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Would you consider yourself aging too?

Ok so I have not been diagnosed with RA. Like my doctor doesn’t even know I’m having these symptoms (yet). I’m just worried my doctor will tell me it’s all because of getting older. Maybe it is?

I turn 38 this year. I was having night sweats in 2014. Had blood work done and it all came back normal except my ANA was “slightly elevated” at 1:80 but my ESR was normal so my doctor told me the ANA wasn’t of clinical significance. I quickly forgot all about it until last month when my knuckle on my right hand started hurting. It stopped hurting after a week but then another knuckle on the opposite hand started hurting. I couldn’t grip anything without significant pain. I googled sore joints and RA came up along with what blood tests are needed. I then remembered my positive ANA test.

I know that I can’t get medical advice here so I’m just going to list my symptoms and if you want to comment about if you’ve had these symptoms or not, that’s great. These are not all recent, some go back up to 5 years.

-numb hands when I wake up (last 2 years on & off)
-very rare numb toes (happened maybe 3-4 times)
-chronic plantar fasciitis in my right foot (comes & goes in left foot - done PT and cortisone shots in both feet)
-pain all through my feet when I get out of bed, or after I’ve been resting for a bit
-sore big toe joint, went away over a year ago and hasn’t come back
-often feel like I could use a nap half way through the day
-stiffness in my feet/ankles (newer-ish symptom, only lasts 15-20 seconds after I start walking)
-occasional pain in wrists (minor, comes & goes)
-thick calluses on the ball of both feet -for about a 2 month span, it has resolved now, my toes on my right foot felt cold & wet inside my shoes. Were warm to the touch when I felt them with my hand and def not wet.

Anyone in their pre-diagnosis stage think these sound familiar? I fear I’m just aging.

  1. Hi CLURTT! I am sorry you have been experiencing these symptoms and have yet to receive a definitive diagnosis. You always have the right to seek a second opinion if you feel your physician is not meeting your needs. Also, there are other forms of arthritis that you can read about here and see if any of them seem similar to what you are experiencing -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/types-of-arthritis/. Please don't hesitate to reach out should you have further questions. Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.

    1. Hi CLURTT. On top of the great information from Erin concerning types of arthritis and the value of second opinions, thought you might be interested in this article on early signs and symptoms: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/symptoms/early-signs/. Hope you find some answers soon. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)

      1. When I began having symptoms and all my lab tests were negative, I strongly asked for a referral to a rheumatologist. Best decision I ever made. It's always best to get diagnosed sooner than later. You need an experienced diagnostician to pull this all together. I have a story on the website entitled Sero-RA + Fibromyalgia. We are all pulling for you. Hope you get answers soon.

        MS

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