Understanding RA

[Adnil53]

Hi At last someone to share my views with !! I was diagnosed in Jan 2016 with RA ! I have other medical problems which has lead to not being able to control the RA! It’s so painful and frustrating ! I have the RA factor but no inflammation but lots af painful joints ! Swelling in ankles wrists and shoulders ! But have I really got RA with out the redness and inflammation ! My hands are still all the time and ankles pain comes and goes but my shoulders are terrible !

[Hidden]

My hands were more painful with no visible swelling e.g. Clawed up, cldnt use knife and up most of night running them under cold tap. When they did swell up not as painful just looked weird. I said that to rheumatology and they took on board so others must have same.

[Adnil53 in reply to Hidden]

There’s no pain like it !! Sometime so painful other times just very stiff !

[Jesnaskah]

So they tested your blood (ESR, CRP) and no inflammation? But you have swelling? That doesn't sound right... Doesn't the swelling indicate it's inflammed?

Oh man, my whole onset of RA began in my shoulders... Then the pain shot down into my hands, making me completely crippled, then day by day, affecting other parts of my body until it was all over.

I really, really feel for you! Have they got you on any drugs? Are you getting any kind of relief??

[Adnil53 in reply to Jesnaskah]

Areas can be swollen but no active inflation !

[Adnil53 in reply to Adnil53]

I have paracetamol and confirmed phosphate !! And take leflunamide !!

[lilyak in reply to Adnil53]

Your acute phase reactants (ESR and CRP) can be completely normal, but you can still have inflammation. The blood work is not fool proof.

[sylvi]

I rarely get much swelling and it never shows in my bloods either,but my fingers hurt like hell.xxxx

[Adnil53 in reply to sylvi]

At the moment I feel like I could cry with the pain ! But what’s the point !! I’ve no anti inflamitory medication just paracetamol and codine !! What a nightmare ! Gets worse every day

[sylvi in reply to Adnil53]

Hugs darling thats all i can give you.xxxx

[Kathies]

I get painful joints, a flare lasts between 12 and 48 hours then disappears, I have been diagnosed Palindromic Rheumatoid arthritis, which does "come and go", but my bloods can show no problem at all, it's really frustrating, if I'm having a bad time. I swear the disease knows when I want to show someone like a rheumy or an assessor, that I can't tear a sheet of toilet paper or use a foot or knee and it just switches off and laughs at me. I'm on hcq and leflunomide, but have to not take from time to time due to the stomach issues that the drugs seem to aggravate. Sounds like you have your own special version too, I just try and go with it now, if it hurts, take the pain killers make yourself as relaxed as possible , grit your teeth and wait it out.

[Gnarli]

Hi Adnil53 and welcome to the gang you never wanted to join. It seems that our RA is tailor-made for each of us giving weird symptoms that make no sense and take ages to control. I sincerely hope medication can be found to help you as soon as possible. Hugs

J