NRAS wants to conduct research into the GP role in id... - NRAS
NRAS wants to conduct research into the GP role in identifying and referring suspected early RA. How confident are you that your GP would spot the early symptoms of RA/Inflammatory Arthritis?
173 VotersNot really surprised with the result so far, sadly many people including GP's dismiss body pain as something we have to put up with. I firmly believe it's only because of a patients persistence in requesting a referral or falling to pieces
altogether doctors seem to do anything positive.
I agree strongly with your comments Beth. Persistence is the answer. I was fobbed off a few times before being sent to see a Rheumatologist and that was by a GP Registrar.
It took me till l was 35 and cried in the GPs office before he took me seriously. I had just had a baby and found it very difficult to hold him or feed him without terrible pain.
I clicked on "very confident" because I have a very good GP. He diagnosed me 11 years ago when I just had 2 swollen fingers,(if only it had stayed like that!) but from reading others' experiences I know that this is not the case with a lot of GPs, far from it in fact.
I am very confident that my Doctor did diagnose me and sent me straight to the Consultant. Following up treatment though they seem unsure about.
My GP was very good at referring me to our RA clinic at my local hospital
I feel that I was diagnosed only 2 months after my first visit to my GP
Obviously I am very lucky to have a really good GP.
It's the Reamatologists I have an issue with, they don't seem to listen and
Blanket treat everyone with the same drugs!
Though I do realise that it's down to money in the end.
I was very impressed with my doctor i went to him with stiffness in my shoulder and he looked at my wrists and hand, he said then he thought i had RA, with in a week he had my result back and was on the phone, i was very lucky well lucky it was diagnosed early,
I'm very unconfident unfortunately, when looking right back with my rheumatologist we both agreed some off my symptoms went back to as early as ten years old.
I started with knee pains and swelling around ten years old, but as I had been in a rta a few years before it was blamed on that, pains then went into legs, ankles, hips arms etc around my teens I was told for years these were growing pains.
Then I got pains in back, neck shoulders hands and feet not always at the same time but whenever I mentioned it I was told , pulled muscles, torn ligaments, siatica , trapped nerves , rsi the list was endless, and high doses off diclofenac seemed to help along with tramadol.
However after getting severe uveitis I was finally tested for rheumatiod factor but unfortunately I'm sesero negative so they still ignored it until my hands swelled again so bad I couldn't do anything with them again I was told it was rsi and told to Take a month off work and rest would help it didn't, in the mean time my knees started again this time filling with lots off fluid and my back I could barley move or walk I was in agony. I was given 6 weeks to rest before nhs could send me for physio to help with my so called rsi and siatica I was only in the physios office 2 mins and she had two others in conferring and this followed by a letter I was given to Take straight to my doctor as she wanted me to have an emergency mri scan.
My doctor after reading the letter got me in for an mri and refered me to rheumatologist.
However there was a waiting list and within the few weeks I was waiting I ended up in hospital after swellings had got so bad I couldn't walk, along with not even being able to get out off bed, I had lost 3 stone in the last 8 months without diet or exercise just down to pain.
Mri confirmed back had a lot off disc erosion and basically my pain was so bad as it was bone rubbing on bone, my knees, hips, fingers, wrists, neck, ankles, feet etc all shown erosion and damage, not something that had happened overnight, this was years off damage which could have been prevented instead off my doctor thinking he knew best and I was just a hypocondryact!
So maybe if this was picked up early I would have a much better quality off life 
That is the worst horror story, and unforgiveable. Both Gp and Rheumatologist should be reprimanded for such poor performance! This is just so wrong, for so many years, especially with your childhood history. Sincerrely hope things are better now.
OMG, this is terrible! My daughters at the start with growing pains, you've inspired me to battle on with them. Her fingers are swollen and she's so poorly. You poor thing, can you get any compensation? Thanks for sharing this, hope you are feeling better.
My GP was very good and referred me to the consultant at my local hospital very quickly. Nearly a year on, my RA is fairly well controlled and I am monitored by the Rheumy nurses regularly. No complaints from me!
To put it bluntly I don't think some of the doctors/nurses in my GP surgery would recognise RA symptoms if they jumped up and bit them on their backsides. This is the same surgery who won't give me the flu jab either as RA/MTX doesn't fit the criteria ! Luckily the Foot Specialist (who I paid for privately) immediately referred me to a fantastic Rheumy Consultant.
I am sorry to say very un-confident, I had been seeing my GP for over two years with swollen fingers and hands it was only when my MS Nurse contacted him saying I should be referred that an appointment was eventually made. Now along with inflammation there is bone damage and damage to a tendon, from reading comments on this site I believe the damage could have been avoided if I had been referred much earlier.
Would it be possible to split the results of this poll into geographic areas. The reason I say this is that, unlike NHS England, NHS Scotland is not subject to Westminster rulings etc. NICE, although recognised in Scotland, does have an advisory role but is not the controlling body. Also funding for NHS Scotland is controlled by the Scottish Government. As it is inevitable that funding plays an important part of treatment availability, I suspect that Scotland may be more proactive in identifying RA and initiating investigation and subsequent treatment.
I agree I'd like to see a geographical break down to see how we are treat in different parts of the country. I know there shouldn't be any difference but from speaking to people in different groups there seems to be a marked difference in treatment/GP support depending on area you live.
Beth
I agreee, I'd seriously move to get more help!
I have voted very confident. I only went to see my GP because my feet hurt. There was no swelling. He did blood tests and x rays to make sure he was able to make the right diagnosis and send me to the correct consultant. I am so grateful that he was vigilant and I got an early diagnosis. Consequently my RA is well controlled and I don't have too much permanent damage.
My GP tested for RA and diagnosed me himself on basis of a low RF and raised inflammatory markers and he referred me straight away and put me on Sulfasalazine because he knew I'd have a long wait. When I finally saw the rheumatologist he said "inconclusive" and it took a second visit to diagnose RA. My GP continued to be quite sure it was RA though and was very supportive. Tilda T
Oops meant to write "low positive rheumatoid factor" sorry. TT
Its ok being referred , but if you have a rubbish Doctor at hospital it don't really matter 
my GP was great - ran a full range of blood tests and when the rheumatoid factor was positive, he referred me on to rheumatology. That was when I had problems, and its taken a year to have a diagnosis, tho I beleive others have waited much longer . This said, I have had symptoms for at least 14 years. The problem is that these illnesses are difficult to diagnose. The standard lab markers, such as ANA s , EnA s ESR and rheumatoid factor are unreliable as they do not always correspond with the disease activity, but some doctors use only these as diagnostic criteria. That practice ought to be abolished. I feel strongly that doctors need to listen to patients more and treat symptoms presented, rather than wait for an immune complex to show up in the blood. Also, I believe that the number of seronegative patients are underdiagnosed. I have no markers for Sjogrens, my rheumy says I dont have it. My opthalmologist says i do have it. Im sure I have too. I had to have a microvascular study for rheumatology to verify that I had Raynauds - but I have had this for years.My Gp diagnosed it by just looking at my feet! All of this "verifying" does dehumanise the patient, and makes them feel like they are making illness up! And if the tests are negative, the patient is then stuck with untreated symptoms. Not good at all.
A vote of no confidence from me I'm afraid!
I went back to my GP many many times with severe pain in my feet. He labelled this Metatarsalgia. But didn't even suggest painkillers.
I was sent to a chiropodist, who made me some insoles because he thought I had Pronation and blamed it on my flat feet. I was in agony walking and even worse standing still (eg in a shop queue for longer than 2 or 3 minutes).
After about 2 years I saw a Locum who diagnosed RA immediately. She happened to have a brother with RA so, luckily for me, she was able to recognise my symptoms, which by then were also affecting my fingers (which locked) and my wrists (which were swollen).
I must have had Sjogrens for 10 years, but I was never warned that RA might cause sore throats, teeth problems, swollen glands and sore eyes. Oh, and vaginal dryness and pain. And eczema and IBS. I accidentally worked it out for myself, browsing leaflets at the hospital while waiting an hour or more for my delayed appointment.
When I mentioned it to the Consultant, she said Oh yes! Very likely. So I was sent for biopses etc to confirm Sjogrens.
So ... I've had excellent treatment for RA from hospital, but I have very little confidence in the diagnostic skills of my GP for RA, and anyone for Sjogrens.
(I wonder if the Venus Williams effect might put Sjogrens on the map?)
I'm one of the lucky ones, GP always thought it was RA even about 18 months earlier when problems started but kept disappearing. When it flared up properly he sent me for the correct tests and referred once both set of results were in, sadly though still had to wait a while for a Consultants appointment and then he disputed it was RA until the same set of tests were done for a third time. I'm somewhat more satisfied with the GP than the Hospital, and considering he's a one man practice and not allowed to provide me with an specialist care, it's ironic that he seems to have been one of the better GPs. Sadly I'm not the only person I know who doesn't think much to the care of the Hospital Trusts in the West Midlands, as someone I know who attends a different hospital has little faith in hers either.
i cant praise my gp highly enough. my first visit with symptoms involved him moving my joints and lots of questions and him referring me to the local RA clinic where i was seen within a month. i would like to say though that the first specialist i saw at the clinic was vile and made me feel like i was making it up . since then i have seen one of his colleagues who is the total opposite .
Local area of Maidenhead by holding an information day promoting NRAS and our services to the local people
Diagnosed within the last two weeks with RA and so far getting good help and support from my GP and RA consultant. However probably had symptoms early 2011 but initially GP did not seem to consider possibility of RA suggesting an unknown virus. I persevered. One set of tests in early January 2012 did not throw up RA. Symptoms persisted I persevered. Second set of tests 2 weeks later and low and behold I have significant markers for RA and now on anti-inflammatories. After seeing consultant now awaiting results for more specific blood tests and xrays which will influence which medication I am prescribed. Methotrexate has been mentioned.
Anyone any experience of biological dmards?
Hi, you'll find most of us on here have tried most of the drugs. Some work some don't, you'll also find what works for one has no effect for another and side effects differ greatly from person to person.
I'd suggest waiting to find out what your consultant decides to put you on, then post a question asking if people have found benefit or not, and what degree of side effects. Please bare in mind they affect us all differently.
Beth x
I suffered for years and years before being diagnosed.
My GP told me as we get older (I was 55) we must expect a few aches & pains.
If I hadn't been very pro-active and found a Consultant Rheumatologist and presented his name to my GP with a request for referral - I would probably be in a wheelchair by now (that was the opinion of the Consultant.) RA really is a Silent disease - no spots -no scars - just lots of pain.
I was never taken seriously and my joint pain was off the chart ,thats when I changed my GP and was sent for Xrays and had blood tests. A few days later I was phoned at home by my doctor and asked to come down right away. It was a reading of 156 on my esr and a very high crp that led to my diagnosis eventually by my rhumatologist.
As someone who had previously been a well person, it took a lot of Gp visits to even get blood tests authorised. I knew I was ill but didn't know why. Eventually after 4 5 blood tests and 3 months of feeling ill I was referred to a Rhuemy, as soon as she saw me, prior to the examination she diagnosed me. Unfortunately, since then my RA has blossomed into Stills Disease, I don't know if it always would have or if I hadn't waited 5 months from first noticing the signs of illness to being diagnosed it may have been prevented.
My GP called it osteoarthritis, but my sister has RA, so I was able to quickly initiate some proper treatment, luckily.
