Question about atypical RA symptoms

jen777

Hi guys,
I'm trying to get a diagnosis. For the past month I've had joint pain that started with my fingers, developed symmetrically, and spread to my feet, shoulders, hips, etc. I also have eye dryness.

However, I don't have swelling, redness or stiffness. My tests are also negative. Therefore my rheumatologist didn't diagnose me with Rheumatoid Arthritis. But I think he might be wrong, and I know how important it is to start treating RA as early as possible.

So my question is - has anyone here experienced similar symptoms - pain but no swelling/stiffness - which eventually developed into full-blown RA?

Thank you!

[Deleted User]

Hi Jen777,

Symptoms for around a month and you've already seen a rheumatologist - wow! I'm guessing you don't live in the UK

Welcome to the forum, I hope we can help at least a little.

It must be frightening when symptoms cascade as yours have, to have seen a rheumatologist and not been given any reassurance there is frustrating too.

It sounds like you have been doing some internet research, here are a couple of good sites is the UK,
www.arthritiscare.org.uk
www.arthritisresearchuk.org

You might find this leaflet from arthritis research regarding fibromyalgia, which does have some similar symptoms to RA

https://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/fibromyalgia/what-is-fibromyalgia.aspx

Take care
Yvonne x

PS I'm moving your thread to the Living with arthritis forum as this may be most appropriate for you.

jen777

Hi Yvonne,
I live in Canada. And to be fair, this is the only rheumatologist I've been able to get an appointment so fast with.
He suggested the possibility of fibromyalgia. However, I don't have any other fibromyalgia symptoms, and my pain appeared in a pattern typical of RA. Started with fingers, advanced symmetrically, moved to feet, then the rest. The eye dryness as well. Also I have a tendonitis injury that's not been responding well to treatment for the past 10 months. And I have family history of RA.

What do you think?

moderator wrote:

Hi Jen777,

Symptoms for around a month and you've already seen a rheumatologist - wow! I'm guessing you don't live in the UK

Welcome to the forum, I hope we can help at least a little.

It must be frightening when symptoms cascade as yours have, to have seen a rheumatologist and not been given any reassurance there is frustrating too.

It sounds like you have been doing some internet research, here are a couple of good sites is the UK,
www.arthritiscare.org.uk
www.arthritisresearchuk.org

You might find this leaflet from arthritis research regarding fibromyalgia, which does have some similar symptoms to RA

https://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/fibromyalgia/what-is-fibromyalgia.aspx

Take care
Yvonne x

PS I'm moving your thread to the Living with arthritis forum as this may be most appropriate for you.

dreamdaisy

Hello, there are around three hundred auto-immune inflammatory conditions and one is a very lucky bunny if one presents with all the right symptoms in all the right places. My particular flavour is psoriatic arthritis but I am not overly troubled by the skin side of it: it traditionally begins in the small joints of the body such as the fingers and toes, mine started in my left knee. It is a sero-negative kind of auto-immune arthritis as many kinds are (i.e. RF is not present). I started in 1997 and it wasn't until my skin helpfully obliged with a bout of pustular psoriasis in 2006 that I was accurately diagnosed, a process that made no difference whatsoever to the meds I was taking as they are used for all. There are no hard-and-fast rules about this disease which makes it a very hard game to play. I wish you well. DD

stickywicket

The family history would certainly make me think but I remember, when first diagnosed with RA, in addition to the pain, knobbles, redness and soreness on my finger joints, the overwhelming symptom was the crushing fatigue.

You rightly say that it's good to get an early diagnosis but I think, for some people, an early diagnosis can be a wrong diagnosis as their main symptoms only turn up later. I suggest you wait for a while, see what does or doesn't develop and keep a diary of symptoms. Then, maybe, see a different rheumatologist. The ones who are more readily available might be more available for a good reason ie the others might be better.

stickywicket

Mods - why has this thread been moved to this forum, please? It doesn't seem to make sense.

stickywicket

:? :? :?

Curiouser and curiouser. It would seem it hasn't actually been moved but it does also now appear on the 'Young People's Forum' where it says it's been moved there.