Sero-negative Arthritis

LesleyJ1509

I am 45 years old and have had arthritis for a number of years. In the last 2 years things have got much worse. I have seen a arthritis consultant at my local hospital and he has told me that I have osteoarthritis in my hands/arms/wrists/fingers//knees and feet. I have been seeing a physio and and hand therapist and doing hydrotherapy. In the last few weeks I have been in a lot more pain. My knees are hurting more than ever despite doing swimming and hydro and my fingers have developed more nodes that are inflamed and incredibly painful. I am also tired all the time, to the point where I cant lift my arms. Today at my hand therapy appointment the therapist said to me that the doctor has put "sero negative OA" on my forms? i didnt think there was a sero-negative OA, I have researched this and it is appears that it is sero-negative RA. I have tried to bring my 6 month follow up appointment forward on the recommendation of my physio and hand therapist with my consultant but have been told that there is not a chance of doing that and I need to go back to my GP for them to write a letter to request an emergency appointment.

I am really concerned at the rapid rate at which my disease is progressing and am concerned that I am being treated for OA and I should be treated for sero-negative RA. The consultant did put me on a trial of hydroxi-choloquinne as I am asthmatic and cannot take anti-inflammatories which does not seem to have made a difference.

I am feeling very nervous at the moment as i am struggling more and more with pain and my hands and nails are changing shape.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Lesley
xx

helpline_team

Dear Lesley,

Thanks for your post to Helplines. I am sorry to hear of how difficult and concerning this situation is right now. The drug you have mentioned is a treatment for sero negative arthritis (and other inflammatory arthritis conditions). One of the issues with these drugs is that they are slow acting, so it can take time to get a dose correct for each person.

It's always possible that you may respond better to a different drug, so that can be another point to discuss with your rheumatologist. Most rheumatology departments can be accessed via the rheumatology specialist nurse - so if you are very worried or need extra medical help (such as an injection to tide you over, it's important to try them).

If you have both oa and inflammatory arthritis it can be really confusing, and I'm not even sure whether all of your diagnosis is confirmed yet. At times specialists may explore a treatment and how you respond to the treatment may confirm or refute the hypothesis.

If you'd like a chat on the phone, you are most welcome to ring us for some informal support.

Kind regards
Guy