New here. Need help.
Hi,
Thank you.
I have joined this group to know about RA. I don't know if I have it. I am looking for some inputs about it.
I have been dealing with joint pain since last year. It started with knee pain last year. No arthritis in the x-ray. Mri shows patella femoral syndrome. I didn't injure anywhere and it came all of a sudden. I did PT for 5 to 6 months for that. PT said it's usually resolves in 6 to 8 weeks. Am mine is very long and they said it's muscular issue.
I had another incident where my hand joints (shoulder, elbow , wrist ) was hurting and painful to touch. Did PT for that too.
Currently , going through the jaw pain issue. It's been there for 5 months and no improvement in my symptoms yet. I have been told it's like tmjd. Doing PT for that.
PT said all my issues invoices inflammation and taking long time than usual. I asked my primary physician to get order some blood work like RA factor,CRP,SR, uric acid, iron. My iron level was very low and he put me on supplements. My vitamin d is very low too and I am on supplements.
I don't know if I have RA. I joined this group to explore and get to know more about RA. I don't know how to proceed with. Does inflammatory arthritis comes under RA? Or psoriasis arthritis?
I don't have psoriasis. But I have some small skin pigmentation in my tummy and that's not itchy. I don't know if all these are inter related and comes under arthritis . Any inputs?
Hey there I'm sorry to hear you're feeling poorly. You need to see rheumatologist. You might be able to get a recommendation from your PA or contact your insurance company for any referrals. Will be able to diagnosis based on some blood work and some physical attributes you may have. Good luck I hope you feel better
Thank you.
Are these symptoms of RA? Does RA affect all joints randomly?
I also have severe hair fall for last 3 years. Nothing helps. Is this related to the arthritis or any autoimmune disease? I did get the blood work done for lupus in my primary doctor office. It was ANA and it was negative. I don't know if it's all related.
Hello there
. We're glad that you reached out and that another community member has already chimed in here! We know that it can be both frustrating and exhausting to be experiencing these pains and complications without having any answers. We are unable to offer any medical advice over the internet, for your safety, and strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor and potentially reaching out to a Rheumatologist. I know you mentioned asking for blood work to be done by your doctor- do you know if they ended up looking for RA factors? It's also important to note that there are many people who do not show a positive RF, yet still are diagnosed with Seronegative RA based off of their physical symptoms. I thought that it might be helping to read through these symptoms of RA: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/symptoms/ Rheumatoid Arthritis is distinguished by inflammation, pain, stiffness and swelling- having the potential to impact all of the joints around the body. Of course there are a variety of autoimmune diseases and other conditions that have overlapping symptoms, so it isn't always easy to figure out exactly what's going on. We really hope you're able to find some well deserved answers. Best, Ashley (Team Member) Thank you for the response.
I did check RA factor blood work. It was negative. My doctor said all inflammatory markers are normal. So he didn't refer me to rheumatologist. I don't know if I need further diagnosis as I am having some jaw pain for past 5 months without definite diagnosis yet.
We appreciate you getting back to us
. I wanted to let you know about something called Seronegative RA- when someone is diagnosed with RA despite not showing a positive RF or other markers. You can read more about this here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/seronegative-ra-blood-tests-dont-tell-entire-story/ Perhaps this is something you can discuss with your doctor. And if you feel like you're not fully being listened to, we always encourage people to seek out a second opinion if you're able to. Please feel free to keep us updated! Best, Ashley (Team Member)
