More Blood Tests

breane

Saw my GP today to get the results of my last blood tests and he now thinks my OA and abnormal liver function tests could be linked and I now have to have more bloods done tomorrow to test the Rheumatoid factor and auto-immune profile.Has anyone else had their arthritis linked to liver functioning?He is also making me an appointment to see the Rheumy but it appears the waiting list for an appointment is quite long. This has been a bad week,stiff painful and swollen hands and feet every day.It's been a struggle just to get a pair of shoes on.Even the warm weather hasn't helped ease the pain.Not sure how fast OA progresses but mine started last Dec. just in the hands and wrists but I now also have it in the shoulders,knees and feet.Sopadol doesn't seem to help much and my GP won't prescribe anything stronger until the liver function is sorted out.I find myself becoming very grumpy(probably through lack of sleep) and although my O/H is very supportive,he must get fed up with me always complaining about the pain.Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day.Breane. :?

frogmorton

Hi Breane
Lets hope tomorrow IS a better dayu.
At least you are being monitored and you really don't want your liver naffed up do you :!:
It's awful being in pain though so I hope your bloods come back soon with maybe some answers as to why you feel so bad.
Are you alowed to take 'milk thistle' (herbal) as I think that rejuvenates the liver? Maybe you could check with GP??
Take care
Toni x

breane

Hi Toni,Yes I have heard of Milk Thistle.I had a untrasoundscan and a CT scan done on the liver and it shows it as normal,it's the functioning of it that is abnormal.But I will ask the GP about taking Milk Thistle.Unfortunately,my GP is'nt one to have much faith in herbal remedies so he may say it won't be of any help.I did ask him once about Glucosamine and all he said was 'if you think it will help you then take it but there's no medical proof to say it works'.I think you are very lucky if you get a helpful,sympathetic doctor. Breane.

skezier

Hi Brean,
I really hope tomorrow is a better day for you. I don't know of a link re the liver thing but there is a link between autoimmune problems and ra I believe. I haven't a clue how fast oa goes, sometimes it's fast and sometimes it isn't. My knees got it when I was young and they are thankfully slow. My feet and back went into overdrive and in 10 years my back has almost finished but I don't know if thats fast or not? It feels fast to me!

I wonder if your gp could give you better pain relief, it might be worth asking? Sometimes we get use to a drug and it no longer works but with your liver it may be they are limited in what you can have.

I'm not being very helpful am I but I send you a (((()))) and hope tomorrow will indeed be better. Cris

frogmorton

Hi Breane
Yes they are not always too supportive of 'alternatives' are they?! Silly really if it does no harm... :roll:
Anyway I always ask myself before I take Anything - I hope he lets you - you never know? Might help
In the meantime take care
Toni x

woodbon

I have OA. I think sometimes it is working away quietly without pain, until it effects a nerve or causes infammation. Other people, like me slowly notice things hurting a bit and feeling stiff in the mornings and slowly work up to something more. I don't think the Docs understand all the reasons. All to do with individual circumstances, I suppose. As for alternative medicine, we have a GP in our practice who is trained homopath ( I hope I got that right, I don't want sueing :oops: ) whilst others are against it, maybe you could check to see if one of your gps are more sympathetic? Love Sue