knee replacement, insurance no real help, there.

4. 2010 see new PCP. says probable Rheumatiod arthritis- run labs, labs normal, Dr says no RA, you are just fat fat fat. tried Mobic, no real help, raised BUN/Cr. Joints involved with arthritis include: elbows, wrists, fingers, knees, toes, feet and hands bilaterally.

much pain, stiffness, etc.

5. 2012 Moved to new state, hoping dry climate will help. Nope. New Dr (NP) says fat, arthritis, go to a Rheumatologist to be sure.

6. Rheumy says osteoarthritis, did no physical exam, just looked at labs(normal, sigh, with 2 elevations, but "ok"according to dr.) Gave Rx for celebrex---NO help with that, and its becoming harder to work, knees, feet, hands and fingers hurt continually. Stiffness, soreness, pain, swelling, redness, fatigue all increasing. Asked for somthing to help with pain, gave me a med that keeps me up all night(ultram) when I told her I didn't tolerate it well, she said to just not take it after 4 pm.... duh... humm guess my pain should just stop at 4 pm????? fired that Dr.

7. New local PCP now states that she feels I have RA even with the normal labs. She says if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, its a duck.. LOL. Dc'd celebrex, costs too much to take and isn't helping.

Soooo now we are trying to figure it out. The treatment-and there are treatments for RA, where there really isn't any for osteo-- are so different that she hesitates to start them. Will have appointment scheduled with new Rheumy soon, I hope.

Am taking prednisone and hoping that will help some.

Dang it, am losing weight, hoping the prednisone munchies don't sabatoge that!

I am just tired and frustrated. I'm tired of hurting, tired of not being able to do what I want to do. Tired of feeling like I am not------me. Pain free me was so much more active, even being fat fat fat! Hoping that soon, pain controlled me can regain some of that!!!!

I worked 12 hours on the floor, 5 days ago, with one day off, and I am still hurting bad from that. That night and the next day, it was all I could do to stand and walk, andmy hand and fingers hurt, oh my did they hurt!!!

Well, I am sure you are tired of my whining..... Hopefully, in the next days, weeks, months, it will all get better!!!----

Always trying to be optimistic, but just tired right now......

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I am so sorry for your pain and frustration. Sounds like you have a plan to find out what is wrong.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

((HUGS)) I am the auto-immune queen. It took several years and many physicians to find someone to listen...now I am looking for someone with the guts to treat it and fight with my insurance company. I was unable to work almost over night. I feel your pain now because of new laws I have to drive almost 80 miles for a prescription...or wait...med less for the script to come in the mail.

I have so many days I am just so tired. tried of fighting, tired of hurting, tired of meds. tired of being sick. I hear ya! ((HUGS))

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Your chest xray is clear?

[silverbat]

yep.. all good....

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

I was diagnosed with RA just over 2 years ago, at the age of 54, after having pain in many joints for more than 25 years. The rheumatologist I went to did all the blood tests needed for diagnosis. Everything was normal except my rheumatoid factor was "slightly" elevated. She told me a lot of doctors would have told me I didn't have RA but based on my history plus the fact that my mom & her sister had RA, she believed this was the cause of all my joint pain & swelling all those years.

It's too bad I wasn't diagnosed long ago because, had I gotten treatment earlier, maybe my knees wouldn't have been destroyed. I have had both knees replaced since the end of October.

I've been on Plaquenil & Enbrel since diagnosis & can definitely tell a difference. I thank my primary care doctor for realizing something more serious than osteoarthritis was going on & sending me to the rheumatologist.

Don't give up trying to get a proper diagnosis. Just because your blood tests are "normal" doesn't mean you don't have something real.