diagnosis

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scooper
scooper Member Posts: 2
edited 23. Oct 2009, 13:27 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi,I am trying to find out what is wrong with me ,I keep getting iritis I have had it eight times now,also I have big problems with both knees had two ops on both,have had injections in my shoulders for pain,last year I had a bakers cyst prolapsed in my knee,I have been admitted twice to hospital with chest pain I sometimes find it difficult to breath its like having broken ribs.These are all regular events I am retired and have had previous spinal surgery which the doctors always refer to when any of these other events happen.I now have trouble sleeping only able to sleep for a few hours a night and wake with back pain in between my shoulders.I have had blood test and they have come back as normal.I am getting to the end of my tether with this ,can any of you advise me about blood results as everything I have read about my symptoms tells me I have rheumatoid arthritis.

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  • babette
    babette Member Posts: 128
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Scooper

    Has anyone mentioned Ankylosing Spondylitis to you as a possible diagnosis. One of the symptoms is recurrent uveiitis, this is iritis's big brother. You also mentioned chest pain which is another symptom. Get your GP to test you for HLA B27 positive antibodies as this can be an indicator of AS. It's an inflammatory type of arthritis and could be mistaken for RA. Best of luck getting diagnosed; it can be a long and wearing procedure.

    Babette x
  • ritwren
    ritwren Member Posts: 928
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Welcome to the board, it sounds to me like you have many questions needing answered. Have you ever had a blood test done for Rheumatoid factor? If not perhaps your GP could do one for you and also other markers for Arthritis. If your GP cannot find out what is wrong with you then it would be worth asking him to referr you to a Rheumatologist. They can arrange X Rays Blood Tests and Treatment for you.
    Meanwhile if you come on here you should find lots of information and support from the friendly bunch of folk we are.
    Good luck and do let us know how you get on if you can.
    rita
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,429
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Scooper
    A welcome to the forums from me :) Glad to have you on board.

    You do seem to have loads going on. Do you feel supported by your GP? has he referred you to a specialist?
    there are loads of dif types of Arthritis some of which do show up in bloods SOMETIMES (like AS and RA), but others which don't such as sero-negative arthritis. You could well have one of those.
    The best way forawrd for you is to see a specialist and for them to try to get to the bottom of the symptoms. It may be that they will take a very long time to get there but you need someone who will persist till they get to teh bottom of it.
    Have they tried you on any medication?
    Toni x
  • c4thyg
    c4thyg Member Posts: 542
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Welcome Scooper,

    I'm sorry you're having a tough time. You sound like I did 3 years ago. I have psoriatic arthritis which is similar to RA but doesn't have any blood markers making it difficult to diagnose. I was picked up because I also have psoriasis but not everyone has both.

    It certainly sounds like you need to be checked over by a rheumatologist. I wouldn't like to suggest any medications beyond over the counter pain meds because you don't have a diagnosis. What might help though is a body pillow to wrap around you to sleep. I used to wake after about 2-3 hours in extreme pain and not be able to get back to sleep afterwards. Now I can get a good 6-8 hours most nights with my body pillow. It helps to take the pressure off certain joints. They're not very expensive but you might want to shop around for the different shapes you can get. Mine is actually from when I was pregnant and I lie with the pillow behind me now instead of under where my bump was! :P

    Let us know how you get on. We're nosey like that. :P
    Seriously though, this is a great place to come for information and support. Hope to see you around.
    Cath
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi, As you can see from the answers the others have given you their are many types of arthritis, some inflammatory, some not. To get a diagnosis can take time, simply because the medics have so much to rule out. You need to see your GP and ask it you can see a rheumatlogist, as they are the people who understand arthritis and know best how to treat it. Your doctor may run a blood test, to see if anything shows up.

    I have OA and that dosn't show in blood tests, its a 'wear and tear' type of problem, but it shows on x-rays. I'm afraid you may need patience and detrmination to keep going to the doctor and explaining your worries. Or the simple blood test may show the problem and the answer will be there! :wink: Sorry, not to be more helpful. love Sue
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