Does this sound like RA?

Ander35
Ander35 Member Posts: 7
in Living with arthritis

Four days After the first Pfizer vaccine (may be coincidence) I got muscle weakness in hands and tendon pain in forearm along with roving joint pain throughout body and terrible fatigue going on 7 weeks now.


i recall having stiff hands and ankles and mild fatigue 9 months ago but not nearly this bad.


it has evolved into joint stiffness, not pain, in neck and elbows and sensation of muscle weakness/fatigue in shoulders, forearms and front of thighs. Fatigue is pretty bad.


Ana, sed rate, ra factor are all negative. Crp is “negative” at 1.0 and eta protein was borderline at .2

Does this sound like ra? PCP says it is not RA due to labs. Waiting to see rheumatologist.

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0

    Hi @Ander35

    Thank you for posting here! Personally speaking, this sounds very much like my RA, and a lot of what you say is quite 'typical'. Just because you don't have the factor presenting in your bloods, it doesn't mean that it isn't RA. The good thing is that you are booked in to see a rheumatologist so you haven't been forgotten. There are many other conditions with similar symptoms, so they may be looking into other possibilities as well as arranging treatment or further referrals.

    Here is some of our information on RA:

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/

    There are also some tips that may be helpful to you for managing fatigue:

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-fatigue/

    I do hope that some of the management tips and techniques will he useful for you and that you start to get some answers soon. We are all here to help you where we can and lend a listening ear!

    Take care,

    Sarah

  • Ander35
    Ander35 Member Posts: 7
    edited 2. Dec 2021, 22:17

    Thank you Sarah, it feels good to be getting some handle on this. Also hearing that some people had positive outcomes is hopeful too. Thank you for answering, I hope you are doing well. I will checkout the info thank you.

  • Loggiemod
    Loggiemod Member Posts: 237

    I don't suppose you've recently started on statins? My wife was diagnosed atorvostatins and then developed arthritis type symptoms and tendonitis. She was referred to a specialist who said it was a reaction to the statins and stopped them. Since then her symptoms have subsided to something approaching normal. Just a thought.

  • Sandgrownen
    Sandgrownen Member Posts: 17

    Hi Ander35

    Your symptoms sound very similar to mine when I was diagnosed with Reactive Rheumatoid Arthritis. They said it was caused by a virus and is an auto immune response.

    Perhaps your covid Jab has caused a similar situation.

    In the early days fatigue was a big problem for me but this has improved since I stopped taking methotrexate 2 years later.

    Unfortunately I have lost a lot of strength in my hands arms shoulders and legs also.

    It seems to me that you have similar symptoms as mine.

    Please do not take cocodomol for your pain. They cause more problems. Paracetamol will work.

    Hopefully your rheumatology consultant will sort you out.

    Good luck

  • Ander35
    Ander35 Member Posts: 7
    edited 4. Dec 2021, 16:11

    Yes, I had a respiratory virus that was not COVID when I got the vaccine.

    now it’s just fatigue, mild joint stiffness and muscle weakness aches but negative on labs.

  • Ander35
    Ander35 Member Posts: 7

    Thank you by the way. I missed your post earlier that you had reactive. I came across that earlier and it makes sense since I was sick, got the shot and have tested neg for inflammation markers.

  • Ander35
    Ander35 Member Posts: 7
    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/687691#Comment_687691

    No, but I did try statins before and had stiffness/ brain fog. Looking back I wonder if it is related? But i took it for one week and that was a year ago and I felt ok in between.

  • Ander35
    Ander35 Member Posts: 7
    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/687741#Comment_687741

    Did you have negative labs?

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