Please help me!

marielys

I started with my wrists, they were very painful and i couldnt hold a bottle of water those days. My first crisis happened while i was on holiday in Portugal. I was lucky to find a verys nice rheumatologist quite quickly. She prescribed Mobic and told me she beleive i had OA. Back in Belgium i had to face a real battle with the doctors here. Nobody wanted to believe me. Even my GP, who knew me for quite a while, told me : It was fat ! I felt i was a fraud and yet the pains were horrible. I couldnt drive- i still cant- i couldnt carry anything heavier then 500 g! After more or less one year .. it spead to my knees ... I was given cortise injections and more Mobic, which gave terrible stomach pains!
Finally i managed to see a Rheumatologist who prescribed Mtx. I have been increasing the dose everytime I see him.
Since then my wrists are a little bit better : less pain, but still painful but my knees are hurting like crazy This Rheumy is retiring this year and he doesnt beleive one can have both OA and RA. Since then my GP sent me to see a orthopaedic surgeon who advised me to do arthoscan to see whats wrong with my knees.

My question is ... since I am taking MTX, is it safe to do this test ? I beleive they inject a liquid and then scan the knee and that i must rest for at least 48 hours.

What do you think ? did you do this scan ? how was it ?
I'm going to see my Rheumy on Monday the 31st, I guess i must be honest with him and tell him about the arthroscan, although he doesnt accept i have the two!
I feel like a fraud... my life has changed so much, i can no longer walk, do sports, gardening etc. My husband plays golf and I stay at home I cant drive anymore I feel old and good for nothing!

woodbon

Hi,
I'm sorry you'r so distressed, but I can understand it. I have seen on this site and certainly read about people who get both OA and RA. They are different diseases, so don't worry that you'r a hypocondrac, far from it! :shock: I can't tell you about the scan as I havn't heard of this type before, but someone on here may be able to help you or you could ring the helpline number at the top of the page, they are very good.

It's no wonder that you feel a bit nervous about things, I know I would and its quite normal, but do let the hospital know how you feel before the scan, they will be able to explain things and help you feel more relaxed. Good luck!
Love Sue

speedalong

Hi marielys,

sorry I don't know much about mtx (as I have OA not RA) or the scan/test they want to do. Keep calm, others will post who have more info.

You could ring the dept doing the scan/test to explain what meds you are on, to check.

You could also post your question on the helpline forum.

Speedalong

kathbee

Hi Marielys

Sorry to hear how you are feeling.

Of course someone can have both RA and OA,
me included! Your doctor has got it really wrong.

I havent had the scan you mention but I have had
injections to calm swelling and had to rest for the 48 hrs.

Hope that goes well for you.

But you need to see a doc/rheumatologist who knows
his stuff.

I have been on Methotrexate for a number of years now.
I first started with RA in my wrists like you. The pain is
awful and stops driving and leading your life how you know
it in general.

Hope you get help soon, and someone can tell you more
about the scan.

Kath

dreamdaisy

Yes you can have both. My mum loves old doctors because 'they have experience'. I don't like them for that reason: after a while they stop enquiring and learning, thinking they know it all. Give me a younger doc every time, they are more up-to-date and better informed.

What dose meth are you on? It may well be not enough to help you. I know from these forums that meth is very effective for many people but you need to have a certain whack of it for it to work. You may also need extra meds to give you more relief and a better quality of life.

Regarding the scan: they inject a dye, that's all. It shouldn't interact with meth, it's there to highlight any abnormalities or oddities that may be present in your joints. In my experience scans are quite sraightforward and nothing to fret about.

Get thee to a younger and (hopefully) less complacent rheumatologist. Take a list of info with you for your first meeting, things such as where it hurts, when it hurts, what you can and cannot do easily, meds you are on or have tried. Give them as complete a picture of yourself as you can, include everything - and take someone with you for moral support. Good luck and keep us informed - we care and we understand what you are going through. Dreamdaisy

sharmaine

Hi Marielys

Sorry to hear about your wrists and knees. Your GP should carry out tests (x rays and bloods) to ascertain what is wrong with you. It could be OA or RA. Some people on the forum have both.

Having arthritis does change your life but you will find ways of coping. There are aids that you can buy online (see Betterlife) to help with managing around the home. I have OA in my hands and they have definitely lost their strength but I have jar openers and special tools to help me open tins etc. I have a little grabbing tool which is great for picking things up off the floor and dealing with the weeds in the garden! I have OA in my knees too and find that using a perching stool helps me when I'm preparing food in the kitchen. Do you live in Belgium full time? OA causes a lot of stiffness and swelling which can be jolly uncomfortable.

Let's hope they diagnose you and prescribe the right type of medication so that you can improve your quality of life.

I do hope you feel a bit better today.

Sharmaine
X

marielys wrote:

I started with my wrists, they were very painful and i couldnt hold a bottle of water those days. My first crisis happened while i was on holiday in Portugal. I was lucky to find a verys nice rheumatologist quite quickly. She prescribed Mobic and told me she beleive i had OA. Back in Belgium i had to face a real battle with the doctors here. Nobody wanted to believe me. Even my GP, who knew me for quite a while, told me : It was fat ! I felt i was a fraud and yet the pains were horrible. I couldnt drive- i still cant- i couldnt carry anything heavier then 500 g! After more or less one year .. it spead to my knees ... I was given cortise injections and more Mobic, which gave terrible stomach pains!
Finally i managed to see a Rheumatologist who prescribed Mtx. I have been increasing the dose everytime I see him.
Since then my wrists are a little bit better : less pain, but still painful but my knees are hurting like crazy This Rheumy is retiring this year and he doesnt beleive one can have both OA and RA. Since then my GP sent me to see a orthopaedic surgeon who advised me to do arthoscan to see whats wrong with my knees.

My question is ... since I am taking MTX, is it safe to do this test ? I beleive they inject a liquid and then scan the knee and that i must rest for at least 48 hours.

What do you think ? did you do this scan ? how was it ?
I'm going to see my Rheumy on Monday the 31st, I guess i must be honest with him and tell him about the arthroscan, although he doesnt accept i have the two!
I feel like a fraud... my life has changed so much, i can no longer walk, do sports, gardening etc. My husband plays golf and I stay at home I cant drive anymore I feel old and good for nothing!

marielys

Dear Woodbon, Speedalong, babycham, Kath and dreamdaisy ... how wonderful you all are! Since I joined this forum I only received kindness and warmth and good tips!

A special thanks to dreamdaisy for explaining what that scan is all about :-) I take every Sunday evening 15 mg of MTX + 90 mg of Arcoxia every morning to fight the pain on my knees. My rheumy wants to increase the dose of MTX and if that doesnt work he ( or his assistant, a young woman rheumy) will start me on this new bio therapies. I only went to see him on my own once, ever since then my dear hubby comes with me, which is ever so nice of him.

On Monday I am going prepared with an article from a French docteur where he explains that after the age of 50, most people who suffer from RA .. start with OA... if he doesnt like it, well .. its too bad I will have to look for someone else, right friends ? :P

marielys

For your kind words and excellent tips ... I will look for those here in Brussels if i cant find them I will ask my mother to look for them in England.

skezier

Hi Marielys,

Oh flower you are not useless at all. Your rumo is way behind the times if he thinks you can't have both but tell him bout the scan and see if he changes his mind..... Its odd he thinks that way but if he is any good he will rethink and do some reading up...... I was told once oa would prevent me from any other kind.... it didn't and got oa and pa in the same joints as well now!

I am also on mtx and 15ml and thankfully it might be helping but was on sulfa for months and they just kept raising it up and up every time though it didn't do much, except give me a major reaction and hold the crohn's in check.

I think the scan should be safe and it shouldn't hurt too much either. I do hope it will clarify a few things going on with your knees and well good luck and again you are not useless! ((( ))) Cris x

dreamdaisy

That doesn't sound like enough to me, marielys, it could be combined with other drugs too. Try to get a second opinion and a meds review. The anti TNFs are used here as a last resort, when everything else has failed and it takes a while to qualify for them. Let us know how you get on - keep in touch, a European viewpoint will be interesting as they do things differently! Dreamdaisy

marielys

Lynn .. welcome to the over 50's club Its a great age, the children left home and we have more time to spend on the activities we like the most. If our health would only allow us, that is.

Cris ... thank you for your support and sweet words, you reminded me of my dear father, even if you are younger then me, he used to say that Spring brought him a flower, me in this case :oops: , but of course all fathers love their daughters, dont they?

dreamdaisy, here in Belgium anti TNFs are also seldom prescribed, because they are ever so expensive, but somehow this rather stubborn Rheumy is willing to put me on them if Mtx doesnt work. I will keep you informed. I managed to book for the scan and it will be on the June the 24th.

I wish you all a very nice weekend,

Hugs and kisses,

Marielys

dreamdaisy

Well that is a good thing! Good luck - let us know how the scan goes. If you are still apprehensive about it check with your doctor or the staff that will be doing it for further information. Dreamdaisy