new to arthritis UPDATE seen GP

katie23

Hello Everyone,
I have OA in my left knee but I also have joint pain,weakness and stiffness in other joints but no swelling. Mainly my feet,wrists and shoulders. I am so uncomfortable at times I cannot sit for more than ten minutes then I get so tired 'pottering about' I just have to sit down. I cannot even concentrate to read on bad days and I am tired all the time.
I had blood tests but no 'marker' showed so my gp seemed unconcerned about the problems I am having .
My question is, are there forms of arthritis that do not make the joints swollen/misshapen ? Also is it possible to have RA without anything showing up in your blood test ? I ask because my father had RA
thank you
k

dreamdaisy

Hi, I am sorry to hear you are in a spot of bother at the moment - I know how you feel.

Tiredness forms a major part of my arthritis, I have PA, it's similar to RA but with the added bonus of horrid skin. I have never had a positive RF factor (is that the marker you mean?) but before I began my current drugs regimen my inflammatory markers were always raised (they are called CRP and ESR on the blood forms). Have you had those measured? It could also be that your OA is on the move, spreading to other joints: all forms of arthritis tend to do this, go for a wander round the body when they are bored with their current location. I began with one affected joint, now I am up to about thirty-five. As for concentration - well, that's a lost art now.

It is possible to have both RA and OA and given your family history your GP should perhaps show a little more interest - I reckon the thinking thre is 'Well, you have OA, that's it.' That may not be the case, perhaps you need to either be a little more forceful with your doctor or perhaps see someone else. I wish you well. DD

katie23

Thank you for your reply.
I am not sure what the gp ment by 'marker' she said it was not present and I had no 'nasties 'in my blood.
I will book another appointment and try to talk to her. I am not very good at explaining my self at the doctors but I will just have to try
thank you again
k

constable

Hi Katie,
Nowadays the only way you can get anywhere is to complain, you must keep pushing at your GP until you get the result needed.

I do hope that you will be ok, as I said keep trying and they will start to listen to you.

Good Luck

Karen xx

dreamdaisy

Right, I think I understand what she meant. I think the term 'marker' refers to the rheumatoid factor (RF) and the 'nasties' possibly the CRP and ESR. There are many forms of inflammatory arthritis, and there are variations called 'sero-negative' which don't show a postive RF. (My PA is one of those.) GPs are generally not that well-versed in arthritis, they deal with OA but not the other types - neither are they very good, on occasion, at explaining things: they know what they are talking about and sometimes forget that we, as patients, don't share the same knowledge or vocabulary.

I don't think you need to complain as such, I think you need to see her again, armed now with this new information, and ask her for a better explanation of these matters. Also list your symptoms - they are a part of arthritis I think and that will give her a better picture of you. I agree that it isn't easy sometimes to talk to doctors, having a list helps. You can jot down her answers too. I wish you well. DD

chris7

Hi K

It can take a few visits to the doc before they take you seriously, so don't be disheartened but do keep going back with your questions which are perfectly reasonable. My OA in the hip affects my walking and yes it does tire you out more than you feel it should, frustrating but sadly often the case. I hope you get some answers and support soon.
Take care
Chris

skezier

Hi Katie,

Flower to me the best thing for you to do is to ask fro a referral to a rumo.... they understand bones so much better than gp's and will be more likely and more trustworthy to rule any of the stereo negs or ra out.

If your gp says she wont, then either say you really do wish to see one or see another gp if you can.

This doesn't sound too good cus she will not have the knowledge to be able to say what is going on and some of the inflammatory arthritis's can get a bit complicated to diagnose and well beyond the gp's ability i think.

I hope you can get some help for the other joints and have some hep for that knee? Cris x

katie23

Thank you for your support and advice.
I think deep down I know what I should ask but come out of the surgery having not . I have high blood pressure which refuses to come down and that is always priority Last time I went I knew what I was going to say but then there was a student doctor instead of my usual gp and I had to explain from scratch about my blood pressure and by the time I got to my joint pain I had had enough and did not tell him the full impact of the problems with my joints . Silly isn't it I am 55 and act like a child when I see a doctor !
Now I have spoken to you on this board I am more determined to get to the bottom of my problems and receive some treatment.
When I first went to the gp she did prescribe diclofenac which really helped but they made me feel sick and gave me really bad heartburn so I had to stop taking them and she gave me paracetamol instead which are useless !
Thanks again for your advice,sometimes one just needs a little push in the right direction
k

dreamdaisy

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory, so that is why things felt better. It's a shame you could not persist with them as sometimes side-effects fade as the body adjusts. There are other anti-inflams out there, so ask about those. If you find one that works then yes, pain decreases too, so it's a win-win. Paracetamol doesn't have enough clout for me as a pain duller now, and I don't think it will do much for inflammation.

Make a list of the topics you want to talk about, or write a letter and hand it over. That sometimes has a good impact on the doctor, better than the spoken word. Assertiveness isn't easy but it is a useful skill to develop. Let us know when you are going and we will be there for you in spirit - we call it 'pocket duty' - you can imagine that me and the others are in your pocket, all jabbering away reminding you what to say! Good luck, learn to speak up oh and shove the BP on the back-burner, no wonder it's high with the angst and stress of the joint pain. Get that sorted and you never know, the BP may well drop to more reasonable levels. I wish you well. DD

katie23

What wonderful advice,you really have made me feel so much better about going to the gp. I love the thought of people in my pocket giving me a prod

I keep wondering if my high bp is connected to the oa and I will ask. The side effects from the diclofenec were just too dramatic { gp's word not mine } to continue with them although I do have some in the cupboard and I keep thinking about trying them again as I am struggling so much.

I have an appointment on the 11th April { 1st one available to see my doctor unless it is an emergency } I will let the board know how I get on.

I am so pleased I posted now as you certainly have given me the confidence I badly needed just need to keep it until I see the gp !
Thank you so much
K

dreamdaisy

High BP could be age-related - it does go up as one gets older, mine is raised thanks to my arthritis meds (I have PA and am on a rare old cocktail of stuff) and probably my age (I am now 52) and I am on tablets for that - which reminds me, I should make an appointment with the doc to have it checked, I think I was meant to do that in February! Never mind, eh? It is very easy to lose track of everything occsaionally,

The forum is a supportive and informative place - we are all in very similar boats and we know how tough it can all be. Take care. DD

rugbygirl

Hi Katie

I have been recently diagnosed with OA of the spine and my GP suspects that it is already on the move. Only problem is that it is all down one side so I move round in circles

Anyway just a thought about diclofenac. I have been taking diclofenac, Gapapentin and Amitriptyline but because dicolfenac is known for upsetting the stomach I was given Omeprazole to settle the stomach. It might be worth asking your doctor if you can have something to help with your stomach because you found the dicolenfac so good.

Its always worth taking a list of things to the doctors to make sure that you know everything you need to discuss with the doctor. Its also worth booking a double appointment if you need to because sometimes the doctor might be rushing you without realising that you need to talk to him about more than one issue

Hope things work out for you

katie23

Thank you for your advice.really appreciated.
I am determined to sort things out on my next gp visit. I think I just needed reassurance that I am not on my own with my symptoms . I always worry that I am wasting the gp's time even though I do not feel as I should .

Thanks again
k

carola

Hi Katie

Sorry to hear of this.

I agree with DD and others that RA factor does not need to read positive for you to have some form of arthritis.

I was initially diagnosed with RA with a negative ra factor however I kept pestering the docs as felt it wasn't RA - got new tests and diagnosed with SLE (a form of Lupus) and PolyArthritis caused by SLE.

I'm not saying you have what I have however I AM saying do not give up. Tell the doc that you know that your symptoms are being caused by SOMETHING and you need to have a Rheumy run lots of different tests to get to the bottom of it, address it and improve your health.

Good luck with it, keep as positive as you can by knowing that you are taking back control of your body and finding the answers.

Keep us posted.
Carol

skezier

Hi Katie,

Also wishing you luck but please ask to be referred to a rumo cus they will be able to sort out if it only oa you have or something else as well.

Let us know flower and hang in there cus one of the hardest things about this bone stuff is getting properly diagnosed. Cris x

traluvie

Hi Katie...

I have just read your pot and it sounded so similar to my story..
I was having swelling in my hand at first which lead me to rheumy.. i had pain in wrists but no swelling my bloods were near enough normal but rheumy thought my symptoms were consistent with inflammatory arthritis.. within weeks i was having pain in shoulders elbows ankles feet knees everywhere lol.. but not much swelling(i was on diclofenac which helped alot.. unsettled me for a bit but i now take them with lanzaprasole and gaviscon i am now settled so may be worth trying again with gp says so) had ultra sound on hands and xrays but nothing showed up, but was still suffering.. luckily for me my rheumy believed me and sent me for bone scan.. That showed inflammatory arthritis in wrists, ankles hind feet, elbows and OA in knees and thumb tips... My doc and physio said the inflammatory arthritis was RA.. i have not seen rheumy since my results were sent to me (i am seeing him thurs) so will be interested in seeing if he says RA or something else...
So i do believe you need to be consistent and push push and push.. write everything down, a daily diary of what you do and if it effects you and how you feel..
Hope my story has helped yo a bit and i wish you well..

katie23

Thank you .
It really does help to talk to you all.

Thank you for your advice on the diclofenac you are quite right I will wait and see what the doc says as they did really make me ill.
Thank you for sharing your stories . hearing them has certainly given me more determination to get to the bottom of my problems .I have just been on the beach for a 15 minute walk with the dog and I feel like I have run a marathon ,not that I have ever run one but you know what I mean.
I will let you know how I get on and a big thank you to you all
k

lavenderlady

hi Katie like you i have problems with my BP and a very very fast pulse I have numerous health problems like type 2 diabetes under active thyroid SMA spondelothesis etc etc no one seems to have mentioned Dehydrocodein which is my number 2 pain relief let me expalin 1 is for moderate pain and is Zapain and worse pain is number 3 Tramadol which knock me out so got to be really desperate for that, I also take gabapentin for nerve pain ( SMA) and ammatriptyline 3 a night,
I suffer with OA and have had a TWR and am now waiting for both big toes and my right ankle to be operated on, my rhumy had 19 or was it 16 anyway and along with my other scans and xrays amounted to me having OA in every joint but i also suffer with seronegative arthritis as well, many of us dont have the marker needed to diagnoised RA, I had bone scans which showed my joints are becoming badly deformed and disabled this all started in my 30s I am now 50 and feel like I'm 70 at times speaking on here really lifts my spirits, as for the DRs i always write notes and remind myself before going in of the questions and also think of one word to jog your memory like pain for pain relief back for pains in your back its all quite obvious but just one word jogs my memory keep us updated and be brave good luck Michelle

katie23

Hi feel like I have nothing to complain about when I read some of the stories from you all.
My pain is not too bad but it is the weakness,tiredness and restricted movements I find hard.I am always dropping things .
Michelle,even though I do not have the degree of problems that you have I know just how you feel,my husband has even started to call me his little old lady ,not very flattering when one still wants to be young but I am so stiff I feel like an old lady and I certainly must look like one when I walk. I love going to the theatre but have stopped going because I just find it so difficult to sit in comfort for any length of time and them when I get out of the chair I find it hard to get moving,
Reading messages on hear though has given me hope, I know there is no cure but there is treatment I just have to be bold and ASK !
K

chris7

Hi Katie

Well said lass, thats the spirit. Keep asking until you get some answers and hopefully a treatment that is right for you. It can be hard to be a bit more demanding of your doc or specialists when it is out of character to be as you say bold, but many of us have learned it sometimes pays to pester. YOU are worth it.
Keep in touch and take care.
Chris

katie23

Hi Everyone,
I have had my appointment with the GP and I did my best to explain have I was feeling,it helped me so much with you all in my pocket.
I am having more blood tests on thursday but GP still thinks that they will show nothing and it is my OA causing my problems. She said that when I see her in three weeks time if I am still struggling she will refer me to a rheumy specialist.
Thank you for your advice and support it really helped me . I have been feeling less tired for the last few days and if I had not had your advice I think I would probably not have spoken out at the GP'S but have waited until I felt really bad again.
Blood pressure still sky high so a little disappointed but at least I feel that my OA is being taken seriously now.
Thank you
K

lavenderlady

hows things going K, did you get to see the Rhumy?? has your BP gone down? my problem for the past 4 years or so is I've got a high pulse rate galloping is the DRs word for it , no idea why, had heart scans etc as i get breathless as well, am on inhalers for asthma but I'm not convinced its that any one else have this problem am won dering if its more to do with the numbness i suffer with the SMA but would be interested to know if anyone else gets breathless the heat makes me worse ??????

katie23

Thank you so much for asking after me lavenderlady.
No I have not seen the rhumy. When I went back to GP for follow up appointment my bloods were fine so she said there would be no point in going to rhumy as there was nothing they could do as it must be OA.

My blood pressure was still high so trying different tablets for it. I am taking co-codamol for OA as both the diclofenac and naproxen tablets I have tried really upset my stomach even though she gave me ppi tablets [tummy tablets ] to take with them.

At the moment as long as I do things round the house in short bursts rather than one after the other ,I can cope with the pain. What I am finding is that when I do things that I do not do every day, for example clean the windows,for a few days afterwards the muscles in my arms ache like mad,does OA weaken your muscles ? I Goodness knows how I would manage if I went out to work.I really feel for the people that have any form of arthritis and have to cope with a job and/or children.

I am back at GP's on 10th june but I think until my OA gets to the stage were I am unable to cope she is not interested,getting my blood pressure to a lower level is priority for her.

I have asthma too. I think different things can effect how breathless one feels. Do you wheeze as well ?

I still look on the forum most days see how everyone is doing ,one day I will add my comments to some of the posts but for now just browsing
Thank you again
K