Have I got ra? I have had all the usual symptoms for 7 weeks. This is my first flare up and my doctor is useless.

[jramsey]

Is it common to affect only only hand with pain in first flare up. I do have aches in other joints. And my left foot keeps swelling bit no pain. Also my rhue blood test came back negative. Which I believe can happen in early stages. Can anyone help.

[Hidden]

Hello

If you are in the early periods of RA it may be not showing as yet, only the hospital RA clinic will be able to check you out.

When you started having pain did the GP or hospital give medications to assist in pain control, if not you will need some NSID medications to reduce swelling, general swelling of joints is possible in early stages that is why you need medications.

BOB

[allanah]

Sorry to hear you're feeling unwell, And I think really you have to have a chat with the doctor when they get more results back for you. i think the classic symptoms of RA are swelling in the joints stiffness in the joints, particularly in the morning, which can last in my case for up to 45 minutes, before I can manage to get out of bed in the morning and pain and heat I redness around the joints.

Often you notice flareups of the symptoms and this is a good time to take pictures to show to the doctor of your swelling of our problems. It is hard to be patient, but it often takes a little while to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, you need to often to undergo blood tests, x-rays, maybe even ultrasound hand checks copper to make sure specifically what type of arthritis you might have. I hope you get an answer very soon xxA

[doctorpatg]

It will get sorted out eventually. Yes, pain in just one hand is not unusual. RA is a very fickle character! Sometimes pain nearly everywhere - sometimes very localized. Your job right now is to learn all you can about RA and perhaps other autoimmune disorders. All the best!

[Scottishlad]

I find that different joints can be affected at different times.

As you are not positive for Rheumatoid Factor you need to make sure that you have been referred to a Rheumatoid Clinic. If you have not been referred you may need to make a nuisance of yourself, try a different doctor in your practice if you are not satisfied.

GPs can really only prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. The modern treatment plans for RA are to be more aggressive in the use of Disease Modifying Anti Rheumatoid Drugs (DMARDs) early on to prevent long term damage. Early referral to a Rheumatoid Consultant is important!

[jramsey]

Mainly the pain is in my left hand. It has been constantly swollen for seven weeks. My doctor has told me it's likely to be a virus. I have taken nsaids but with little effect. I have nodules on every joint on my hand. And it's stiff at least an hour every morning. Slightly longer today. But the aches and pains last most of the day.

[Tuttlebees]

My RA started with tingling in right hand fingers in July, by November both hands were numb and tingling, the fingers were curling over and very painful at the joints. I was sero negative for RA and still am. it took a year to diagnose despite all the blood tests as although I was displaying all the symptoms, bilateral pain in shoulders, knees, feet etc because the bloods were negative it was deemed to not be RA. It was the physio who pushed the GP to a rheumatologist referral. So keep on at your GP. Maybe ask for an ultrasound of the affected joints.

[VictoriaAnn in reply to Tuttlebees]

i've just been diagnosed with ra and recently started Sulfasalazine as my medication but i've recently noticed that i'm getting tingling in my fingers and hand (mainly my left hand) i was getting worried because not many people have mentioned the tingling!

[francherry]

hello JRamsey, welcome. Before I was first diagnosed with RA I had early morning stiffness in my hands that didn't go away and the 'inflammatory blood markers' in my blood tests showed up as normal. The GP/rheumatolgist (sorry I can't remember which!) referred me to have an MRI test on both of my hands which confirmed that I have RA, as well as the physical symptoms, pain, stiffness etc. Could you ask your GP to refer you to a rheumatologist and to do more tests? You said your doctor is 'useless', sorry to hear that. Could you go to another doctor in the health practice instead? I am sorry that your doctor is not doing more. It is not good to be in this situation for 7 weeks. Please go back to them and keep asking for more tests, a referral etc until you get answers. I'm speaking from experience as it took me 5 attempts over 6 years for a doctor to take another health problem seriously (they thought I was over-reacting for being breathless). When they finally took it seriously & did a chest CT scan they found it had been bronchiectasis all this time. Good luck and hope you get the answer soon.

[jramsey]

I have hounded my gp today and finally have a referral to rhuematologist although no date yet. I have stopped taking my nsaids as I hear they can affect outcome of bloodtests. As it's only my left hand affected I think this is why nobody takes me serious. But I have read so much about ra and oa and the symptoms are closer to ra. When I tell my doctor what I think he corrects me but I believe I am right.

[allanah]

Fab! So glad you get your referral! Good on you Axx

[francherry]

Excellent news and I hope you don't have to wait too long to see the rheumatologist. All the best, Fran

[cris1728]

Hi hope you get some answers soon sounds like you have some kind of inflammatory arthritis although RA is normally symmetrical some of the others are not, You may not get an answer as to exactly what the problem is quickly so don't despair but you should get treatment to help with the inflammation which is what causes the problem in many of the arthritis conditions. I had a similar pattern to yourself 18 months ago and have not yet got a firm diagnosis although my Rheumy team are leaning towards psoriatic arthritis, I am on treatment and doing fairly well so hang in there

good luck crisxx