How was your arthritis diagnosed?

rach1986

Okay well thats my question in the title. Mine was when my wrist suddenly starting killing me, I hadnt done anything to hurt it at all. So after a week of thinking it would start to feel better I ended up going to the doctors who asked me a few questions and then said he'd get the hospital to send me a letter for a x-ray appointment, which I got two or three weeks later, and i had to wait a week after that to get the results, which I was told i could ring the doctors and the receptionist would tell me over the phone. The woman said I had a "mild degenerative change" in my wrist, at which I went ??? so she said its basically arthritis. I booked an appointment to see the doc that day, and he, I feel, wasnt much help, he told me I could take 2 paracetamol, 2 ibuprofen, and if they didnt work then he prescribed me coedine phosphate. The only advice I got was to keep my wrist warm. I havent been told what type of arthritis, or anything about arthritis, everything I have found out has been from this site. He has sent me for physio, which I've had one app. of, and my second will be on monday but I didnt find it any help.

I am worried at the moment because I'm still in pain all the time, but I'm also in pain in my shoulder, neck, and my other wrist, so looks like its another trip to the docotrs :?

Does anyone want to tell me their diagnosis stories, and if your doctor was more helpful than mine?

wibberley

I was diagnosed aged 7 with JIA. I'd been pushed down the slide by a mean girl(!), hurt my arm, everyone thought I'd broken it as I was unable to move it but turned out that was the start of my arthritis.

My latest relapse was in June after a Bakers cyst burst behind my left knee, although I had also been suffering with a sore knuckle and thumb for some time but hadn't felt it important enough to mention to the doc.

All went downhill for me pretty swiftly too!

Lois x

patriciamary

Over a ten year period I visited my doctor complaining about pain and stiffness in my right hip. Kept getting fobbed off, and given either painkillers or told to buy some paracetamol. Eventually I was off work for nearly two years because I was hobbling about and struggled to get up and down stairs etc. Now its fourteen years and after fighting to see a rhuematologist I was told its osteoarthritis in my hip, not bad enough to require surgery and the xray showed lumber spondylosis at the base of my back. Blood tests also confirmed osteoporosis in back and left hip. Now my knee both ankles right shoulder and both wrists are very painfull and some days I cannot even walk. My doc still gave me painkillers and has not even looked at other joints that are causing me pain. Eventually after a great deal of fighting with my doc I was reffered to the occupational therapist. She visited me at home and now I have rails and a stool fitted in my shower, a selection of useful gadgets to help me round the kitchen, a bed rail to help my husband or daughter get me out of bed in the morning, wrist splints and a walking stick. Occupational therapist then reffered me to physiotherapist which I will see next Monday. When I applied for DLA my doc wrote on the form "has a fifteen year history of pain which has proved difficult to treat". Many doctors more or less tell you to get on with it and dont take into account the effect it has on your general quality of life. You have to turn yourself into a pain in there butt to get them to refer you onto other help and they only do that to get you out off their hair

breane

Hi,For several years I had been experiencing pain in the thumbs but thought it was down to all the embroidery I was doing.Then just over a year ago the pain started up in the wrists so I saw my Gp.He diagnosed OA and from then on the arthritis has turned up in the legs,feet,shoulders and top of arms.Some places more painful than others.Then I was also diagnosed with RA. A lot of suffers I have spoken to say their arthritis also stared in the hands and wrists.Wonder if that is the most common area for arthritis to start? Breane.

mellman01

I had keyhole surgery due to pain in both knees driving me crazy, after being misdiagnosed by my last GP for over 3 years I went to see another one in desperation and he referred me for an MRI straight away, I then put up with it for another 9 months although the scan showed up a lot of debris in them in the end I had to get something done and that was that told I had bad OA in both of em, been down hill from there really!.

gemmapetken

Hi
I had swelling in my hands in the morning for over 6 months and went to see the GP, fobbed me off for ages with anti inflamitories, its your weight etc
Then saw a different GP in the practise and he thought i had RA, was sent for blood tests and to the rheumy doctor. He said i had RA in hands and feet. So second GP was well chuffed as no one believe him that i was really ill! That was over 3 years ago.

Then last july went in for rheumy nurse appointment for pain in my hip, she sent me for an x-ray and all hell broke loose. They thought my hip was broken! :shock: :shock:
but in the end it turned out it was a deformed hip, propably from puberty! but now i have OA in that as well!!
joy of joy!
And im only 28!!! LOL
Still loads to come!
gemma

Starburst

I've been complaining to my GP (on and off) about stiffness and pain in my hands for about 2 years. In May 2008, I tore ligaments in my left ankle and while I was having physio, she commented that my feet and ankles were extremely stiff. I was having issues with both my ankles, I was limping and walking badly and constantly in pain with both of them. Last May, I started feeling very unwell. I was sleeping all the time and generally very stiff and having muscular pains. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and basically, told to deal with it! I pushed my GP a bit harder, got referred to another rheumy who said it was prob Fibro. but ran some blood tests, just in case. I got a phone call saying my blood tests showed severe inflammation. I was sent for a radioactive scan of my whole body, which showed inflammatory arthritis in my hands, wrists, feet and ankles. This was only a few months ago, so I'm still very new to this.

scattered

I got a virus that made me sleep for a week. After I recovered I would have periods where I'd feel very fatigued and run a fever. I began to notice my hands stiffening up when I used a computer. I developed pins and needles in both hands - diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome - followed by shooting pain across my knuckles and swelling. Went to the doctor who took one look at my hands and told me I had an inflammatory arthritis. He ran bloods which came back positive for rheumatoid factor and inflammatory markers. I was diagnosed with RA by a rheumatologist 2 weeks later.

It was 11 months from first showing symptoms to me getting a diagnosis. Once things stopped being systemic I was relatively easy to diagnose.

jaspercat

Hi, I went to the gp because my hands were hurting me and I was having trouble with my work, I was a nursing auxilliary, she put me on Diclofenic and kept telling to come back in 2 weeks, this went on for about 8 weeks, things were not improving but getting worse, finally she said if I was no better in a month she would refer me, I said can we just get on with it, she referred me to a rheumatologist.

She did some blood tests, x-rays and did a very good through examinations, she said that I had sero-negative arthritis, I was started on Sulphasalazine but had problems, 13/14 years later I take MXT injections, but can't say that I am feeling very well at all love Jaspercatxx

tkachev

Just a few weeks after my son was born I decided to take my other 15 month old son to play at the gym.Couldnt wait to be a proper mum and have fun again.I Went on a trampoline,something I am familiar with,walked along the beam and I was shaking like jelly.Went home and then a day later knees started hurting so much I couldnt rise out of the chair.This pain spread to my chest.
It took a year to go the GP as I just thought it was a sports injury and thought the limp and pain would improve.Yes it has been downhill ever since but I seemed to have turned a corner in the last year,mostly due to Humira injections and MTX.
I have had tennis elbows for 8 years before all this started and wonder if that was actually the start of R.A?
My best wishes to you all
Elizabeth

valval

started with aching hands lol wear and tear i was told saw another doc as things no better had look wear and tear lol. feet started so blood test they phone me do not worry but u need to get another blood test done ha ha, why do not know but nothing much. ok made app for doc after had bloods went to see showing inflimation have u had a cold ? no. earache?no better have another blood test take ibubrophen. back to doc feet worse swelling and hands lol still inflimation take glucomide to help joints and naproxin for swelling u have oa .so far so good pain getting worse knees and hips now as well so co-codamol as well and app for rhummy more bloods back to rhummy things no better given more tabs to take never asked what he thought it was just want life back could not walk far always dropping things tripping feet so stiff when getting up writting gone to pot. good news new tabs working can walk feet much better and hands hip no where as bad so things looking up what arther have i well do not know but will ask when go back as feel much better.sorry so long if u got this far well done if not do not blame u

jenzie06

I had a long period of painful feet in the morning. I'd have to hobble for ages before the pain subsided and the stiffness went off. Then one morning I woke up thinking I'd broken my finger in my sleep. The a&e doc suggested I see a rheumatologist. After 5 years of the rheumatologist changing his mind RA or Fibro (usually fibro) he retired and the new guy finally gave me a label for it.

paulch

:? Hi with me while i was driving for break at ironbridge last year i became aware of painfull ache in my right hand and also hip over 5-8 weeks got worse and noticed nodlles and inplamed joints on my hands and wrist, whent to doc before xmas had variious tests blood x rays , and was told today that i have OA not RA ,and now
to be kept a eye on(as i have a few other medical peobs )