45 year old male and in shock !!!

PaulO

Hi all,

In shock and could do with some advice.

I suffered a bad back and Neck 8 Weeks ago, got pills of doc and within a week back pain gone,But not neck pain.

Last four weeks pains in all toes both ankles and both Knees,

Could hardly walk this morning, so went to docs, told she suspects rheumatoid arthritis!!!!

Had to go back in this afternoon for Blood tests , then appointment booked for next Monday to see Doc again.

Not sure what to expect, but reading on the internet her diagnosis sounds right.

Bit scared at the moment.

Any advice would be great

thanks Paul

dreamdaisy

Hello, this must be a shock indeed and I am sorry. Advice? Well, none at the moment, because we need to be sure that this is what is going on. Believe it or not there is a plus side - your GP is on-the-ball and putting things in motion, the next step once the bloods are back should be referring you to a rheumatologist, they are the people who deal with auto-immune arthritis of which RA is a type. RA is a sero-positive condition, i.e. rheumatoid factor will be present, but there are also sero-negative forms of auto-immune arthritis. Yup, it's complicated.

Please don't read too much on the internet, stick to reliable sites such as here, NRAS and Arthritis Research. Everyone's arthritis is unique to them, some have it badly, some not so bad, for some the meds work very well, for others not so well, it's an unpredictable and difficult condition both to live with and treat. We are here to answer any questions once you know what's what, so please keep in touch either on this part of the forum or the Living with Arthritis board which is also on here. I wish you well. DD

barbara12

Hello Paul and welcome
Of course you are in shock, but like DD says lets wait till you get a proper diagnosis, and good on your GP for getting the test done so quickly....
When you do get the results we are all here for you to talk to, the forum is such a good place to get advice and support.
I do wish you well and hope to hear from you very soon...

dreamdaisy

Hello PaulO, how are things going? And how are you? DD

PaulO

dreamdaisy wrote:

Hello PaulO, how are things going? And how are you? DD

Hi Dreamdaisy Thanks for the reply`s still bit shocked been reading loads on this forum which is helping to understand things,

Was not to bad yesterday just sore toes and left knee,

However woke up early this morning and ankles , toes and neck are really sore !!!.

How can the pain move so quick " just don't understand this".

Wish Monday would come so i can get some answers and ask questions.

Hope you are OK,

Thanks again Paul

dreamdaisy

Ah, this is one of the 'joys' of an auto-immune arthritis. If you do have RA then your body is attacking itself due to an over-active immune system. The meds that one is given are designed to suppress the immune system to stop that from happening. I am on some of those meds and my PsA (psoriatic arthritis) is under very good control. I did not begin these, however, until I was seven years in and as a result I now have OA (osteo arthritis) in both ankles, both knees and my right hip. Of the two I prefer the OA because I know exactly where I am with it - it hurts, end of!

I am now in my 17th year of Living with Arthritis and if I had known then what I know now I would have been far more pro-active in searching out a diagnosis. You are in a far better position in that this (whatever 'this' is) may well be caught very early and that is a good thing. Please bear in mind when reading on here that many of us are much further down the road than you so, although we may sound rather scary with our struggles, we have been there and done that (and on many occasions more than once). I liken it to a rollercoaster, we have our highs and then sudden, swooping lows.

So, it's next Monday you see the GP? Please let us know how you get on. It may now be worth starting a diary of symptoms, what helps or hinders, pain levels, tiredness levels etc because, if you are referred to a rheumatologist, that will give them a good overall picture of you and how you are currently being affected. In the meantime, we're here, OK? DD

frogmorton

Hi Paul

Good to meet you and I am very glad you have found us. The best thing you can do is to get informed (reputable sites though ) and keep talking. Since you probably don't want to worry family too much here is a good place o vent worries and get informed.

Great your doc has done tests so fast and you have an appointment for results so soon.

Even if the bloods are negative (mine are though I do have inflammatory arthritis), but he/she suspects one of the inflammatory forms of arthritis, your GP will probably refer you to rheumatology. That happened to me and I am now on a DMARD medication to supress the disease and prevent damage.

When this first happened to me I thought my life would be over, BUT it hasn't been. Life is a bit different, but still good

Love

Toni xxx

dreamdaisy

Hi, how are things? DD

dreamdaisy

Just popping in to wish you well for tomorrow, please let us know how you get on. DD

PaulO

Hi DD,

Thanks hun hope you are ok?
Been bad weekend Big Toe really painful, and now seem frozen in one position very inflamed!!!

Will let you know in the morning once back from appointment

Thanks Again

paul

Megrose489

Hope it goes well for you today. Look after yourself.

Meg

PaulO

Thanks Meg

dreamdaisy

I have been thinking of you and hope things are as OK as they can be. We're here if needed. DD

PaulO

Hi DD Hope you are ok.

Well had appointment and doc said blood test results where normal for inflammation, High for liver function !.

She was concerned about my liver and quizzed me if i was a big drinker
(I am Not).

She was still convinced that it is RA.


She has set up a appointment for rheumatologist but its in 6 weeks so i am going private through my works medical cover, should have appointment within next 2 weeks.

Also been prescribed Codeine.

Bit Confused at the moment .

Paul

dreamdaisy

Hmmm. I am not surprised that you are still somewhat confused. My initial bloods (which were taken at least five years after my troubles began) showed increased levels of inflammation but my liver function was OK and my RF factor was negative. Auto-immune arthritises are many and vared, and ergo can be hard to diagnose. Your GP sounds to be on the ball but I urge you to be a little wary of the codeine. I don't want to sound hysterical, it does work but some find it hard to tolerate. I take cocodamol tablets as my primary pain relief: they come in a range of stengths and are codeine combined with paracetamol. I began with the 8/500s and now use the 30/500 as a matter of course. (i.e. 30 mgs of codeine and 500 of para.) They dull the sharper edges but no more, speaking of which it's time for my beddy-byes dose.

Your GP sounds like a good 'un, she seems to have some awareness of the auto-immune types and their vagaries. DD

PaulO

Well that's Appointment booked for the rheumatologist this Thursday at 10.30 Not sure what to expect !!!

but at least i am being dealt with quickly.

Paul

dreamdaisy

Crikey! That is quick, the joys of private medicine, yes? I hope you have been keeping notes etc, and I also hope that someone will be able to go with you; another pair of ears is always useful. DD

dreamdaisy

Good luck for today, I hope you will be able to get some idea about what may be going on. DD

Megrose489

Best of luck. Hope you get some answers.

Meg

PaulO

Hi DD,Meg

Hope you are both well?

Thursday was at the Hospital and had a full examination and more blood tests.

Got new meds to take etodolac have you heard of these?

Back to Hospital on Monday for Ultrasound, X Rays.

Hopefully the doc will give me more answers.

Today Big toe on Right foot is so swollen that i cant barely walk or move my toes.
My neck is very sore and stiff and not much movement !!!

Good news is ankles are sore but i can cope with this.

Will let you know how i get on hope you are enjoying the sun while its shining,

Paul

dreamdaisy

Well, things are happening and that's good. I have not heard of etodolac but it appears to be an NSAID (a non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drug) so that's a pretty standard first med. Mine was sulphasalazine (which I still take). When I began those I also had to have fortnightly blood tests to check how my body was tolerating the drug - have these been mentioned to you? If not then maybe come Monday when you go back for further investigations.

I am really struggling in the hot weather, my psoriatic arthritis is in full swing and I am in pain from head to toe. No matter, once this passes and our usual drear and damp is back then my OA can regain the lead. Arthritis, the gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving . . . . . . I wish you well and look further to another update next week. DD

PS If you would like some other responses to your questions then please re-post on the Living with Arthritis board on here. Many more look in on that one than this.

frogmorton

Hi Paul

Looks like you are getting somewhere now. The swelling in the foot will be most useful for the ultrasound next week.

I hope the new meds help you too

Love

Toni xxx

dreamdaisy

Do you have any more news? DD

PaulO

Hi DD,

Hope you are feeling well?

Sorry took some time to reply.

Doc called me today and said that the test results have shown positive for RA.

He has set an appointment to see him on Wednesday this week.

Quick question for you which i will also post on main forum page.
Can you get a sore throat with RA.

I have had 2 now over the last week and kept thinking is was a bug or something.

Today i woke up at 04:00 with a really painful neck which was also sore to touch.
also pain in both feet and my left shoulder.

I am really getting worried about all this as now i keep going to bed thinking what will be hurting when i wake up.

Anyway enough from me speak to you soon

Paul

dreamdaisy

Oh dear, I am sorry to be late to this - life has been getting on top of me after a sudden death in the family.

Right, so now we know what's what. Of course you are feeling worried about it all, luckily for me I was used to ill-health so this next development came as no surprise and I know what will be hurting when I wake up - all the stuff that hurt when I went to bed. My best guess is that he will begin you on methotrexate, that is the usual first prescribed med. Don't get too hung up about it, many of us auto-immuners on here take it with little or no trouble.

Are you still seeing the private chap? This may be time to get into the NHS system - private health insurance doesn't usually cover stuff like arthritis, it prefers the things that can be fixed rather than the long-term dreariness and expense of people like us. DD

PaulO

Hi DD

So sorry to hear about your sad loss, my thoughts are with you.

I am not good today. woke up this morning and could not move my left arm the pain was immense.

Was unable to drive so had to wake the wife to take me to work as i had some important reports i needed to deal with,

thanks again thinking of you at this sad time x

Paul