Distinguishing symptoms between multiple options
I have booth RA and OA - in the same joints it seems. Every time I tell my rheumy about joint pain (thumbs, hands, wrists, or in my feet usually) she chalks it up to OA - which she doesn't treat.
So I do I know the difference. It all hurts (fibromyalgia doesn't help), no redness or major swelling, and my inflammatory markers are low. It gets so very frustrating!
Hi
. I know I've written you about my wife, Kelly Mack, before and that numbers don't tell the entire story. Kelly's rheumatologist and a visiting fellow had an interesting conversation with us about the likelihood that existing tests are not measuring all inflammation. Before CRP some of that inflammation was missed. They noted there are simply too many patients with good numbers, but active pain to believe the current tests are getting everything. It is too simple to say that all of your issues are OA. Your deserve for your symptoms to be taken seriously. We know it is easier said than done, but don't hesitate to get another opinion. Best, Richard (Team Member) That sounds like such a frustrating situation, especially when you’re already dealing with multiple types of pain and then trying to figure out which one is responsible for what. Have you ever tried keeping track of which joints hurt, what the pain feels like, and when it happens? I wonder if having that information written down would make it easier to spot patterns when you talk with your rheumatologist. You most definitely deserve some serious care, as Richard stated. Wishing you some relief soon, Latoya (Team Member) Good thought. I haven't tracked it on paper. I used to do that with my fibromyalgia and the doctor said I was obsessing over my symptoms and just making things worse.
Hi
. I can tell you that there are multiple health related things that Kelly tracks. There were times I worried about her obsessing over this (so I'll try not to be too hard on your doctor), but I learned the value of being able to differentiate issues, compare to what tests showed, etc... I would also think doctors would see this value, but I've seen a lot of doctors leery of patients who pay a lot of attention, ask questions, etc ... That said, I'm leery of doctors who don't seem to want educated patients 😀. Best, Richard (Team Member)
Is she using a specific form or tool to help her keep track?
Hi
. Great question. Some is, like you, by journaling. She also has a pacer she wears from Visible (it uses vitals and variability to assign and track pacing points). The Visible app can also be used to track symptoms. In addition, she also uses an Apple watch to track her sleep and exercise. Hope this helps and let me know if you have additional questions. Best, Richard (Team Member)
