All the symptoms but no definitive RA diagnosis
I started having problems just after my 42 birthday. Hurting all over, dizzy spells, shaking, itching all over, burning skin, muscle spasms, serious fatigue, stiffness, leg paralysis, arm paralysis, severe headaches, loss of sleep, etc. I went to my GP, went thru a battery of tests for everything from Lyme disease to cancer. Everything came back negative, no RA factor either. Was sent to a sports medicine doctor, because I was having shooting pain in my arms. Did a carpel tunnel test, slight problem with swelling, but he told me nothing to be alarmed about? Next I was referred to a rheumatologist, I had written down everything that was happening for the past year and a half. He sent me for a full body bone scan, came back I had arthritis in every joint in my body. He told me it was osteoarthritis, and put me on meloxicam, and tinzandine. Well, my rheumatologist is a quack, all he wanted to talk about were his problems and his family, never really listened to me and my problems. He said it's only osteoarthritis, and let it go at that. Two months later I went back to him, different symptoms. Symmetric pain in both hands, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows, nasty pains in my lower back and neck, muscle spasms that were continuous, and can go on. Well, I quit seeing him, I moved to a different state, ran out of medicine. I have gotten considerably worse, my hands don't work right anymore, pain in my lower jawbone, that makes it so I can't eat, and I have dentures! Everything hurts in pairs. I have growing nodules on just about every finger on my hands! Even my toes have them! Now, I am having problems with my throat, feels like a lump in there, burning, sore, hard to swallow, hoarse voice, sometimes hard to breathe. I read that this is a symptom of RA. But I don't have RA, I have osteoarthritis. I wish someone could give me a straight answer, I am running out of steam very quickly, everyone thinks I am a hypochondriac, that I must be nuts. Some days I don't even want to get out bed to go to work, but I force myself. Before I had flares, now the pain is all the time, no matter what I take for pain, it is still there. All I have been reading, and all my different symptoms, I am absolutely sure I have RA, and possibly fibromyalgia, with the osteoarthritis. I'm glad I have finally found somewhere to go to talk about what I have been dealing with, that no one will say, man up, just getting old, or get over it! As I lie here in bed, my feet are having spasms, both knees are aching, both elbows are hurting, fingers are hurting. Oh, well, it's only osteoarthritis, you'll be fine! Thanks for listening. Have a good morning.
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