New Symptom

ouchpotato

Hi all

Hope you're all as well as can be expected.

I have posted recently on my bilateral elbow pain, dx as tennis elbow but I am pretty sure it's not. Now I have new symptoms which are, quite frankly, scary as hell and wondered if anyone here with an inflammatory arthritis recognises any of it, because I have always felt that my arthritis is inflammatory, and not 'just' OA.

So, the elbow pain has jumped from right to left, and back again for a couple of years now, localised and kept in check with steroid jabs, which sadly stopped working.

But the past couple of days it has settled in both arms, and the pain is both outer and inner elbow (Tennis and golfer's elbow, on both sides at the same time???). My right arm, however, is hell. If I use it to do anything it becomes agonising. Last night I took my bra off while watching tv (pretty sure you all know that feeling) and immediately my right arm started protesting. Not just my elbow, but radiating right up to my shoulder and down to my hand. It feels like I have boiling water running through my veins. My hand has also started swelling up, particularly the knuckles, and my fingertips have been sore. At the same time, I get that 'dead arm' feeling, it feels heavy and hot. I also seem to have recently developed Raynauds - as soon as anything cold touches my hands they spasm and are impossibly painful.

I can't even do the simplest of tasks - pulling the duvet up at night leaves me crying with pain, for instance.

Now, in conjunction with this, every nail on one foot has become yellow and thick, and comes away from the nail bed. It was tested a couple of years ago and a fungal infection was found, but it has not responded to any treatment. The skin on the bottom of that foot (only that foot) is really dry, flaky, thick and can be sore and again doesn't respond to treatment.

All of my problems started in my lower spine and imaging showed arthritis of the facet joints, but because of the OA dx, as well as normal bloods (even though my last test came back showing high inflammation) nothing will be done.

I am in the process of finding a new Dr, which has been held up with the xmas and new year break, but in the meantime I am struggling.

So, does anyone else share these symptoms, or can shed any light while I wait for a new GP? I'm coming here to vent as I don't want to keep banging on about it to my kids - my poor little girl has seen me crying a lot with it lately and it's not fair.

stickywicket

I'm sorry things are so bad for you. To be honest, I can relate to some of your symptoms but not others. I have RA in virtually every joint but, although I can, and have had, pain in eg shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers, sometimes all at once, I wouldn't say it radiated down the arm. My feet are horrible and I can relate to the nails and underfoot skin bit but I think RA isn't the only cause of such things. I know, from things you've written before, I felt (from my lofty position if total ignorance :roll: ) that much of yours sounded like nerve pain.

I do hope your new GP can help.

ouchpotato

Thanks Sticky

My first thought was nerve pain too, but I don't (as far as I know) have any issues with my neck and I believe (I'm no expert) that it is upper back and neck which hold the nerves to the arms?

With the foot issues (and I'm so embarrassed about them, they look awful) I was thinking maybe Psoriatic Arthritis.

Whatever it is, it's knocking me for six at the moment!