After 12 months of going backwards and forwards to GP and being made to feel I was making my aches and pains up , after countless blood tests my GP has told me that I have RA. My GP's action plan for myself is go away take Naproxen and see how I go, if the Naproxen does not work come back and he will put me on something different.
Is this a standard response or should I have a referral to see some specialists?
I also have loads of questions to ask and no one to ask , until I found this website !
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MummaWooWoo
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I would definitely asked to be referred to a Rheumatologist. If it is RA you need to be on meds to stop the disease progressing and as far as I know the sooner you get started the better.
Mary
Hi there, welcome to the site. I would imagine every single person on here will tell you the same for this question. You need to be referred to rheumatology. It is them who make the diagnosis rather than the GP. Is your GP a specialist in rheumatology do you know?
Mazza is right you need to be on more than just an anti - inflammatory, you need medication to stop joint damage and this needs to be done asap.
I would definitely go back, armed with questions such as, what do my blood results show to assist RA diagnosis, if you are in a lot of pain, which you possibly are, you need a good painkiller, and also why aren't you getting referred, perhaps your GP is a registrar in rheumatology as well, so knows more than the average GP.
Ask all your questions, you will always get a response and an answer on this site, no question is too stupid either, if you dont know the answer, then you need one. I have learned everything I know about RA from this site.
Good luck getting the correct treatment, but dont be fobbed off ok.
Hi there, I too echo the above the earlier your start on the correct medications to stop joint damage the better. I was really lucky my doctors as soon as I was diagonosed I was referred to the rheumatology dept., I had a few weeks wait so you need to make sure that your doctor refers you asap.
Thank you all for your replies and answers - I did think I should of had a referral but was a bit blown away at the time , being told I had RA was not what I was expecting to hear at the time !
Having now swotted up on guidelines and looked at some journals I am now aware of the importance of early treatment etc...
Petra , my GP is just a bog standard village GP- I wish he was a specialist in Rheumatoid conditions.
I think because I am due to qualify in an area of the medical profession within the next few weeks, my GP may of felt I would have all the answers !
Thank you all once again I shall be booking a GP appointment and getting a referral.
xx
Hi - I wouldn't assume it's RA just because your GP has finally acknowledged that it might be. My GP told me that mine was probably RA when my blood results came back and put me straight on a DMARD because he knew I'd have a long wait to see the consultant. I had a bad reaction to the drug though and then had a steroid injection which masked the RA symptoms when I did finally get to see him - 3 months after referral. And then I had to wait another four months to get a diagnosis - and since then I've waited 6 months, with another one to go probably before I see him on a video link and he decides whether the Methotrexate is doing it's job or not. I think the early referral/ early treatment guideline is becoming increasingly problematic because of recession - but with a GP like yours it really isn't surprising. He should have referred you ages ago! Take care and good luck - I hope this experience at least helps you to make decisions in the area of the medical profession you will hopefully be qualifying in! Tilda x
As everyone has said, you need to be referred to a rheumatologist. GPs cannot prescribe the medication needed or diagnose the condition officially. Hopefully if you speak to them they will be happy to refer you, but it might also be useful for you to give us a call to discuss in more detail. You can contact the NRAS helpline on 0800 298 7650 Mon-Fri 9.30-4.30.
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