Hello!

MrsBaldrick

Hi! I'm Mrs B and I'm a 29 yr old mother of 2 !

I've been suffering with comstant tingling in my hands and le gs and whole body pain, which my GP (2 in fact! ) Seem to believe it is rheumatoid arthritis, but I'm not convinced!! I've had several blood tests and all markers have come.back negative, yet I've still been palmed off to rheumatology at the local hospital, to be seen in 6 months time 😤😤

My mother has arthritis in her ankle and shoulder, but what I am feeling, I believe to be more nerve related ... Yet I'm being ignored. It's not one specific area I'm suffering with, it's my whole body, primarily my arms legs and lower back... I was slapped on naproxen after having all OTC meds which doesn't help much either...

Am I going mad ?? It's affecting home and work!

Mrs B x

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you and I am sorry you have had to find us. You don't say what kind of arthritis your mother has but there are more than people think. Tthe most common form is osteoarthritis and then there are the auto-immune inflammatory kinds which number in the hundreds. I am one of the lucky ones with a creaky foot in both camps, my rheumatologist ignores the OA and the GP the psoriatic arthritis (PsA). OA is not diagnosed by blood tests, auto-immune kinds are and, to complicate matters further, they can be sero-positive (rheumatoid factor is present) or sero-negative (it isn't). PsA is one of those.

It may be tempting to presume that it isn't RA but I hope my answer has shown that it is really more complex than that. People think they know what arthritis is and what it does but, until they are diagnosed, they don't. It isn't only confined to the elderly, either. OA inflammation is specific to a the area, auto-immjne inflammation affects the whole body and causes incredible fatigue. More and more younger people are being diagnosed with OA and the youngest person I have 'met' on here with an auto-immune version was 18 months old. We are not docs so cannot diagnose but I think it is a good thing you are seeing a rheumatologist because they know a lot about a little, may be able to rule things out rather than in and refer you to the more relevant specialist if needed.

Naproxen is an anti-inflammatory medication which can take some time to havve an effect (I personally found it useless but my husband, who had gout, finds it very helpful). It took me nine years to receive an accurate diagnosis, the PsA began in 1997 when I was 37 and OA was diagnosed in 2011. Having been born with auto-immune troubles it was no surprise that this arrived but the OA was.

It may not seem like it to you but the right steps are being taken by the right people. The meds are not instant or permanent fixes but, if you are not used to ill health, this must be a very trying time. We all get it on here because we've all got it. DD

[Deleted User]

Hi MrsBaldrick
welcome to the online community. I am sorry you are having problems with getting a clear diagnosis that makes sense to you, at least going to see a rheumatologist will help to clarify things for you. You are certainly not going mad and I think it's perfectly understandably at this stage to feel that you are not being listened to. It might help to read more about all of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis to see if the bigger picture fits better for you here is a link. https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/do-i-have-arthritis/publications/222-living-with-rheumatoid-arthritis
It may also be worth asking your GP why he thinks it is arthritis. It is bound to affect home and work because you are living with something you can't explain and it is physically affecting your life. It is going to be frustrating until you get an answer but try to trust yourself in this process it will resolve in time and meanwhile you need to take care of yourself and your beautiful 2 year old.
I am sure other members will share their experiences with you, please keep in touch, we are here to support you
Best Wishes
Sharon