Inflammatory Arthritis

sjohns015

Hello,

First of all, thank you for reading my post

I shall try to get straight to the point and apologise if I seem rude in the process, or digress!

I am 34 years old and a mother to 3 children (2, 6 and 8) In January my Doctor diagnosed suspected inflammatory arthritis and referred me for a rheumatologist appointment (because of my medical history and having a slightly raised ESR). The appointment is on the 26th March.

I have an idea of what might happen at the appointment but I would really appreciate some advice on how to get the most out of my 30 minutes with the Doctor and what to ask him, etc. I am a little concerned as I am desperate to have x-rays taken (it is now obvious that my fingers and toes have a mind of their own) and I don't see how this is possible in the space of 30 minutes. Do I ask for x-rays or is it a matter of course?

Also, is inflammatory arthritis just another name for RA or is it a general term used to describe a number of different types? I didn't ask many questions when I spoke to the Doctor as I thought I would be clever and use a well known search engine to find the answers and unfortunately I am now more confused!

I have been prescribed Diclofenac 50mg (one 3 times a day) and co-codamol 30/500mg. The side affects don't really help as I am quite often on my own with our three kids (my husband works away - sometimes for long periods of time) so I am trying to limit my intake of the co-codamol and keeping an activities/pain diary to learn my limitations - which seem so many at the moment.

Will the rheumatologist prescribe better medication from the off or will I have to wait? I probably shouldn't get my hopes up, but I can't remember the last time I had a pain free day and I have kind of got it into my head that the 26th March is when it's all going to magically get better - or at least be under control...

Thank you so much for any advice you can give me. I have been lulling over these things for a while now and just knowing that there's a chance you have some of the answers has eased things. Think I might be able to sleep now

Sarah

page35

Hi Sarah
im sure the helpline team will get back to you soon, in the meantime i thought i would say hi.
im 34 and have 2 kids 2yrs and 14yrs and i have RA or something similar. i was diagnosed nearly a year ago.
at the first rheumy app the doc examined me (down to undies, dont wear your old grey ones as i did :oops: ) i had xrays on hands and feet and chest and was given an injection in my hand as couldnt move 1 finger and thumb.
i was given meds but these often take a long while to work sometimes 3 months, but sometimes you get a steroid jab in your thigh which for some people can work really well and last months
Good luck and have a look at the other forums chit chat and living with Arthritis. everyone is very helpful on here.
best wishes sharon x

helpline_team

Hello Sarah,

Thank you for contacting us. I've read your post a few times now and can't find anything rude in it!

I shall try and get straight to the point too.
Calm down, dear!
You're tying yourself up in knots trying to find answers to everything when we don't even know what all the questions are yet.

I'm not trying to make light of your situation. Looking after three children often on your own is hard enough even without an inflammatory condition. And on top of this, when you're in pain that's unexplained and doesn't have a name it's incredibly frustrating, confusing and stressful. So it's natural to try and find the answers by means of resources like a well known search engine
but that can be a minefield too and it's easy to come away thinking you've got every kind of disease going (gloomatoid googlitis?).

How to get the most out of your appointment with the rheumy?
Try not to fixate about it or second guess what's going to happen.
It's your first consultation so really the rheumy needs to find out everything that's been going with you and will probably be asking you the questions. By all means take your pain diary to guide you but remember it's not an exam and you're not expected to know everything.
You probably don't need to ask for x-rays, the rheumy will give you a note to take to radiology after your appointment's finished.

There are many types of inflammatory arthritis, but RA is the most common. It's possible that the rheumy can make a diagnosis on your first appointment, but some types of arthritis are harder to diagnose than others. If you do have any kind of inflammatory arthritis then you're likely to be prescribed what's called disease modifying medication (dmard). Sadly these don't work immediately, but you could always ask for a steroid injection, which can provide very effective, if temporary pain relief whilst your waiting for the other drugs to kick in.

But please try to be realistic about what's going to happen on 26 March. Hopefully, it's going to be an important first step on the road to recovery but don't go expecting an epiphany as you'll more than likely come away disappointed. Your rheumatologist isn't going to appear on a flying carpet wearing a top hat full of rabbits (though if he/she does, do send us a photo).

I really hope the appointment goes well, Sarah. But I believe you'll be doing yourself a big favour if you can find something else to occupy your mind over the next three weeks. Best of luck and do let us know how you get on.

Paul