RA - To swell or not swell that is the question?

saggyoldbagpuss

Hi

Update - I've had my isotope scan and more lood tests am now waiting to see rheumy again early november.

I've been reading alot over the past weeks and whilst I admit I do have 90% of the symptons for RA

Quote:
Pain
Morning joint stiffness
Poor sleep :shock:
Fatigue
Loss of weight Which I don't mind
A feeling of having flu like symptoms :? but only on bad days

I do not have the extreme swelling. My hands wrists and feet do puff up a little when really painfull but not much but they are not conitnually swollen.

Question: Can you have RA without the swelling?

Regards
Saggy!

spacey

Hi I have exactly the same symptoms as you but no joint swelling either. Sometimes I get heat in the joint but not always. My arthritis has been diagnosed as seronegative arthritis and my gp describes it as RA but without the rheumtoid facor. I was also curious if anyone else has this or if this was common - glad i have found at least one!

frogmorton

Hi Saggy

I am seroneg too but my Rheumy calls it RA.

I get that but when i am in real trouble massive swelling too :shock:

I hope they sort you out very soon

Love

Toni xx

saggyoldbagpuss

Thanks Spacey / frogmorton

I'm still waiting for diagnosis from my rheumy consultant! he just makes me feel uncompfortable as if I'm faking it - wish I was (no disrespect to those with RA) if it is RA wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

will hopefully get results on next visit and then maybe then (please god) they will give me something to make it easier.

You take care

spacey

I hope that you get some answers soon and something to help your symptoms x

jenzie06

I've had RA for 12 years and don't usually swell. My inflammatory markers are usually low but I get a lot of pain, fatigue, morning stiffness and general feeling of rubbishness.

Weird isn't it?!

cythna

I have had RA for nearly forty years, and I have to be really bad to get swelling in the joints. This has led in the past to my rheumatologist telling me I was not in flare when I knew I was, and the blood tests would often confirm it.

Everyone is different-I don't really get morning stiffness actually (although I pretend I do to keep them happy when I'm being assessed for anti TNF treatments :oops: )

So yes, you can have RA without much swelling.

joanneredshaw

saggyoldbagpuss wrote:

Hi

Update - I've had my isotope scan and more lood tests am now waiting to see rheumy again early november.

I've been reading alot over the past weeks and whilst I admit I do have 90% of the symptons for RA

Quote:
Pain
Morning joint stiffness
Poor sleep :shock:
Fatigue
Loss of weight Which I don't mind
A feeling of having flu like symptoms :? but only on bad days

I do not have the extreme swelling. My hands wrists and feet do puff up a little when really painfull but not much but they are not conitnually swollen.

Question: Can you have RA without the swelling?

Regards
Saggy!

Hi Saggy

I would say not, my hands wrists and feet are always swollen. That is one of the main symptoms. There are lots of other forms of arthritis. Maybe you fit one of those categories.
The swelling is the worst part for me as my hands get so bad, as do my feet and ankles. Steriod injections have worked for me lately. Combined with lots of other meds.
See what others say, there are a lot of people who can give their opinions.

Take care

Jo

bambi59

hi saggy
i am like you too i was told boarderline ra ?? by clinician no by dock.
i do have ostio though x rays show dammage to all joints so dammage is still painful and can be there all the time when thers dammage. inflamation comes but can go and stays for ever for some. i do get puffyness and swelling of hands and feet. the pain thats there all the time is dammage. so dont beat yourself up.
pain is bad whatever the cause.

georgiestar

Hi Saggy, sorry for the late reply but havent been on for ages.

I have RA and I am sero-positive for both RF and anti-CCP, I was diagnosed about 2.5 years ago and i have never had any swelling. I also felt like a fraud and on my first visit to the Rheumy he totally dismissed the idea, it was only a few months later when i went back for my blood test results that he had to eat humble pie and confirmed i did have RA. My RF was borderline at 97 but my anti - CCP was 336. I had a lot of the other symptoms but because i didnt have any swelling i wasnt taken seriously. I have been on treatment since and a lot of my problems have improved but i still experience a lot of pain. Good luck with your diagnosis and i hope its resolved for you soon.
Georgie

salamander

I am sero -ve too. I do have swelling in my hands, knees and finger joints . My wrists and one knee seem to be permanently swollen but when first got diagnosed I had no pain in the wrists, fingers or ankles. I think it can vary a lot from person to person and is notoriously difficult to diagnose if you are sero -ve. At least that what's my rheumatologist said. Don't feel a fraud, you wouldn't be there if there wasn't something going on.

saggyoldbagpuss

Thank you all for you feedback.

I've since seen the consultant and with all the tests and my symptons he confirms RA. BUT! He is also concerned about another one of my test my ANA was high apparently and this he says he will monitor over the coming months (LUPUS) not good (can you have both? there seems to be mixed messages over this :?:

For now tho I've had a steriod injection which he says should last until my next visit in Dec. I must day it did help (thank god I got some relief). Have had a chest xray and will start Methotrexate (hope i've spelt that correctly) in Dec.

Got to say am not looking forward to this! scares me! don't know what to expect - the consultant was his usually informative self offering not discussions. Have decided to see my GP to discuss in more detail "The Plan" as the cons put it as at the minute I've no idea. The pain in my hands feet and knee have got better but not completely gone - I do wonder if I will ever be pain free!

On the positive side I've got a diagnosis for why im in soo much pain. Just got to get my head around it now! and there lies the scary bit!

I've babbled for too long - I just wanted to say thankyou

Saggy X

carola

Hi Saggy

Initially I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis however after I hounded them for a while saying I didn't fit the RA profile was given further tests and rediagnosed with PolyArthritis and SLE (a form of Lupus).

The PolyArthritis (just means Arthritis/swellings in multiple joints) and is a result of the SLE.

At first I went on the internet and unfortunately the first article I read had me thinking I would pop my clogs shortly HOWEVER that would have been donkeys ago. Through trial and error I will happen upon the right pill for the SLE at some point and be dancing around in high heels again.

There are different types of Lupus and are all managable with the prognosis of most people leading full and active lives so please don't panic at the mention of Lupus.

Keep smiling, Carol