Soft tissue - tendons and hip thingies?

Mat48

Hi All - not been around for ages. I went traveling for my work and spent two weeks trawling around Bristol, Wales and Edinburgh - heaving a holdall bag and a small rucksack off and on buses. Ended up paying a price - had to get out to the plane home in a wheelchair because my ankle tendon went very swollen, hot and was agony couldn't put foot on the ground. But 24 hours later I was dancing the night away at a party having downed a load of Naproxen (well not a load - just the max prescribed!) which worked like a dream. If you don't take these things very often like me they work like magic when you do.

Managed to lose my passport somewhere in the airport departure lounge which was a bit upsetting but I think it's turned up in lost property now.

Then I had a telemedicine consultation with my rheumatologist - first time we have spoken since I was diagnosed with RA back in November. He said he would see me person-to-person back in March, then that never happened so it was to be end July but I kicked off a bit as I have no rheumy nurse or anyone monitoring my RA apart from GPs who are a bit out of their depth on RA symptoms although they are very supportive.

My CRP has only been taken a few times but is at 13.3 which is good but my ESR is consistently floating about between 40 and 65. Not quite sure what this means but I'm starting to think it doesn't mean a lot - maybe I just have a naturally high ESR? My joints haven't been too bad but I'm very stiff and my hands ache again now. But most annoying of all are the paddy bits on the outer sides of my bum just above my thighs - leading into my bum cheeks and small of my back.

I did ask rheumy about these but he and the examining physio both said that if it wasn't in my groin then it probably wasn't hip arthritis - which is good in a way - except for now I'm wondering what is it?

The physio implied that from my blood results (FSH of 126) it might be a menopausal thing - well at least I think that's what she meant but with the rheumy on a screen that kept dissolving into pixels with just his very echoing disembodied voice and the physio's very clear, bossy one I got in a muddle and couldn't cut to the chase!

Does anyone know if this sounds like RA or just a bit of getting older? It's not incapacitating me but it is aching when I sit or lie down and getting a bit worse every day. It just feels very tight like a band around my bum and lower back?

Hope you are all reasonably well - despite the unseasonal weather? Mat x

valval

hi mat this a difficult one but could be you are walking different and could be muscle spasam but that only a guess can not see it or feel it you need to see some one who will know try heat on it incase it is muscle will relax it a bit if is might just give you some idea val

deedeeitsme

Hi Mat....I have very similar symptoms to you (the pain in the butt) feels achey, sore and hot but I do have groin pain too. I am currently still under investigation so can't say as yet what it is. I have been diagnosed by my second rheumy with fibromyalgia but my gp is not convinced due to swelling of joints which apparently doesn't happen with fibro so he is in the process of sending me for a second opinion. Anyway, hope it gives you a break soon and rest as much as possible x Dee x

Mat48

Thanks both of you - I have been trying not to walk differently, although the tendonitis in my ankle has been making me hobble on and off for about 4 months but it's on the wain now and I don't think it would be so even between both sides if it was that. I do exercise most mornings to keep on top of muscles so they can support my joints and afterwards I always feel better. I don't think I have fibro because I feel okay otherwise and fibro is like M.E I believe in that it gives you a fog and depression. I do get low and fatigued but only for a few days after I've had my Methotrexate (17.5mg) so I think it must be muscular.

Swelling of the joints sounds as if it's some kind of inflammatory arthritis to me Dee but then I rarely show any swelling at all and I've got RA so it's not always clear cut with these things. I think I'll just put mine down to getting older (approaching 50) and being almost at the end of my menopause. It's uncomfortable but not disabling yet so fingers crossed it just goes away or doesn't get worse. Mat x