Diagnosis without blood test

S3ren85

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advice about getting a diagnosis without a blood test. I am 99.9% sure I have some form of arthritis it runs in my family and I've been battling joint pain for about 15 years now. It has got to the point where it's affecting my sleep and everyday life now so I have an appointment at the doctors on the 17th.

Only problem is I'm severely needle phobic, there's no way I will go through with a blood test even if it means it'll affect my condition, it's a issue I've had since I was 9 years old and I'm 33 now so I've had to accept that this is the reality of my situation.

I've read online about various scans etc but I want some advice as to whether it'll be a waste of time going to the doctors if the only real way is via a blood test.

Advice please!

Thanks

[Deleted User]

Hi S3ren85
Welcome to the forum,sorry you can't sleep because of pain due to Arthritis you think,it's always good to check out pain symptoms in case it is something completely different from what you think. Everyone on the forum has Arthritis of some kind so understand what pain is and what you are going through. We are all friendly and will do our best to help with advice. Just choose a forum and get started Living with Arthritis and Chit Chat being the most popular forums .
All the best Christine

helpline_team

Hi S3ren85

Thank you for your posting on the forum. I am sorry to hear you have been battling pain and it is now affecting your sleep. However, it is positive that you now have an appointment with your doctor so that you can receive a diagnosis and treatment. It is understandable that you have resisted going to the doctor if you are needle phobic but you could talk to your doctor about this for support and talk through getting a diagnosis which will depend on your symptoms. If you look at our information on what is arthritis this will show you how the different types of arthritis are diagnosed https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/arthritis/
You could also post on the ‘Living with arthritis’ forum for other people’s experiences that may be of help and support.
You can also call us here on the helpline to talk through your concerns with one of our helpline workers. You can do this by calling 0800 5200 520 (weekdays 9am – 8pm).
I hope this information is helpful.

Best Wishes
Dawn