Newly diagnosed with sero-negative arthritis

johnfeeney

Hi. I have recently been diagnosed with sero-negative (reactive) arthritis and am currently on methatrexate and prednisolone. I have swelling around my knee which prevents it from fully extending and swelling around my hip joint which means it is painful to walk.

This was a real blow for me as I am a long distance runner and am now no longer able to take part in something I love. For someone so active, I still find it difficult to comprehend how I could have ended up with this disease. I don't recall ever having food poisoning or contracting an STI!

In fact, the pain in my hip gradually got worse over a period of six months and then the knee seemed to become swollen as a result of the issue with my hip.

I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience?

I would be really keen to hear from anyone that has managed to carry on with their sport while having treatment.

tillytop

Hello Johnfeeney and welcome to the forum. I am sorry you have needed to find us but you have definitely come to the right place for support and advice.

Your "how can I have this" feelings will be familiar to many of us here and I reckon it's all part of the process of coming terms with the diagnosis. I have had RA for 16 years now and over time have come to the realisation that there is just no answer to that question and pondering it too often just makes me miserable. So these days I try very hard not to.

I think what you say about your knee being affected by what was happening with your hip makes perfect sense and I am sure I have come across others here who have had similar issues. When you think about it, if you are not walking well because your hip is painful, it is then putting unusual pressures on the knee too. I have had terrific hip pain in the past when I have been walking badly due to knee and foot issues and when I am walking better, the hips are fine. I think the proper term for this sort of thing is "referred pain".

I can understand why it has come as a big blow, having to give up your running but this diagnosis may not mean the end of sport for you completely. Many rheumatology depts have specialist physios and maybe you could ask for a referral for advice on what you should or should not be doing and hopefully things would feel a bit more positive for you if you could find something "sporty" which you enjoyed as much as the running.

Tillyxxx

tjt6768

Hi John. Welcome to the forum from me.. My experience was totally different, I've never been sporty.. Just wanted to wish you well..

It's a horrid disease that most people don't realise just how bad it can be..

Hope you're not suffering too much today..

It's good to have another bloke around.. These wimmin folks are getting a bit rowdy. Lol

valval

tjt6768 wrote:

Hi John. Welcome to the forum from me.. My experience was totally different, I've never been sporty.. Just wanted to wish you well..

It's a horrid disease that most people don't realise just how bad it can be..

Hope you're not suffering too much today..

It's good to have another bloke around.. These wimmin folks are getting a bit rowdy. Lol

do you want a slap

valval

well it can be hard that for sure before starting with arther i did keep fit twice a week and walked miles now can not do this mainly due to the exhaustion but when they get right meds for you life should be much better and you might find you can return to most of what you used to enjoy val

johnfeeney

Thanks for the kind comments and best wishes. Just seen my specialist nurse today and she is arranging for me to have an x-ray controlled injection into my hip joint which she said will help????? Not sure - in two minds!

She has increased Methatrexate to 15mg.

Is this something that people recover from or will it be with me long term?

dreamdaisy

Hello John, it's nice to meet you though, as others have said, I am sorry you have had to find us.

I don't know much about reactive arthritis but I think part of its habit is to ease then return, ease and return. Generally those who are diagnosed with some form of arthritis have it for life - those who say 'Oh I had that and it went' probably didn't have arthritis in the first place. I have two different forms to you and I am about to embark upon my fifteenth year of it. I won't be having a party! Everybody is different in how they are affected, how rapidly things progress into other joints, what joints are affected etc, no two arthritics are the same. I wish you well. DD

Firemanphil_39

Hi John,
Sorry about the rubbish you have...
I was also sero neg.... I was ironman triathlete when I started with my symptoms.... 6 months of being symptomatic it dawned on me and sports doctor that bloods were the watpy to go....

Well I was swimming LOADS.

Started on 15 mgs of meth, then upped to 20 mgs and then added sulphasalazine to the meth.... ( with the odd steroid injection thrown in)


That was a year ago... I've now had 4 injections of anti TNF and feeling ACE. My sero neg was 'labelled' psoriatic arthritis to go for the anti TNF.

Been back on the bike doing big miles.. And in the gym deadlifting, squatting etc..

Hang on in there! ( I'm not bothered about running and don't want to upset anything)