Hi

YWD

Hi everyone.
Just joined, so popped by to say hello
My name is Chris, I have suffered from acute joint pain for many years, most GP’s treated me with scepticism due to my age. I first started visiting the GP regarding joint pain when I was early thirties and was told by the specialist that he regarded me as too young to have arthritis!
Anyhow, eventually, I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis and prescribed Ibuprofen… that was great, but in time ibuprofen just didn’t cut it and I was changed to Diclofenac. Then about 5 years ago, I was switched to Naproxen and that worked wonders, so much so that I stopped taking it for a long time.
Then about 4 months ago, 2 of my fingers started to swell and became painful, steadily but surely, other joints joined in… shoulders, neck and wrists… then about 6 weeks ago, I started getting excruciating pain in my chest bone, so much so that I could hardly take a breath some times. I made the appointment to see the GP and after the usual 2 week wait, got to see him and he put me back on Naproxen and claims that he doesn’t think it’s psoriatic arthritis, he thinks it’s rheumatoid ..
I’m at a bit of a loss really as the chest pain has extended to right between my shoulders, the pain isn’t the dull ache I’m used to, this is like someone is piercing me with a red hot poker and sleep has become a luxury. To top it all off, now my lower back feels like it’s joining in
I’m hoping this is just a flare up and it will ease off soon, but in the meantime, I guess I start the process again of getting a firm diagnosis.

I am supplementing the naproxen with cocodomol, but nothing seems to be making much of an impact

Sorry for the mildly depressing first post, but getting it off my chest makes me feel better

dreamdaisy

Hi back, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you have had to find us. I too have PsA but take much stronger meds than you have listed, it sounds to me as though you need an appointment with your rheumatologist - have you ever seen one? GPs generally do not know enough about these auto-immune conditions - they know a little about a lot whereas a rheumatologist knows a lot about a little. DD

YWD

Hi

Yes, i was one a long time ago, he was the guy that basically said i was too young (early thirties) and told me to take up swimming.

my current GP said that if the naproxen doesnt prove effective, he will refer me to the rheumatologist again

hileena111

Hi Chris
Welcome to the forum
I have OA so wont be much help to you...just to say welcome and I'm sure someone will be along soon to help

Love
hileena

dreamdaisy

Well, he wasn't much cop as a rheumatologist (mind you the first one I saw said I had nothing going on, I proved him wrong!) Arthritis of any kind can strike at any age - the fact that the rheumatologist stated you were too young hints to me that he was thinking you had OA hence your 'success' on anti-inflammatories. Have you had blood tests or Xrays? DD

YWD

I had blood tests a while ago and that's why this latest GP has ruled out PsA.. i don't know what the results did say, but i will make a new appointment with the GP to discuss my next option

stickywicket

Hello Chris and welcome from me too. On reading your posts I find myself a little angry on your behalf. You seem to have had the singular misfortune to encounter a rheumatologist who doesn't realise young people can get arthritis :shock: (I'm glad I wasn't referred to him when I was diagnosed at 15) and two GPs who have both done their own diagnoses and prescribing although both PsA and RA should be diagnosed and treated by rheumatologists. In fact, the meds for both are similar but, if you have either form of arthritis, you need to be on those meds and only a rheumatologist can prescribe them so you really do need to ask your GP to arrange an appointment with one.

If it does turn out that you have just OA and not an auto-immune form of arthritis then your GP will continue to treat you and you won't see the rheumatologist again. But you do need to know once and for all. Good luck!

YWD

In all honesty, when i first went through the process, all i wanted was to get some pain relief, i didn't pay too much attention to what was said, i just wanted the end goal.... this time i will have a much more active role in the process and not get fobbed off... i'm much older and belligerent than in my youth

barbara12

Hello YWD and a warm welcome from me
I am with the others , you are not on your own being fobbed off believe me there are many on here, but you learn to speak up for yourself, you ask to be referred again to a Rheumy, its time you get some proper help.
I do hope to see you around the forum you will get lots of support and info ,wishing you well with everything..

YWD

Hi all, and many thanks for all your messages etc. I'm very sorry i disappeared from here, its been a busy time, i work full time and have 2 part time businesses too.

By way of an update, i have seen the rheumatologist (after a 5 month wait) and had more bloods taken, lots of x-rays and am on the waiting list for an ultrasound.
Once the results are in, the rheumy is looking at putting me on methotrexate. Ive googled it and it doesn't sound appealing.
The chest pain eased off for 2 or 3 months but is now back and brought its mates too, along with a depression that I'm fighting hard.

I'll try to be a more active member here, i promise

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to hear from you again. I agreed that meth doesn't sound that wonderful but many of us on here take it and have very little trouble (in my case rare trouble and then only being very tired) with it. We take it in relatively small doses compared to its use for other conditions but it can take the body time to adjust; it's the common first drug of choice so you are far from alone with taking it. I assume you will be on the tablet version so take it after food, that lessens the 'shock' on the stomach, and always swallow with water. Some on here prefer to take it in the evening so they can head for bed and snooze. DD

stickywicket

You sound to have had a rough time of things in several ways but at least the rheumatologist is being thorough. Try not to worry about taking methotrexate. It's a multi-purpose drug and those of us taking it for arthritis take only a small, weekly dose. I've been on it for years with no problems and it's kept my RA under good control.

You sound to be a very active person already so please don't worry about coming here more often. We'll be around as and when. You just ensure you are as well as possible

YWD

Thanks both. it's good to be able to vent now and then, but i do know my arthritis is mild compared to most of you out there, i handle it most days and so few people know i have it, so i must hide it well, but occasionally you just need to have a rant eh?

normally it doesn't get to me, but the chest pain does wear me down, the lack of sleep does get to me, i don't sleep much anyway, i'm one of those that goes to bed late and is up with the lark, so losing sleep gets to me quickly perhaps

being on a diet doesn't help either... that always makes me cranky :shock:

stickywicket

You don't sound cranky But you do sound to have quite a lot on your plate.

Maybe a relaxing bedtime routine would help with the sleep? (Or a glass of whisky )

frogmorton

stickywicket wrote:

You don't sound cranky But you do sound to have quite a lot on your plate.

Maybe a relaxing bedtime routine would help with the sleep? (Or a glass of whisky )

Behave Stickywicket!!!!

Nice to meet you YWD I hope that you get on ok with the MTX and things pick up for you soon. My daughter (17) takes it amongst other things for her leukaemia and has no problems at all with it

Love

Toni xxx

YWD

Sadly, the relaxing bedtime routine is out of the window, i tend to work till very late and as i am in the process of setting up another business with my brother, its going to get worse

As for the whisky, ive been tea total for over 10 years, so not an option
My only vice these days is food, hence the diet

stickywicket

Oh dear! It sounds as if you are someone who actually thrives on stress but, unfortunately, so does arthritis :roll:

Frogmorton is quite right about the whisky :oops: If you're going onto methotrexate you'll have to be dry for several weeks anyway so not drinking will be a big help for you.

I still think a bedtime wind down would help you to sleep. Apparently, it's a way of letting your mind and body know this is it, slow down, see you in the morning

YWD

stickywicket wrote:

You don't sound cranky But you do sound to have quite a lot on your plate.

Maybe a relaxing bedtime routine would help with the sleep? (Or a glass of whisky )

i do have many cranky moments... my other half will confirm

stickywicket

But then they always would confirm that Mine too.

YWD

stickywicket wrote:

Oh dear! It sounds as if you are someone who actually thrives on stress but, unfortunately, so does arthritis :roll:

Frogmorton is quite right about the whisky :oops: If you're going onto methotrexate you'll have to be dry for several weeks anyway so not drinking will be a big help for you.

I still think a bedtime wind down would help you to sleep. Apparently, it's a way of letting your mind and body know this is it, slow down, see you in the morning

maybe not 'thrive' on stress, but i am one that can't simply sit around... but to be fair, 2 of my businesses largely involve me being at a PC, but (very much to the annoyance of the OH), i can fall asleep at the drop of a hat (meditation techniques work wonders) and sleep well. I think the reason i sleep less is because it's deep sleep.

I've not been prescribed MTX yet, the rheumy is waiting for my ultrasound first, but he is keen to try it i think... as long as it controls the pain, i'm happy

stickywicket

The purpose of the methotrexate is to control the disease rather than the pain. Happily one can lead to another – and certainly to less future pain – but we have to let the rheumatologists decide whether or not these meds are working. Pain relief can be needed in addition.

Meditation techniques are a great way of relaxing and winding down – whatever the OH may think

YWD

good point(s), i think some of the issue at the moment is that i haven't had a definitive diagnosis yet.
15 years or more ago, my GP 'diagnosed' it as Psoriatic Arthritis, the Rheumy i saw way back, questioned it, but never tried to look for anything else, so i guess the diagnosis stuck.
my new GP (a fantastic french guy), he is determined to get to a definitive diagnosis. normally, the pain is bearable without meds (hence my lack of pushing to get it sorted) and when i do have a flare up, Naproxen usually controls it, but this time, Naproxen doesn't touch it, the rheumy doubled my dosage and still no discernible affect.

the rheumy says my sternum pain if synonymous with PA, but he also thinks i have RA and maybe OA.

onwards and upwards eh?

stickywicket

Right, this might be important for you. There are a host of different types of auto-immune arthritis(es?) RA is one and PsA another. One big difference between the two is that RA is (almost always) sero-positive and therefore easily diagnosed. PsA is sero-negative so not so easily diagnosed. The meds are, to all intents and purposes, the same and many on here have gone for years with a simple diagnosis of 'inflammatory arthritis'.

OA is a different beast. It can arise for many reasons and none but one of the reasons is untreated auto-immune arthritis so that's another reason for taking the meds prescribed by the rheumatologist. I was diagnosed with RA at 15 and, back then, in the arthritic Dark Ages, DMARDS weren't an option. I was mostly on anti-inflammatories with the odd course of steroids. As a result, OA set in early and I had my first new knees aged 35. It was good to get them but, as some of us were saying yesterday on Living With Arthritis, you don't get people looking like us any more because the disease is treated better and more aggressively from the start. That has to be a good thing.

Frumpyshoes

Hi ywd

I have just been diagnosed with psa - saw 2 gp's who instantly diagnosed it and the next week the rheumatologist agreed! I must admit I was a bit sceptical as they diagnosed only on symptoms and history - I have had very mild psoriasis since childhood and my sister has psa!

I have just taken my 7th dose of meth and the only ill-effects I've suffered are chronic headaches. On the plus side, my swelling (I have in wrist and fingers) is greatly reduced and the non-stop, want to cut my arm off pain, is gone. I still can't use my left wrist for anything much but I can now sleep and manage without any painkillers...

Glad you're finally getting a diagnosis and don't be worried about the meth - I was freaking out about it, but it hasn't been too bad.

YWD

Frumpyshoes wrote:

Hi ywd

I have just been diagnosed with psa - saw 2 gp's who instantly diagnosed it and the next week the rheumatologist agreed! I must admit I was a bit sceptical as they diagnosed only on symptoms and history - I have had very mild psoriasis since childhood and my sister has psa!

I have just taken my 7th dose of meth and the only ill-effects I've suffered are chronic headaches. On the plus side, my swelling (I have in wrist and fingers) is greatly reduced and the non-stop, want to cut my arm off pain, is gone. I still can't use my left wrist for anything much but I can now sleep and manage without any painkillers...

Glad you're finally getting a diagnosis and don't be worried about the meth - I was freaking out about it, but it hasn't been too bad.

Thanks for that, the rheumy wants the results of the ultrasound first as he couldn't see much swelling, hence the need for a firm diagnosis.
at least it's all in progress now and hopefully get diagnosed soon.

in all honesty, the pain isn't normally bad and as i said, i can manage it with Naproxen when needed, but the last 6 months have been different, the sternum pain is incredible and i can only take shallow breaths most of the time and any twisting action on my spine is very painful, making driving hard.

YWD

stickywicket wrote:

OA is a different beast. It can arise for many reasons and none but one of the reasons is untreated auto-immune arthritis so that's another reason for taking the meds prescribed by the rheumatologist. I was diagnosed with RA at 15 and, back then, in the arthritic Dark Ages, DMARDS weren't an option. I was mostly on anti-inflammatories with the odd course of steroids. As a result, OA set in early and I had my first new knees aged 35. It was good to get them but, as some of us were saying yesterday on Living With Arthritis, you don't get people looking like us any more because the disease is treated better and more aggressively from the start. That has to be a good thing.

i think this is why i have staid away from forums in the past, my pain is far less than most people report and coming here whining makes me feel a bit of a phoney and a whinger.