have you been diagnosed?

[eternalsunshine]

I came here looking for answers to my own health problems but I also wanted to hear other people's stories. I think it would be great for people who are living with this disease to tell us newbies who are trying to get help what your symptoms are and how you were diagnosed. And if you just want to hear from other people too, please leave a comment letting those who read this know. Thanks for the help!

[MegsMom]

I was dx'd August of last year. I had been complaining to my GP about pain and fatigue for a while and he really never believed me. He put me on an anti-depressant which didn't help. Finally he tested my blood and my SED rate was elevated so he sent me to my RD. I have a positive RA factor and have been having my SED rate and CRP followed for almost a year and they stay pretty elevated since I can't find a Rx I can take!

[RoadRunner]

My symptoms started off as fatigue and the feeling of walking on needles when I first got out of bed in the mornings. Then one day my right index finger, middle joint swelled up like I jammed it but I didn't. I actually remember my dad saying "oh, you probably jammed it and just don't remember." It stayed swollen for many weeks.
I finally felt like something wasn't right so I figured I had just turned 40 and had been extremely healthy and athletic my whole life and thought I was due for a checkup so I made an appointment. It just so happens the morning of the appointment I woke up to my right knee being severely swollen to the size of a grapefruit or bigger, and seeing as I hadn't done anything to injure it I was really concerned. The pain and swelling were so severe I almost passed out, this lasted a couple of weeks. My wife asked me what it felt like to have RA and I remember telling her that I felt like I was dying, maybe this was an over exaggeration but at the time it seemed accurate.
I went to my doctor who almost immediately said I think you have RA, took my blood and saw my very highly elevated RA factor and gave me a referral to a RD, who confirmed the dx with in a week later.
I had to get steroids shots in my lower back to get the knee under control, actually had to buy a cane to get around until those shots kicked in. I couldn't handle the mtx and ibp. as it made my stomach start bleeding until I started taking pepcid ac with it everyday.
Nowadays I take a weekly shot of enbrel and daily doses of meloxicam and predisone. Fatigue is the major issue and I get swelling but not anywhere like it was when I first came down with RA. Even still I can't do near the things I used to do prior to coming down with RA, sports, playing not watching were a big part of my life, not so much any more but I don't have a cane and I can do more than most.

[Mac]

A year ago I began having trouble getting out of my truck. It hurt when I put my weight on my feet. I thought I was just getting old and it would go away. Also thought I might be getting conventional arthritus. That was September/October of 08.

By January of 09 my hands and fingers began to hurt. My fingers really hurt and in a 4 day period I saw one of my fingers begin to twist to the right. Boy, did that hurt. It took a month to get an appointment with a Dr., who took one look at me and said "Rheumatologist." It took another month to see him. He did blood work which came back positive & high numbers. The Dr. told me I had an aggressive case of RA and that we had to get on top of it with drugs. That was March of 09.

We started with Plaquinel (not sure of the spelling) which was effective but made me sick. I couldn't take it. I went a month without taking anything and the Dr. thought I might be in remission. RA came back to life with a vengence and May to October has been difficult.

I opted to go with a sulfa drug and it helped but not enough. The Dr. increased the dose and I'm improving with time. Bloodwork came back good. If in 6 weeks the symptoms are not relieved my dose will be increased. All in all, this looks like it is going to work.

RA had beat up hands, wrists, shoulders and feet. It has been in my left foot for some time and painful. That condition is improving.

Maybe that is too much detail but that's the way it happened. I've got to admit, it has not been a lot of fun.

Mac

[naturelover]

hi, I feel very sorry for people who are diagnosed or the least having the symptoms of RA. My sister for many long years, almost for the past 6 years is suffering from RA symptoms. But believe it or not, just because of her diet, her doctor is really wondering how she is able to cope without any serious medication. She use to get pain on the shoulders and knee joints once in a while which will be so excruciating, but ultimately when she takes her medicine, she get relieved after two or three days. Now, my wife started showing the same symptoms and she is in middle 20's.

[Terrie]

I was dxd. about 25 years ago( :D lost count). Arthritis to me was an "older Person's" disease, so I never considered it.

My symptoms were intermittent. One day, I was getting in the car and I had such severe pain in my groin area(inner hip joints). If my MIL hadn't caught me, I would have landed on my tush. Then the pain disappeared. About 2 months later, some of my finger digits got really sore and swollen. The pain came and went.

Many months later, my right outer hip really hurt and I actually had a limp. I also remember my shoulder joints felt like they were rotten. Not really painful, just a sickeningly achy feeling. I actually thought that I had bone cancer and mentioned that to the GP at the walk-in Clinic.

He listened to my symptoms and week-end activities and dxd. me with "too much bike riding". :P He gave me a prescription of Entrophen 10. 8 tablets a day was the max. I was in so much pain that I took 14 tablets and it didn't help at all. I had a hard time breathing and could barely walk. I was so tired.

My Endo happened to phone to ask how I was doing and I couldn't barely speak. She thought that I had low blood sugar so she sent an Ambulance to pick my 2 year old Son and me up. Evidently, I was overdosing. (Hey, I was 24, inexperienced and in a lot of pain).

Fast forward, I was sent to a Rheumatologist, went through lots of tests and was dxd. with severe RA. I had a high RA factor.

[naturelover]

My wife who I said off late getting pain in her shoulder and foot has been advised to take Anti-inflammatory agents NSAIDS along with paracetamol. She is yet to go for full diagnosis as she is having the pain for the past two to three months.