Help! I think I've got rheumatoid arthritis

[DeusXM]

Firstly, yes, I'm going to go see a doctor but just wanted to get some thoughts.

Recently, I've noticed some strange things with my hands. Occassionally, they've felt very stiff and swollen. I've also intermittently had sudden bouts of stinging on the joints and occasional 'hot spots' on my hands which are physically hotter to touch, so I'm fairly sure it's not neuropathy. Also, sometimes, when the stinging starts, the area where it's stinging goes a bit red and blotchy, but sometimes with really obvious white dots under the skin - these dots feel firmish but go away eventually. I don't have ANY problems in my feet and I retain full sensation - it's literally just the joints in my fingers, and it's a stinging, not a burning sensation. It also can happen at any time of day.

Does this sound like possible rheumatoid arthritis? From what I've read, the symptoms tally and i'm aware that RA is an autoimmune condition...and being the proud possessor of one of those already, it seems more likely than not. Like I said, I'm booking in for the doctor but I always find other people's thoughts helpful.

 

[Redkite]

Sorry to hear this. I'm undergoing tests myself currently for suspected RA, so no firm diagnosis yet (consultant appointment mid Jan). My symptoms have been episodes of aching fingers, wrists and ankles, sometimes swollen but not always, and it affects my grip (can't pick up a saucepan with a single hand for example, when my hands are bad, or wring out a dishcloth). I also get heat radiating from my palms, and soles of feet, and sometimes fingers. I have not experienced any visible symptoms on the skin surface though, and I wouldn't describe the aches and pains as stinging, but of course each person's perception of pain is an individual thing. I get these symptoms periodically, not continuously, and sometimes associated with having a cold or other illness. Also makes me feel very fatigued.

Hope you get some answers at the GP. X

 

[trophywench]

Sorry to hear this - but being clueless about A let alone RA - I really can't help.

 

[Caroline]

I hope all goes well with the doctor, it is good you are getting it checked out. When I had similar symptoms in my feet it was an infection which was sorted out with antibiotics.

 

[AndBreathe]

Firstly, yes, I'm going to go see a doctor but just wanted to get some thoughts.

Recently, I've noticed some strange things with my hands. Occassionally, they've felt very stiff and swollen. I've also intermittently had sudden bouts of stinging on the joints and occasional 'hot spots' on my hands which are physically hotter to touch, so I'm fairly sure it's not neuropathy. Also, sometimes, when the stinging starts, the area where it's stinging goes a bit red and blotchy, but sometimes with really obvious white dots under the skin - these dots feel firmish but go away eventually. I don't have ANY problems in my feet and I retain full sensation - it's literally just the joints in my fingers, and it's a stinging, not a burning sensation. It also can happen at any time of day.

Does this sound like possible rheumatoid arthritis? From what I've read, the symptoms tally and i'm aware that RA is an autoimmune condition...and being the proud possessor of one of those already, it seems more likely than not. Like I said, I'm booking in for the doctor but I always find other people's thoughts helpful.

Deus - Please ensure whilst being tested for the rheumatoid factor a gluten tolerance test is also done. Without it, it is possible to "achieve" a flawed diagnosis, as happened to a friend of mine. When his wife noticed he had more immediate symptoms after eating, say, a sandwich, he asked to be checked out. He had been taking some quite aggressive (read scary) medications for a few years, which he was able to come off in a managed way. His withdrawal had to be managed due to the inclusion of a steroid and some of the pain meds he had been taking.

Some years on, on a modified diet, he is medication free and much healthier overall.

Allegedly, all RA investigations should include gluten testing, but sometimes don't.

Good luck with it.

p.s. - I had a period of very painful poly arthritis, after a virus. I was then tested for RA, as my father was a sufferer, but mine was a, not too uncommon, aftermath of the virus, coupled with slight sensitivities to acidic foods, such as tomatoes and oranges. This was back in the day when I could eat oranges with not other impacts.