Which disease is it?

[phil76]

Hi,

I am going through a painful and horrible period at the moment.

I am in constant pain with both knees and my hands are very sore. I am sooooo tired, I can barely concentrate at work.

I am currently working in our office in Edinburgh (usually work in London) but not doing an excessive amount of walking etc, which is a bit of a shame as I would like to explore the city a bit more.

I also suffer from MS, but I don't which one is making me fall over all the time - I am covered in bruises 😕

Does anyone have any balance problems with RA, trying to work out which specialist I need to go and see.

Thank you for letting me get this off my chest 😀

Phil

[Livingston]

Hi

sorry to hear you're struggling.

I was originally investigated for MS, before arriving by a long and circuitous route at RD as my diagnosis. I had brain lesions, but not enough for an MS diagnosis at the time I was scanned. I have a number of neurological symptoms, including poor balance and have been told by my rheumatologist that they 'just about fit under the umbrella' of RD.

However, I'm on my 4th DMARD now and the question of possible MS is back on the table as the possiblity of assessment for biologics looms.

I have always found that my poor balance, bad co-ordination, nerve pain etc etc all deteriorate as my joint pain is about to get worse, so maybe the rheumatologist is right. I really don't know.

Sorry this probably doesn't help very much, but I have at least been lead to believe that my poor balance is an RD thing. All this auto-immune stuff is soooo complicated.

Hope you manage to see a bit of Edinburgh - it's beautiful.

[phil76 in reply to Livingston]

Thanks Livingston, that's why I'm a bit confused, it could be either or both.

I did get on the open top bus tour last weekend and it was beautiful you are right

[lainee]

Hi Phil I am sorry I don't have any advice on your question but just thought I would say sorry you are having a bad time and I know how difficult it is working when you are like this. so best wishes your way and hope it eases for you x

[Hidden]

Hi Phil. Sorry you are having such a bad time just now. I'm terribly impressed that you can work at all with these two awful diseases to cope with.

I suffer from many symptoms of MS and not many of RA these days - but am told I have RA and not MS. So for me there is a lot of overlap with your symptoms. I would say that the pain is likely to be RA and the dizziness/ feeling you may fall is MS. You maybe flaring with both simultaneously perhaps since they are both autoimmune diseases. I had stroke- like symptoms recently and was told these and my small fiber neuropathy and dizziness are all probably part of the inflammatory process - broad multisystem autoimmune disease which in turn causes stress leading to my brain briefly shortcutting.

Have you got specialists for both diseases you can contact by phone and ask them what to do? I believe oral steroids are used to treat both MS and RA so perhaps a short course of these might help you until you can see your consultants? You could go and see a GP as a visiting patient. Sorry not to be able to help you more. Twitchy

[phil76]

Thank you for your thoughts and kind words, think it is all just getting on top of me and I try to do what I've always been able to, I need to step back and not be so hard on myself.

Just speaking with people on here has helped so much, thank you.