new to all this

jennyb

hi,
i don't know wot is going on but about 7 months ago i started getting pain in my fingers, wrists,feet and hips.

g.p. was no help at all he just said it was o.a. as my mother suffers with it.

wot i would like to know does it come on like this that one day i was fine then the next i can hardly move with the pain.

Since the first pain i have got worse and am now on painkillers and sleeping pill's help :?:

elnafinn

Hi Jenny

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear your aches and pains are getting worse and you are on painkillers and sleeping pills. Have you had any xrays done or how did your gp arrive at the diagnosis of OA - surely not only because your mum has it too. :roll:

If you are not pleased with your gp I would get a second opinion. Some gps are much more knowledgeable about arthritis than others. GP's cannot possibly specialised in all types of illness. I am surprised he has not referred you anywhere, for example physio is often recommended as a starter and a pain clinic is a good place to get your foot in the door. Even a rheumatologist (rheumy) to make sure that you do have oa and not some other type of arthritis. Did your gp arrange for you to initially have a blood test? This is usually done if there is any suggestion that the patient may have rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Anyway I hope to see your name more on here in the future.

Best wishes
Elna

woodbon

Hello, I have OA and I have it in my hands and wrists as well as lots of other places. Did your GP do a blood test? That is often the first test that is done to see what type of arthritis you have. There are lots of different types and they need different treatments. If you have had a blood test and it was negative, then treatment for the pain with medication and with exercises will help, if you have not had a blood test, I would go back to your GP and ask if you can have one. Lots of people start RA in their hands and feet first.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge than me about RA will be along soon. Also the helpline is a good place to get lots of good, useful information and I think it may also help you to ring them.

Hope you get sorted soon. I'd definatly go back to the GP and discuss your worries about RA. Love Sue

frogmorton

Hi Jenny
Welcome to the forum from me
I know how scary this all is. Gps are not always that helpful or knowledgeable.
You need to have some bloods done to rule out other forms of arthritis and then you can take the next step.
I am sorry you feel so bad and totally undertsand how frightening it is.
Take care
Toni x

breane

Hi Jenny,Welcome to the forum. I don't know if your GP has run all the usual tests like bloods,x rays etc. to determine you definately have arthritis but as there are several types of arthritis he should try to find out which one you have.Did he prescribe your pain killers or are you buying them over the counter?It may be that you need stronger tablets to combat the pain.I would go back and see him and try and get all the relevant tests done.Some GP's need to be pressurized into getting tests started.Hope you will soon get some answers. Breane.

jennyb

i did have blood tests done that was negative for r.a, got to get my x ray results and more blood test on wednesday. I have ended up going private for them, as at the same time i got crumbling disc 's in my back so hopfully i should find out wot is going on.

thank you for yuor replies

vonski

Hi

Sorry to hear you're having all these problems. OA doesn't normally come on so quickly unless you have had an injury/trauma. Keep pestering your Dr. for help and a proper diagnosis. There are 100s of different types of arthritis. If you have a look on the about arthritis at the top of the page you might get some ideas

Love
Vonski x

alibongo

Hi.

I am sorry that you are having such a difficult time and know from experience it doesn't help when you don't know what is causing your pain.

I can only agree with others on here that you should keep onto to your GP to get answers.

And I just wanted to add that I had a blood test that came back negative for ra 2 about 6 months after my symptoms started. Then 2months after that I was diagnosed with RA following another blood test. So if you are still not further on with a diagnosis in a few weeks and things are just as bad it may be worth asking for them to test again.

I hope that the tests you have this week give you the answers you need so you can get treatment to help.

Best wishes

alison

skezier

Hi Jenny,

A big welcome from me as well and I echo the advise here as you need to find out what is causing the pain and get it under control .

Look forward to seeing your about the forum,
Take care
Cris.

Hi Alison,
Now that post of yours is very interesting. I have swelling in my hands wrists and feet, the small bones predominantly and my Rumo said it looked like classic ra. The RF test was top end of normal, mind there are some others that take an age to come back but I was interested in what you said there. So thanks for posting it.
Take care,
Cris

lindalegs

Hi Jennyb

Welcome to posting but I'm sorry it has to be when you're not feeling so great.

Did you know that you can have seronegative arthritis - this is where you have all the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis but it doesn't show up in your bloods? I'm not saying this to frighten you but from your post says it sounds very similar to a flare-up which we get with Rheumatoid rather than OA. it could be worth mentioning this to your GP just to see what he says. With any form of arthritis it's always best treated early.

Hope this helps.

Luv Legs