Confused.

[Mandem]

Been on metho injections for a few months LFTs have been effected, so having bloods done every week to see if I need to come off it. Also had a 6 week interruption with my treatment because my consultants secretary forgot to get it ordered twice. Then the RA nurse was on Holliday for two weeks so had to wait till she returned. Have had a very painful knee that co codamol then tramadol had no effect. so had an MRI done. Phoned up a week later and spoke to the secretary who looked at results and told me they were normal. I was so upset about the result and said to her I could not understand it as my knee was so painful, surely this wasn't just RA thinking there is no answer to this pain. Both myself and my partner were miserable for about two hours. Then I get a phone call from the secretary who decided to speak to the consultant and in fact I had a torn meniscus in my knee and he was referring me to the orthopedist . I have such a bad limp but am still working but could slap that secretary.

Worried about the metho situation . I was really unwell for two days so stopped injection myself then decided to take some folic acid and began to feel better, was it the folic acid or just coincident so I have taken my injection again today but what worries me is that the communication is quite slow and not all that good.

[helixhelix]

That's so rubbish for you. Have you thought about contacting PALS (the patient liaison service) at your hospital to tell them about this and give your consultant's secretary a bit of a boot? Having this is bad enough without being messed around by those who are supposed to be helping.

[Hidden in reply to helixhelix]

I had a similar experience with my GP misinforming me about the results of a lumbar puncture in February. I was so relieved when he explained that my spinal fluid had shown raised antibodies which confirmed my neuropathy was part of my RA.

Then a week later he was grumpy and handed me the neurologist's letter saying that the results had been contaminated by the trauma of the tap. I honestly felt devastated for ages afterwards - so the other way round to your case but I do understand how it feels to be misinformed.

I also have exactly the same worries about how slow communication is where I live too. I hope the extra folic makes all the difference and that the orthapedist is able to help you with your torn meniscus.

[Chalmers]

When I first started out with knee pain and my problems I was told that I had a torn meniscus and was due to have an operation on it, the knee improved slowly and the operation was cancelled. The pain started up again and when I mentioned the torn meniscus the very same specialist said they preferred not to operate and that I also had osteoarthritis in the knee, previously he told me that I had a knee of a thirty year old. After visit to GP and then back to hospital they told me I had RA, meniscus never been mentioned since. My knee is now big, ugly and lumpy and painful most of the time.