Swelling?

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sunnyhours
sunnyhours Member Posts: 151
edited 28. Dec 2010, 04:25 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi all!
Last time I visited the doctor (the nice woman) she asked me if I had swelling in some joints, to which I answered "only in my knees, but rarely" She then told me that the swelling is very obvious and somewhat like a sprain. After hearing that I told her that I do not have that MUCH swelling. I noticed very minor swelling in my knees but that was it, they were red and warm that's for sure.
How bad is the swelling you get from RA? Also does anyone else get very bad tension in their neck and their jaws? It's almost unbearable, and it's been almost 2 weeks like that! I try not to think about it but there is always a point where it is hard to ignore...

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  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hello Sunnyhours

    From posts on here previously I think I'm right in saying that swelling does vary from person to person. In my case (I have RA) even when things have been bad inflammation wise and when most of my joints are affected, swelling is limited and tends to affect my fingers and wrists and occasionally my knees to a limited extent. The pain, redness, warmth and stiffness are present, but little swelling. I too experience what you describe as neck tension, due I think to tensing up when things are hurting elsewhere. And I suspect the same could be true of the jaw, although that's not something I have experienced.

    One of the reasons why RA (and arthritis in general) is so difficult to diagnose I think is because it can vary so widely from person to person.

    Thinking of you.

    Love Tilly xxx
  • valval
    valval Member Posts: 14,911
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    hi i find neck and jaw do give me probs when i go through a flare i tence up and clench my jaw in the night when pain strikes (i have inflimation arther) so wheat bags do help good luck val
    val
  • sunnyhours
    sunnyhours Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Going tomorrow morning to do blood tests again, hoping it'll show something this time... Since my GP thinks it's "in my head", if I get a positive maybe he'll give me something for the pain then x:roll:
  • tjt6768
    tjt6768 Member Posts: 12,170
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    sunnyhours wrote:
    Going tomorrow morning to do blood tests again, hoping it'll show something this time... Since my GP thinks it's "in my head", if I get a positive maybe he'll give me something for the pain then x:roll:


    Hi Sunny, just be aware that not all RA's show up in blood tests, I have sero-negative, blood results have always come back ok...
    Best of luck :grin:
    e050.gifMe-Tony
    n035.gifRa-1996 -2013 RIP...
    k040.gif
    Cleo - 1996 to 2011. RIP
  • sunnyhours
    sunnyhours Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Then if it shows up as ok, how can I prove I have some type of arthritis? Cuz at 21yo there isn't many disease that cause multiple joint pain...
    I'm at my wits end! Not even my doctor believes I'm hurting, it's almost torture cuz I have to endure the pain and on top of that I have to "fight" to prove that there's something wrong with my body (and NOT my mind :P)
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Fred,

    Hoe you haven't got all that snow?

    Swelling really does vary, sometimes mines really big other times not as big. I have oa and pa and have lost track of which is doing which.

    I agree its very hard to get a diagnosis less its oa. that shows on xray as soon as its there. The bloods only pick up a handful of the types of arthritis we can get so hang in there if they don't show it.

    Oh the in your head thing..... good cop out for gp's that one! Don't take much notice of it cus you know something is out of kilt.

    Good luck tomorrow and ta fr reminding e I need to book one :wink: Cris x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I managed 27" circumference for my left knee: five years of undrained, untreated swelling, five years of various docs telling me it would go away and me, idiot girl, believing them. Learnt that lesson now. I don't believe anything they tell me and wisely so, as it turns out.

    There are forms of arthritis which don't involve swelling, there are forms that don't register an RF factor in the bloods (I have one of those), there are what, over 200 types of arthritic conditions? Chances are you've one of them, sunnyhours, but which? . . . . . As Shakespeare put it, 'there's the rub.' DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
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