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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / August 2007RA - questions
Hi - Diagnosed with RA just over a month ago & now waiting for appointment with Rheumatologist to come around. I can't believe how quickly this thing is zooming around my body! Most joints affected so far with the main exception of my hips. Is this speed of infection normal? I'm only able to take regular pain killers till I see specialist and nothing seems to help much at all. Can anyone recommend a way of getting comfortable enough to get some sleep? Its my 3rd Auto-Immune set to - have Hashi's and Celiac to keep it company. Any advice appreciated. BTW - I'm in Australia > Hi - Diagnosed with RA just over a month ago & now waiting for appointment > with Rheumatologist to come around. I can't believe how quickly this > thing is zooming around my body! Most joints affected so far with the main > exception of my hips. Is this speed of infection normal? RA is not an infection. It's an autoimmune disease. The speed and severity vary from person to person, but what you're describing does not sound atypical for a 'flare'. > I'm only able > to take regular pain killers till I see specialist and nothing seems to help > much at all. Why only regular pain killers? I'm assuming by this you mean aspirin/tylenol/ibuprofen. I'm wondering why you haven't been prescribed an NSAID and a stronger painkiller (at least panadeine forte). What steps did your doctor take to diagnose you with RA? > Can anyone recommend a way of getting comfortable enough to > get some sleep? Its my 3rd Auto-Immune set to - have Hashi's and Celiac to > keep it company. Any advice appreciated. BTW - I'm in Australia Ah, Australia - cross out 'tylenol' and replace that with panadol. I'm in Perth, BTW :) Cheers, Ari  Signaturespammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor and literally save someone's life: http://www.abmdr.org.au/ http://www.marrow.org/ Hi Spodosaurus Thanks for the response. My diagnosos came from a blood test with RF factor very high as well as the physical deterioration. My GP preferred to leave medicating to the specialist, never mind that it will be more than 7 weeks from diagnosis till I get to see the specialist with obviously more time since the onset of this flare. The usual OTC's (panadol etc) make so little difference to the pain I'm experiencing. Neurofen Plus seems to help most, but not the best for continual or long term taking. What would one "normally" expect from a flare? I just can't believe so many joints have been affected in such a short space of time. Another question. Is fluid retention another body response to RA? (apart from the swelling in affected joints) I'm in Qld. I'm so pleased there is this support group to get information from. It helps. G V > Hi Spodosaurus > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > G V Hi Grannie,,, I am a Granpa myself and have RA also. This is a good support group for people with Arthritis problems and RA is one of them. When you say "short of time", you still have not realized that this is a full body disease. RA can and may attack anywhere in your body where there is cartridge. Places you have not thought about like your eyes, ears, and vascular system, oh,,, I forgot your voicebox. I had to stop singing in the choir of my church because my voice got so gravelly(sp). Your doctor did you a great favor by getting you in line to see an RD. The good news is that it can be controlled in most cases with today's medicine. Please come back and talk about what is taking place in your body or just with anything a person goes through while learning how best to battle this disease. I was told I had an immune system problem with I was 38 and in to see a RD at 45. So you can see you got in to see your RD many years ahead of when I did and it was my family doctor's fault for that. That was many years ago because I am 68 now and can still do most things and never have had to have a procedure done on a joint but I have been taking the latest medicines to control what I have after leaving the RDs office for the first time. Their are just untold amount of ways you will be able to do for yourself to make things better and the people in this newsgroup are here to help you do that. Any questions, thoughts or what have you are discussed here and you are welcome to take part,,, Spod... is a good example of a person that has made it his business to learn as much and help people with it. Harv Thanks Harvey. I do realise the extent to which this disease can go. Have read plenty on the net, but am surprised at how quickly it is affecting me. I've always been so active and will definitely have problems in regard to that aspect. (My plans to retire in 5 years and explore remoter areas of this beautiful country (on foot) might be curtailed.) I am crossing my fingers the RD I am going to see will be a good one who will allow me to hit this thing fair and square. I just need a decent nights sleep to help me get thru the day. I dare say there are a lot of you in the same boat. (OTT - my youngest grandson 7 mths - is named Harvey) GV > Thanks Harvey. I do realise the extent to which this disease can go. > Have read plenty on the net, but am surprised at how quickly it is [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > the same boat. (OTT - my youngest grandson 7 mths - is named Harvey) > GV OK, I'm not a doctor. This isn't a recommendation, but it is what I do. If I were having a flare where lots of joints were affected, I'd be taking some prednisone for a short time to calm it down. I can't take NSAIDS, they were great for years but finally my body started fighting them. These are non steroid anti-inflammatory. Your regular doctor could get you started on those to calm things down, if there isn't any reason you shouldn't take them. Also I can't take most strong pain medications. At least not and get any sleep. I react as if they were a stimulant. So I take Ambien, a sleep aid to get some sleep at night. I also get in a few naps when I can. One thing about RA, when you get up in the morning, that's about as awful and you are going to feel all day. Get moving as best you can and it gets better. Jo > Hi Spodosaurus > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > G V It doesn't surprise me that Nurofen is working. If I recall correctly the active ingredient in that is ibuprofen which is an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflamatory Drug). Flares can range in severity and extent even in the same person. How short a time are we talking here? Days? With my undifferentiated ankylosing spondylitis I get many joints involved, not just my spine, and I can wake up in the morning with trouble walking because of it when I went to bed without anything much more painful than my osteoarthritis. Regards, Ari Signaturespammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor and literally save someone's life: http://www.abmdr.org.au/ http://www.marrow.org/ >RA is not an infection. It's an autoimmune disease. The speed and >severity vary from person to person, but what you're describing does not >sound atypical for a 'flare'. Just what Ari says, Granny. Mine hit me like a freight train out of nowhere. And it can fly from joint to joint with the speed of light. And it can settle as quickly. I can hurt all over one day and be in pretty good shape the next. >Why only regular pain killers? I'm assuming by this you mean >aspirin/tylenol/ibuprofen. I'm wondering why you haven't been prescribed >an NSAID and a stronger painkiller (at least panadeine forte). Again, I'm with Ari. You need something that will take the edge off not just soothe you like a cup of tea might. >I'm in Perth, BTW :) I'm in Perth, too, Ari, but different continent. Joan hi granny v and welcome to our group! i don't have RA, but do have a suggestion to offer. it sounds like you really need to be seen much sooner than 7 weeks from now to get adequate meds, so that you can sleep. so, try calling this new rheumatologist's office and tell them you are in distress. then, ask them if they would give you the next earlier available appointment cancellation, when it becomes available. hope that helps you, hon. kate Hi - Diagnosed with RA just over a month ago & now waiting for appointment with Rheumatologist to come around. I can't believe how quickly this thing is zooming around my body! Most joints affected so far with the main exception of my hips. Is this speed of infection normal? I'm only able to take regular pain killers till I see specialist and nothing seems to help much at all. Can anyone recommend a way of getting comfortable enough to get some sleep? Its my 3rd Auto-Immune set to - have Hashi's and Celiac to keep it company. Any advice appreciated. BTW - I'm in Australia |
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