Just diagnosed.......

kirst74

Hi, after procrastinating.....I finally went to my GP and had the usual physical, X-rays and blood tests....then was told that I have osteoarthritis in my hands. As I have just turned 40, its a shock (though with the pain, not really) what is shocking me however, is the quick rate that my fingers have been bending as if in the wind! am I having an episode and will this slow down? I am taking vit D3 as deficient and have looked into others.....just wanted to reach out there and hopefully get some advice. thanks!

stickywicket

Hello and welcome. I'm sorry to hear you have OA and that you feel things are progressing quickly. It must be not just bewildering but quite scary too.

It's a popular misconception (even among some docs :roll: ) that OA only affects old people.

Will it slow down? I wish I could tell you. We're all different in how, and at what rate, our disease progresses. Have you been prescribed any medication for it? Has your GP suggested physio?

You might find some of Arthritis Care's publications helpful http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/PublicationsandResources/Listedbysubject .And / or you could contact the Helplines if you'd like a chat about it.

Other than that just ask us and we'll try to help. At the very least we will understand as we're all in the same boat

kirst74

Thank you for your kind words, they are appreciated....in answer to your question, I was just told to take high dosages of Ibrufen and Paracetamol and vitamin D3....no physio suggested! and told to come back in around 3 months time......

dreamdaisy

That sounds like par for the course with OA. The only time I have had physio has been after operations dealing with my auto-immune arthritis but I have read AC's leaflets on pain management and exercise and adapted things to suit me. I have to say that it doesn't make that much difference to my pain levels but it is important to keep your muscles as strong and flexible as possible to help better support the joints.

If you wake with stiff hands then soak them in a basin of warm water, gently flexing your fingers to loosen them. Another soaking with Epsom salts can provide relief, as can hot wax treatments. If you are referred to a physio it may be worth asking to see an Occupational Therapist (OT) too, to enquire about the possible use of work splints or resting splints but, as each and every one of us differs in how we are affected they may not yet be a suitable option. Resting your hands on a hot water bottle can also give some relief but all relief is temporary. I have OA in both ankles, both knees, both hips, wrists, shoulders and neck and heat does help when it's misbehaving. DD

stickywicket

That's about par for the course with OA. There's no cure. It's about keeping the pain dampened down while balancing that with not taking so much pain relief that you become like a zombie. That won't happen if you're only on paracetamol. However, if you are taking ibuprofen regularly it is quite likely to cause stomach problems. Your GP should really have prescribed a stomach-protecting med with it. At the first sign of indigestion do get back to him.

I don't know how old you are but the NHS says most women in the UK over the age of 65 (60?) need a Vit D supplement daily as we don't get / absorb enough from sunlight. I take one too.

One of the booklets in the reference I gave earlier deals with exercise and there are hand exercises in there. But, if you still feel, after a few weeks, that you're getting worse quickly, do go back to the GP.

elnafinn

Hi Kirst

I have had OA in my thumbs since about your age. If I remember right that was about the time it started but to no great degree. I am in my 64th year and now it is extremely rare that I get pain from the thumbs. The OA has "burnt itself out". Over the years I used to use a heated wheatbag wrapped around my hands. I have taken two anti inflammatories for years now,which help my arthritic symptoms that popped up elsewhere. I have tried to be without them but those two little pills help me so much I cannot be without them and have quality of life. My thumbs now do not look pretty but I can use them ok - although they are much weaker so I sometimes use an aid for opening new jar lids or ask someone to open it for me. I have had steroid injections into the thumb joint that did help for a time.

Did your gp test your VitD levels and they were found to be low or just put you on the Vit D pills?

I wish you well. Do let us know how you go on. It is good to talk.

Elna

barbara12

Hello kirst74
And a warm welcome from me,like Elna my OA started in my thumbs..I have been offered an op but they seem to be settling down after my last steroid injections..so you could ask about those..good luck

Keren

Hi Kirst,

By "bending as if in the wind", do you mean they're bending over sideways?

kirst74

Hi, I got prescribed vitamin D3 by my GP as my levels are low, I am also taking vitamins Omega 3 now and Glucosamine Sulphate and hope they help overall. Has other people found these help? In answer to my comment about my fingers, 2 were already slightly bent (upper part of fingers) My right hand is better than that, but now in the past few weeks, 3 of my fingers on my left hand bend significantly to the right (the entire fingers not just part) and this has happened very very quickly....I'm sure all will be okay, but I am obviously slightly worried at how quickly... I am building up the courage to go back to GP, but foresee a long waiting list for any answers of intervention if any. (Its OA)
Thank god I am off work at moment for holiday as I am exhausted and ache all over and am sleeping too much. Feel like I have a sleeping sickness. (I am 40 years old) ....probably feeling sorry for myself too!

Thanks,

Kirstyxx

Keren

When you're describing your fingers on your left hand, are you looking at your palm or the back of your hand? Are the fingers moving towards your little finger, or towards your thumb? I'm just wondering whether you're describing ulnar drift, but that would be if your fingers were moving towards your little finger.

stickywicket

When did it all start, Kirsty? It all sounds to have come on rather quickly. How long have you felt so tired?

kirst74

Hi, thanks for replies, in answer to.......I have felt tired for several years, but attributed it to shift work and life! In the past several weeks, I have felt really tired, more so than I have before. But the heat is not helping with that! It all took me a long time to finally go to my GP, (because I never go as have been healthy really) In answer to my fingers, they are moving towards my thumb! and swelling beautifully in this summer heat as well! Over the past year, I have noticed a change in my fingers but seems to have speeded up...:shock: I also have pain elsewhere, ie my back and my knees grind and hips click, but tolerating all that - GP is aware of this.
Also my Rheumatoid factor was "normal" which I am thankful for, but this is all new, so I will carry on!!

Thanks for the support,
Kirstyxx

Keren

You can have inflammatory arthritis without being positive for RF, and everything you're describing sounds suspicious. Your GP really needs to refer you up to a rheumatologist. Did he look at your esr and crp? They are inflammation marker blood tests.

I have a type of OA in my fingers, but that's given me large hard knuckles (Bouchard's nodes), not deformed fingers. That's much more typical of OA.

dreamdaisy

From what you have said (especially regarding the tiredness) and the drift of your fingers then yes, I agree with Keren; please ask your GP to refer you to a rheumatologist. GPs know a little about a lot (ands in the case of inflammatory arthritis a very little) whereas the rheumatologist will know a lot about a little (including OA but they don't treat that).

I have a sero-negative type of inflammatory arthritis, in my case it's psoriatic arthritis (PsA) but it took some time for me to be diagnosed. My affected joints would swell and become very hot but that is now controlled by drugs. Tiredness is my constant companion, I go to be tired and wake up tired having not slept as deeply as I should thanks to pain. I also have OA but that affects me differently to the PsA. I think you merit further investigation if only to rule things out. DD

kirst74

Thanks Keren and Dreamdaisy, I have just made an appointment for Monday. to see GP..........watch this space............

Kirstyxx

stickywicket

Just to emphasise what keren and DD have said - not all types of auto-immune arthritis are sero-positive and, I've learnt from this forum, not all GPs seem to be aware of that. It might be worth your while to take with you some info from here. http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/inflammatory-arthritis-pathway.aspx I don't normally recommend googling for illness and disease but ARUK are a very reliable site and their Step 2 page will be of particular use to you.

'Inflammatory arthritis can often be difficult to diagnose, and a firm diagnosis can usually only be made by a consultant rheumatologist or a GP with a special interest in musculoskeletal disease (a GPwSI). Because the different forms of inflammatory arthritis are treated by specialist teams led by a consultant rheumatologist and are usually, though not always, hospital-based, this is a specialist area of care. This means that unless your GP has had additional training to be a specialist they may not have the level of experience, skill and knowledge needed to make a clinical diagnosis. - See more at: http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/inflammatory-arthritis-pathway/step-two.aspx#sthash.j9jBuWr9.dpuf

kirst74

Hi, was another very sunny and hot day.....
Feeling exhausted still, but I did go to GP and he said my fingers are possibly soft tissue damage!? He did say right away that he is going to write an referral to rhumatologist, (how ever long that is going to take!) so slightly scared/happy about that. Plus I finally showed him my toes, (then which he started typing furiously)which are horribly deformed, so I hope to get some answers, though I loath being medicalised.
Hope everyone is ok and enjoying the summer as I am (haha)
thanks,
Kirsty

dreamdaisy

I don't think any of us on here enjoy being in touch with doctors, I'm used to it because that has been my life but even so it irritates me at times.

I hope you soon receive a rheumatology appointment, the fact that your feet and hands are being affected certainly warrants further investigation. Please let us know how you get on. DD

stickywicket

I think that's a good outcome. Being 'medicalised' isn't good but it's preferable to being 'non-medicalised' if we have stuff wrong You probably will have a wait for a rheumatology appointment. They are very busy departments.

kirst74

Hi, feeling less tired, but tonight cant sleep! also not in any less pain! still waiting for rhumatology appointment, but expected a wait......My right hand has now joined the left with my fingers bending towards my thumbs! I have taken pictures since it started and definitely is getting worse.....very quickly. Going to GP again this week, but had to wait week and a half for appointment.....

What I am really worried and have being thinking about too, is a surprise diagnosis a few days ago for my mum too! she had head and neck mri and waited 6 weeks for results, as you could imagine...the imagining all sorts! she has arthritis in her neck/spine and also has a trapped nerve with horrible pain in her shoulder which she says is worse than childbirth (she would know, she has had 4) so we are trying to get our heads around all of that....both of us diagnosed within weeks of each other! but trying to be positive as its easy to get down about it all, and trying to be strong too.
Hope everyone is okay
Kirsty

stickywicket

I'm sorry things are getting worse, and also that your mother is having problems too. I guess you can commiserate with each other but there will also be an element of fear feeding off fear.

Your doc might try to expedite the rheumatology appointment but, yes, they are very busy departments and it might not be possible so you might just end up with more meds to tide you over.

It's a worrying time, no doubt, and, if it helps to talk about it, we are here.

kirst74

Hi, hope everyone is okay.
Update......

Been to see rhumatologist......which took repeat trips to GP to move to urgent. It was a better and more thorough experience than I expected!!!!! Had another x-ray of my hands but also my chest, knees as the consultant said "there is something going on there" (like I did not know that!) and feet and more bloods. The outcome was that I have: "probably sero-negative arthritis"...and also possibly carpal tunnel syndrome, so waiting for MRI for my hands and nerve tests.....have another appointment to see rhumatologist in November. He said that he...will discuss treatment then with me and review results for all of the tests....which I do not know yet. The interim option was a steroid injection. I feel numb and weird about it all and relieved too. Have not processed it all yet...one minute I have O A....now.... :shock:

dreamdaisy

Hello again, it's nice to hear from you.

So, things have become odder and weirder? Yup, sounds like arthritis to me. I have a sero-negative kind which has led to OA, but for years I was classed as an 'inflammatory arthritic' - the change of label didn't affect the meds I was on at the time because they are used to treat all kinds of auto-immune arthritis. I had a double carpal tunnel op in November 2012 (I've just bounced back my thread on that for another member).

I am not surprised that you are feeling a tad bewildered by it all; if you do choose the steroid route be prepared for it to do nothing at all or work miracles: if the latter happens then you are not 'fixed' because it's just a temporary interruption to the arthritis. Steroids don't repair, just mask. DD

stickywicket

Of course you feel weird about it all. It's been an emotional rollercoaster and it's not over yet BUT you have a tentative diagnosis, a rheumatologist who is taking you seriously and a plan for the immediate future. That's all good.

I'm not quite sure, from what you write, if you actually had a steroid jab or not. If so, and it works, please don't think you're cured. It cures nothing but can, temporarily, mask the symptoms very deceptively. I hope things go a little more smoothly for you from now on but remember we're here to help whenever we can.

kirst74

Thanks for the kind replies....

I chose to not have the steroid injection as the consultant said it may give temporary relief, but also will possibly mask results of MRI, even if its in a few weeks time. As I want a clear picture as possibly can be (Even though I know that is not a definite either) Yes its hopeful, and I am so relived yes, to be taken seriously....and its great that I can talk about it all here - I know will be without eye rolling, glazed expressions or overt disinterest!
but with knowing and great advice!

So again....watch this space!

Thanks

Kirsty x

stickywicket

You chose the harder route so as to get the best outcome. Hey, Kirsty, you're already good at dealing with this Well done!