What is happening to me..
I was told I had osteoarthritis because when I injured my toes They ended up deformed. I drove to the hospital last year because I had pain on my chest wall. It was pleurisy. That took about a week for it to go away. The last couple of days we had family over so I was drinking a lot. Normally I eat very well I work out I don’t drink. Then I noticed on the second day there was a red rash on my left hand. The next day it bloomed. I was in so much pain. I decided to try to ice it and take a bunch of anti-inflammatory natural stuff. The next day the pain was almost gone but the swelling is still here. I am beyond frustrated as I really don’t understand what is happening. I was tested for RA and it shows nothing. I’m assuming the drinking triggered whatever this is. What can I do to get this to go down. And does ice really work for this kind of stuff. I originally thought it was a bite but I wrote the denial train and I think I need to get off on this one and deal with it. 
Hi there, I am so sorry you're going through this! It's painful, I know. Have you contacted your doctor? We cannot give medical advice over the Internet, for your safety. Your doctor will have the best insight into what exactly is going on. Depending on your personal medical history - there could be a few options that we just won't be able to determine from the Web. In the meantime I am sharing an article from our editorial team about hand pain and RA that may be of interest (https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/symptoms/hand-pain-swelling-and-inflammation) - I hope that your pain subsides soon but please see what your doctor says. I'd love if you update us on how you're doing! - Reggie (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team) Hi there! I wanted to check-in and see how your hand is doing? DId your doctor have any idea of what is going on? - Reggie (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member) 
Hi
. Let me echo in saying I hope you are seeing more improvement in your symptoms. I also want to echo that there are numerous issues that could lead to these symptoms, including (but not limited to) other autoimmune conditions. For example: about 50% of people with lupus experience lung issues like pleurisy and it can also cause inflammation and joint pain. I only offer this one example to emphasize the importance of getting the proper diagnostics. Unfortunately, so many symptoms overlap with multiple conditions. Please feel free, if you like, to keep us posted on how you are doing. Really hoping you get some answers soon. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team) Have you been tested for HLA-B27? It's a common finding, though not necessary, in people with Psoriatic Arthritis.
Just throwing this out there: if you haven't seen a rheumatologist, you need to. Many family doctors and specialists outside of rheumatology don't have the training to differentiate between the many arthritic types.
