What are the symptoms of RA?

Paleogirl

So two weeks ago I was diagnosed with RA. The blood tests showed a raised anti ccp level and I had a thumb joint that was stiff and some finger tip joints that were painful. That was it.

I was given a large dose of steroids and put on hydroxycolquine with methotrexate to be introduced later after a chest X-ray.

The thing is a couple of days after the injection I developed severe pain in most of my joints, very tender and similar in my fingers and toes to the pain you get if you've forgotten your gloves on a winter day. I'm extremely tired and having waves of nausea.

This has just got worse over the two weeks since starting treatment. The thing is I didn't have this before I started treatment so I don't know whether these are actually RA symptoms or the result of treatment. I feel like I've a dose of flu and every joint and every bone is aching

dibdab

There's a link at the top of the page that describes symptoms of RA......maybe have a look there. For me it's typified by painful and stiff joints, swelling and in various joints, and feeling utterly exhausted and generally just rubbish when the disease is flaring. I currently take hydroxyl chloroquine, methotrexate and sulfa salazine, it holds the disease in control mostly, but it still breaks through and I have painkillers everyday.

I understand your concerns about the meds, but I don't think that the doctors prescribe such strong meds unless they are convinced we need them. It definitely takes a while for the full benefit of the meds to become evident, and doses need to be tinkered with to get them right for individual needs.

When I was diagnosed the rheumy team gave me some useful information leaflets, and there are a number of reliable info sites you might find helpful:

http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/symptoms.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Rheumatoid-arthritis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

Deb x

Howie

Hello Paleogirl

I think one symptom of RA is a raised level of the anti-CCP antibody. It allows the doctors to be sure that you have a variety of RA which responds best to being treated aggressively. That's probably why they've given you such powerful medications, even though the swelling and other "observable" symptoms were still relatively mild.