Your thoughts please

Nikkijamie

Hello

I hope this post finds you all as well as possible x

I haven't been on here for over year so I apologise for my absence. I was diagnosed just over a year ago with osteoarthritis in my hip. I also have scoliosis and a leg length discrepancy.

I currently find myself in need of your advice and thoughts. I'm aware that you can't diagnose but I trust your personal experiences.

I am experiencing pain in my hands, the pain comes from the joints in my thumbs and is in both hands but it feels more painful in my right hand (I am right handed). The pain is also in my knuckles in my fingers and appears to radiate to my finger joints. My hands feel tight and uncomfortable but I can't see any obvious swelling. The pain tends to ease some days but others like yesterday was difficult and ibuprofen didn't touch it. Sometimes I have to adapt what I'm doing to reduce the pain.

I also experience a lot of cracking in the lower thumb joint.

I have been to a gp who sent me for bloods which came back fine so I went back and saw a different gp and he thinkis it's reynauds! The pain is constant and is not weather/temperature dependent so I'm not convinced. He has though sent me for a rheumatoid blood test as the other gp didn't do that one.

Sorry for the really long post but any ideas.

Nikki x x

charleeh

Hi,

It is good that your GP is sending your blood to be tested for RA.

I can't tell you what you have but I have a type of arthritis called Sero Negative Arthritis which is basically just like RA (and later on often develops into RA or similar - but not always) but at present RA does not show in my blood. However my inflammatory markers are raised very high unless controlled by medication (which I currently take). Often I get stiffness but no obvious signs of swelling; although due to experience now I know when I have 'slight' swelling if that makes sense; or the joints feeling tight and just not normal, this does however always show in my raised inflammatory markers.

I don't know how exactly they test for RA other than obviously via blood but if your test comes back that you do not have RA it might be worth asking your GP to test your inflammatory markers (if the RA test does not cover it - as I honestly don't know). I think there are a lot of people who have Sero Negative types of arthritis who some times go undiagnosed.

Hope this helps - and I hope you feel better soon;

Best wishes
Charleeh

barbara12

Hello Nikki
Its good to see you back only sorry you are suffering..I have OA in quite a few joints and not long had a THR...I also have it in my hands and like you they are quite stiff in a morning...my blood test for RA came back clear...my xrays show the bone at the bottom of my thumbs are nearly bone on bone I think it is called the Trapezium..I have hand splints and these help a lot ...I have to see my consultant this week to see about surgery to remove the bone but I think I will leave that for the min.
You ask about the splints they make a big difference.

stickywicket

Nikkijamie wrote:

I have been to a gp who sent me for bloods which came back fine so I went back and saw a different gp and he thinkis it's reynauds! The pain is constant and is not weather/temperature dependent so I'm not convinced. He has though sent me for a rheumatoid blood test as the other gp didn't do that one.

I think your GPs, between them, are doing the right things, Nikkijamie. I guess patience is what's required. It's boring but we all need so much of it

Boomer13

Hi Nikki;

I have PsA but started with Raynaud's quite a few years ago. It's pretty distinctive as your fingers/hands tend to go pale/white and often with a very distinct line. It does cause joint pain but it seems to make all the tissues ache, not just the joints. The pain can be worse when your hands/feet warm up. Stress or low blood sugar can cause an episode, not just cold.

Keeping your hands very warm if they are aching is a good idea, even if you don't have Raynaud's.

Unfortunately, Sticky is right; we end up needing lots of patience waiting for test results and further opinions. I hope you get answers soon.

Anna

Nikkijamie

Thank you all so much for your replies and I agree that I need patience I just struggle as feel they aren't listening x

Thank you for your thought and I will keep you posted.

I don't have any of the colour change that would imply raynauds but I'll keep an eye x

Nikki x