Hello

VSSDot

Hi,
My OH has just been to his first Rheumatology clinic appointment and is waiting for comfirmation of what type of inflammatory arthritis he has. Hoping that I'll find some help and support here.

[Deleted User]

Hi VSSDot and welcome to the forum!

I am sorry to hear about your partner's recent troubles. Waiting for a new diagnosis can be a difficult time but having the support of family and friends makes such a difference so it is great to see you are here to support your partner.

As a starting point I've provided a link to some general information on inflammatory arthritis from our website which you may find useful.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/the-inflammatory-arthritis-pathway/

Please take a look around our forums and join in wherever you feel comfortable.

Best wishes,
Alice

stickywicket

Hi VSS Dot and welcome from me too.

I hope you'll find us friendly and informative. Frankly, a lot of people go for years with only a diagnosis of 'inflammatory artritis'. These types of arthritis can be elusive little beasts and can sometimes defy further categorisation but the good news is that it doesn't matter too much as the treatment is much the same for all. The important thing is that diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis which means that Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDS) will be prescribed. I have RA and they work well for me. I hope they do for your partner too.

dreamdaisy

Hello, I spent nine years being treated for an 'auto-immune inflammatory arthritis', when I was finally diagnosed nothing changed. I continued to take the same meds, the disease continued to progress albeit more slowly and a few years later I added osteoarthritis to the mix.

People without arthritis think they have an understanding of what it is but they truly don't. The auto-immune kinds require life-long medication to control disease activity, osteoarthritis is not only for the elderly and none of it is curable, whatever the typemitmis a progressive and degenerative disease. It is also very common, there are between eight to ten million people in the UK with arthritis and the majority have OA. I suspect you and your husband are embarking on a steep learning curve, does he have a family history of auto-immune inflammatory conditions such as eczema or asthma? These things can also start out of the blue, to have one's body turn against you is far from easy to accept. DD

frogmorton

Welcome from me too.

I hope your husband does get himself a label it's really not unusual not to unless you are 'lucky' enough to have a clue or two such as maybe positive rheumatoid factor in his blood or psoriasis etc.

But we are, all of us with inflammatory arthritides, treated with very similar medications.

Ask anything you like if we can we'll do our bets to help.

Toni x