Unknown diagnosis
I have been seeing my rheumatologist for 15 months. My symptoms started out as an infection on my big toe. Now my feet burn and feel like someone is stabbing my feet all over. I feel this 24/7 and take 900mg of Gabapentin 3x day with barely any change. Originally I was told I had neuropathy with no response from Methotrexate. A nurse at my work said I may have Gout and it did respond to Colchicine briefly. My Ana and Ana titer is always abnormal and my Aldolase is 3x what it should be. The only thing that my symptoms respond to is high doses of steroids. My rheumatologist keeps blowing the blood work off as nothing unusual. I get blood work about every other month and it's always the same. Every visit he tells me we are going to continue the current course, but I need to know what I have so I can find the correct treatment to finally get some relief.
Oh my heart goes out to you,
! Having your symptoms dismissed is incredibly frustrating, and with abnormal lab results I'm surprised that your doctor is not more receptive to getting you a diagnosis. I wish that we could help you know what your diagnosis is, but we are not doctors and cannot make any diagnoses. I will say though, if this doctor is not listening to you, I would encourage you to seek out another doctor (if it's feasible for you). With multiple lab results coming back in abnormal ranges (in addition to your continued symptoms) it sounds like whatever treatment this doctor is offering you isn't helping you and you deserve to get some relief!
I also wanted to share an article with you that includes some information about gout as you mention wondering if this is what you're experiencing, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/types-of-arthritis. Also, this article here has more information about RA symptoms and another one about diagnosis, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/symptoms, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/diagnosis.
I know a lot of our community members here have had to push medical professionals to get answers. You're not alone! Please don't hesitate to reach out here any time, and let us know if you have other questions.
Sending you gentle hugs. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)Not trying to diagnose you, but my husband gets Gout,, the only thing that works for him is the pills you take for like 3 to 4 days it sounds like what your going through what he does, just the brushing of a sheet makes him hurt, its a steroid that he takes, I would go see a MD and get blood work done, Gout is a build up of uric acid in the joints, its called Gouty Arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease just like RA. I would get a second opinion!!
Hi
. Feeling like your concerns are not being listened to, especially when in pain, is understandably frustrating. On top of the excellent information already provided, I want to note that high aldolase, besides being common with gout (and the other symptoms that match), can also be found in a number of other conditions, including other autoimmune conditions, such as RA and lupus: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ene.16117.
As Christine noted, we are not medical professionals and, for your protection, cannot provide medical advice over the internet. That said, your tests are indicative of some issue and you know your body and are experiencing these issues. You deserve someone to look at the evidence and explain the diagnostics. Wishing you the best. Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
