Is post-viral arthritis a type of inflammatory arthritis?

Rach101

I've been told I either have post viral arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis but a letter I just got from my rheumatologist said my history is strongly indicative of inflammatory arthritis and says the ultrasound will show if this is the correct diagnosis or not. I thought all arthritis is inflammatory apart from OA?

stickywicket

Inflammatory arthritis, as I understand it (and I could be wrong) is the same as autoimmune arthritis. There are many different types, of which RA is one but all require DMARDS (Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs).

I don't think I've heard of Post Viral Arthritis before. I would have assumed it was the same as ReA but apparently not. (http://tinyurl.com/hjex96z )

I know we all get curious about what's happening to our bodies when they misbehave and it's hard not to google but a little knowledge, as they say, is a dangerous thing. Stick to sites you can trust such as this one, NHS Choices and ARUK. Believe the facts but take all personal or anecdotal stuff (including what I say ) with a pinch of salt. Sometimes, with the best intentions in the world, we all get things wrong.

Rach101

Oh that's strange. I also thought post viral arthritis was another name for reactive. It was my rheumatologist who said that its either post viral or rheumatoid but ive already had it for more than 3 months. Very puzzling! Im not sure from the info as to whether reactive arthritis is inflammatory arthritis either tho. Hopefully my appointment on Thursday will clarify things! Dont worry I've been trying not to google random sites!

stickywicket

I think the answer is yes, it is inflammatory. But it's complicated.

“Although there isn’t a family tendency to develop reactive arthritis, if you have a particular gene, HLA-B27, you may be more likely to develop the condition. This gene is carried by about 1 in 14 (7%) of the general population. Having the HLA-B27 gene could also make you more likely to have further episodes of reactive arthritis in the future.” (http://tinyurl.com/jzcqxau)

Rach101

Thanks stickywicket ive now read the whole article on reactive arthritis and it was v interesting and quite encouraging. If ive got that rather than RA it suggests that in another 3 months i could be completely better. Im going to hold that thought for now, particularly re work!

dreamdaisy

For my OA I have pain relief and diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory medication. I rarely need to take it though thanks to the effect of my triple therapy for the PsA.

There are many kinds of inflammatory arthritic conditions but no matter which one has it ain't ever going to go away - even reactive will lurk in the shadows. Control is the name of the game and the meds have a role to play in that - the rest of it is down to us being sensible with what we do and how we do it. DD