RA BLOOD WITH NO SWELLING

[Lindah03]

I have joint pain in most my joints and muscles hurt in my arms . My blood test came back with a very high RA result .. but my joints aren't swollen.. My neck , shoulders and back drive me mad . I'm still a loss as what is wrong with me the doctor said it's not RA..or fibromyalgia... can you help please

[Hidden]

There are other forms of inflammatory arthritis that can show high RF and cause pain with no swelling. In my case I was diagnosed with RA five years ago but it turns out that I have Sjogrens Syndrome as my primary disease instead. This too can present with high titre RF, lots of bilateral joint pain very similar to RA, high ESR and CRP, but less swelling. Lupus, Polymyositis and Sarcoidosis can too and some types of Vasculitis and the spondyloarthritis family also - but the latter not usually with a high RF.

I'm sure you'll find out soon. Hang in there!

[Philip]

Has anyone mentioned fibromyalgia because that hurts like hell and it does go hand in hand with RA, fibromyalgia is your muscles and muscle fibre and that can at times feel like something else ie Athritis because of the joint pain it causes.also fibromyalgia doesn't cause any swelling anywhere.

Might be good to go see your Rheumatologist or GP, to see what's going on, there are a lot of us on here that have both.

Good luck with your quest

Philip

[Paula-C]

Apart from my fingers I've had no swelling at all, just very painful joints. I think everyone's RA is unique to them, there is no set pattern to how it should be. My RA is not mild, I am taking Enbrel, when I was being assessed for anti tnfs my first DAS score was 7.2 which is pretty high and apart from my fingers I had no visible swelling.

Is it because you have no swellings that your GP says you haven't got RA? I remember when I first went to see my GP, I had no swellings at all then, he asked to look at my hands and said I hadn't got RA. I also remember having muscle aches in the top of my legs, could hardly stand the weight of the duvet on them. He wouldn't even do a blood test for RA. I ended up going private and the rest is history. My consultant did say that it is a very difficult disease to diagnose and GP's normally get only about 30 minutes training on it. I think mine must of just remembered swollen finger joints. Needless to say I have since changed doctors.

Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

Paula x

[Lindah03 in reply to Paula-C]

Thanks for your reply .. sounds like your struggling too. My pain comes and goes , but winter has arrived and so we all start to hurt .. im waiting for my hospital appointment now let's hope I get answers. Take care x

[Paula-C in reply to Lindah03]

Oh I must answer, I am really good at the moment, I am enjoying drug induced remission (yes it does happen), when I posted about my DAS score of 7.2 that was before I started Enbrel. Enbrel put me in remission at my first 12 week follow up appointment. What I meant to come across was that even when my RA was classed as being severe I never really had no swelling apart from my fingers.

[mary4444]

hi i have been on methotrexate for 8 yrs for my ra i stopped the injections about 8 weeks ago due to visual disturbances and nausea at the moment just taking tramadol they are not happy with me at the hosp but at the moment feel lot better without the medication also they cant understand why i havent got inflamation will just see how i go

[Lindah03 in reply to mary4444]

Mine comes and goes it's one extreme to another and I frightened to take meds coz the last lot made me ill . Joys of getting old lol I'm 51 😣