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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / March 2007My story so far.
I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly elevated blood viscocity". On seeing my GP and questioning him on this he said "she shouldn't have told you that it just gets you thinking all sorts and as far as I am concerned it's normal". I have also have thyroid, anti-immune and god knows what other blood tests, 7 in all, but my GP always told me they are normal (after what the receptionist said it leaves me wondering if I'm being told the whole truth). My sister has aggressive seronegative arthritis which she got at about the same age I am now. I am displaying a lot of the signs of SN arthritis like lower back pain, neck, shoulder and arm tention in the muscles which is almost all the time. I also have (after an MRI) discovered that I have minor wear on the right side of my 3rd and 4th vertibrae in my neck. I'm not a hypocondriac and I don't think I'm suffering depression but my GP is treating me by giving me anti-depressents and diclofenac sodium which to be honest don't help, they just make me drowsy a lot of the time when I am usually quite mentally active. I used to horse ride but found I lost a lot of core stability over a short time so stopped. I have had some short-lived sharp pains in the odd finger/thumb or up my arm on occasion. I do get a lot of stiffness in my back if I'm sat up or stood up/walking for about 20-30 mins. My feet and ankles ache even sat down some times but especially when I have been for even a short walk. I have felt a soreness before like I've burnt or grazed my skin on the top of my right arm but there is no mark on the skin itself. I cannot see any signs of swelling in any of my joints and I do have very "clicky" joints in general, especially wrists, shoulders, ankles and knees. Currently I am the only member of my blood-line family that doesn't have one form of arthritis or another so genetically it is a concern but nothing I'm extremely worried about because I know if I catch it early the prognosis can be very good....and that is what I am attempting to do. I am pushing for a prognosis for my symptoms. I am seeing a rumatologist at my demand in just over 2 weeks, GP says he thinks it's a waste of time. Wondering what this community thinks. Sean ------- > I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a > whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > receptionist said it leaves me wondering if I'm being told the whole > truth). Sounds like my test results. > My sister has aggressive seronegative arthritis which she got at > about the same age I am now. I am displaying a lot of the signs of SN > arthritis like lower back pain, neck, shoulder and arm tention in the > muscles which is almost all the time. Same here, I've had back pain and swelling hands since I was about 14 but no-one ever bother to see why. The GP told my mum to take me to an osteopath for pain relief cos there couldn't be anything wrong with me cos I was only 14! >I also have (after an MRI) > discovered that I have minor wear on the right side of my 3rd and 4th [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > they just make me drowsy a lot of the time when I am usually quite > mentally active. I'm on low dosage antidepressants, they use it as a pain control. It seems to change the way your brain reacts to long term pain making it more tolerable. In my case it seems to be working. The pain is still there but not as annoying, especially on waking, as it used to be. >I used to horse ride but found I lost a lot of core > stability over a short time so stopped. I have had some short-lived [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > any signs of swelling in any of my joints and I do have very "clicky" > joints in general, especially wrists, shoulders, ankles and knees. No clicky joints here but I do have the start of swan-necking on my little fingers and, very disconcerting, my first fingers seem to have a mind of their own. The knuckle joints are swollen and red, the middle joints have started to swell outward and the end joints are swelling the opposite way so my nails are turning in towards my middle fingers. I have achy feet and knees, my wrists get the burning sensatons you describe. My shoulders have been physio'd to death and still I can't pick anything up with my arms outstretched because of the pain or because the muscles just give up half way through. > Currently I am the only member of my blood-line family that doesn't > have one form of arthritis or another so genetically it is a concern [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > seeing a rumatologist at my demand in just over 2 weeks, GP says he > thinks it's a waste of time. I'm 40 and my rheumatologist has seen me 3 times now, each time he has sent me away saying I haven't got anything cos my blood tests were negative. He does not believe sero neg RA exists. I am currently waiting to see a new GP after a house move with the hope that they will refer me somewhere else to a competant rheumatologist. > Wondering what this community thinks. I thinkif you get a decent rheumatologist you should be ok, and be able to start treatment that actually works.  Signatureo o /|_|\ /|_|\ Coats "Laugh and the world laughs with you; snore and you sleep alone. " Anthony Burgess http://www.cheshiresar1.org.uk/index.htm http://www.myspace.com/canda177 >> I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a >> whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 70 lines] > I thinkif you get a decent rheumatologist you should be ok, and be able to > start treatment that actually works. In the circumstances it might be worth trying cannabis. I find that when I do it switches off all my symptoms. I have no idea how. hj >> I thinkif you get a decent rheumatologist you should be ok, and be able >> to start treatment that actually works. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > hj So that explains your email addy lol I was tempted to try it, but decided against it. Splodge >>> I thinkif you get a decent rheumatologist you should be ok, and be able >>> to start treatment that actually works. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I was tempted to try it, but decided against it. > Splodge You'll be amused if you do! It's probably not what you expect. Still battling content management systems here. Currently back to Wordpress. Mambo's in the bin again. Please not Drupal :) >>> I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a >>> whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 75 lines] > >hj I have no idea how either, but it's *the* single most effective substance for pain-relief I have tried, and without any of the side effects of the prescribed variety either. I only wish I could get a regular supply. If I have some cannabis at bedtime, I get a whole night's sleep, instead of the usual toss-and-turn-and-soddin'-ouch experience, and I'm not nearly so locked up and painful in the morning. Anne >I have no idea how either, but it's *the* single most effective >substance for pain-relief I have tried, and without any of the side >effects of the prescribed variety either. > >Anne Oh yeah!, you just forgot to mention the possible mental health side effects? But then your local dealer is hardly likely to be like the pharmacist and say "any problems just bring them back" On the legal side of things, the mouth spray developed after the UK ms suffers trial is now being used in Canada. All we really need is UK approval! >>>> I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a >>>> whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 81 lines] > > Anne Dealers are bad news. The only regular supply is the one from your back garden. >>>>> I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a >>>>> whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 82 lines] > Dealers are bad news. The only regular supply is the one from your back > garden. All drugs have side effects it's just that some arn't all that obvious. I think I'd go down the homeopathic route before taking any controlled/illegal substance personally. Anyway... Ever get the feeling GP's know very little about this? My GP told me that money is spent primarily on high-profile things like Cancer and heart conditions - leaving a lot of more prevalent illnesses, but less life threatening, unreasearched. So they have to just treat the symptoms a lot of the time. We'll see what the Rumatologist thinks on 19th. My sister went misdiagnosed for 2 years with Seronegative Arthritis - I may or may not have it but if I have, and all the signs are there that's it's possible, I'm not going to allow the docs to misdiagnose me until the tendons in my hands snap, then an xray reveals the truth. My sisters is very agressive now because of the lack of the properly diagnosed treatment. Her latest problem was a very agressive blood infection that went up her right arm and if it had got to her heart... The infection was killing her flesh as it went, she has to have skin grafts because of the dead skin. I've had to push my GP I feel a lot of the time to take me seriously. His opinion is MRI scans can show something or nothing but it doesn't dictate whether you are in pain, X-rays are useless and at the end of the day I'll just have to take pills for the rest of my life as pain management. Sean. >>>>>> I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a >>>>>> whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 105 lines] > > Sean. That's a terrible story. I am sorry to hear it. So far as pain is concerned the plant would most likely put an end to that, if my experience is anything to go by. I wouldn't care to recommend it for anything other than the pain and associated symptoms of arthritis, although some people claim more benefits for it. I don't know how it affects you, but the cost of prescriptions is a major disincentive to me. I'm not quite old enough to get a pension, and I don't claim any benefits, so it's six pounds whatever nowadays. And I don't much like bothering a doctor. Frankly I don't trust them with my typical ailments. I have in the past been prescribed things which were on special offer from the pharmaceutical companies and yet quite unsuitable. I know there are good and bad. And of course in the surgery you have one eye on the clock. It's a major life-decision to set out to grow cannabis. I don't grow it at the moment, because I want to get things done, and it causes introspection and reflection and a general disincentive to press on with jobs, but when I retire I want to have it available. Under the present arrangement that means having it in a greenhouse under lock and key, looking over your shoulder as it were, and feeling somewhat at odds with society, for no good reason at all really. It's none of their business and you're saving the NHS money. And in the meantime it's just a case of having to get on with whatever the physical situation is when I wake up in the morning. I don't know anything about this new Sativex thing. If it's anything like what they did with opium and the coca leaf, turning plants into major global problems, then it's not the answer. Perhaps someone will contradict me there. >Under the present arrangement that means having it in a greenhouse under >lock and key, looking over your shoulder as it were, and feeling >somewhat at odds with society, for no good reason at all really. It's >none of their business and you're saving the NHS money. Saving the NHS money eh? Talk to Frank "# Some people think cannabis is harmless just because its a plant but it isnt harmless. Cannabis, like tobacco, has lots of chemical 'nasties', which can cause lung disease and cancer with long-term or heavy use, especially as it is often mixed with tobacco. It can also make asthma worse. # Cannabis is risky for anyone with a heart problem as it increases the heart rate and can affect blood pressure. # Theres also increasing evidence of a link between cannabis and mental health problems such as schizophrenia. If youve a history of mental health problems, depression or are experiencing paranoia, then taking this drug is not a good idea." http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=172 >> Under the present arrangement that means having it in a greenhouse under >> lock and key, looking over your shoulder as it were, and feeling [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=172 Smoking tobacco is bad. Two sounds smoking-related to me. Not everyone smokes the plant. The rest of it is the subject of a fierce debate. I am guessing that you have no personal experience of cannabis so there's not much point in discussing it with you. Do you have some personal knowledge of the subject? >> http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=172 >> > The rest of it is the subject of a fierce debate. I am >guessing that you have no personal experience of cannabis so there's not >much point in discussing it with you. That is SUCH a playground/peer pressure statement! "Go on thow that egg at old mrs jones window, or you can't be in our gang" I know jumping off a sky scraper is bad for your health, and if I want to see the results I just trawl the net for pics, I don't have to try it myself to enter into debate about it (not that I could if I had). You're not a member of the Green party are you? >>> http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=172 >>> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > You're not a member of the Green party are you? To all: Everyone is entitled to their opinion but please start your own thread to make it, thank you. :) Sean >>> http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=172 >>> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > You're not a member of the Green party are you? Kindly discount my politics, such as they are. I can only give you my personal opinions, based on experience. I am a fully-qualified old hippy. These are the people to whom I would recommend cannabis: 1. People getting on in years with no direct financial or family responsibilities, moping around in pain, who feel that they are in a spiral of physical decline and are prepared to give it a go if it might improve their situation. I would certainly suggest that they ask their GP about it. Currently the biggest risk is getting caught. 2. Younger people running amok, generally men in their twenties, causing problems to society, who appear to have no awareness of their situation and responsibilities. These people are not the subject of the present discussion and I don't want to enter into that side of the discussion right now, ta very much, except to say that it might slow them down and give them pause for thought. How's that? >> Talk to Frank >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >Smoking tobacco is bad. Two sounds smoking-related to me. Not everyone >smokes the plant. this is a pointless argument. >The rest of it is the subject of a fierce debate. I am >guessing that you have no personal experience of cannabis so there's not >much point in discussing it with you. Do you have some personal >knowledge of the subject? "me" may not, but i do; i've seen someone close to me have several crises related to cannabis use. anecdotal evidence doesn't help much, but you may take it or leave it; i know a few consultant psychiatrists who're seriously bothered about their patents and cannabis. however, apart from its apparent relation to mental problems, istm that cannabis is less dangerous than alcohol (whose consumption the government is really keenly encouraging). SignatureRobin Fairbairns, Cambridge >>> Talk to Frank >>> [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > that cannabis is less dangerous than alcohol (whose consumption the > government is really keenly encouraging). I made a mental note to leave this thread alone, but here we are again. I know full well what cannabis can do. It might, for example, expose any issues that are dormant in the individual. The plant is described as a "helper" in some circles. I do not believe from my own experience that it causes these issues. The question then is whether or not this aspect of the plant is a bad thing. An arthritis sufferer might decide that this related property is an undesirable side-effect and avoid taking it. On that basis I agree that they should be aware of the possibilities. Life is also about the growth of understanding. >I made a mental note to leave this thread alone, but here we are again. Make another "mental note" that you appologised to the op for not starting a new thread on this and are now ignoring that and carrying on on this thread anyway! >> I made a mental note to leave this thread alone, but here we are again. > > Make another "mental note" that you appologised to the op for not > starting a new thread on this and are now ignoring that and carrying > on on this thread anyway! > "hugh_j" <wildpoppy@invalid> wrote in message > news:45f15e0c$0$2445$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk... [quoted text clipped - 132 lines] > > Sean. Thread repaired again! >>> I made a mental note to leave this thread alone, but here we are again. >> [quoted text clipped - 170 lines] >> going out of my skull with boredom :( Sean. > Thread repaired again! Update 22/03/2007 Seen rumatologist today: Basically he's investigating which is quite refreshing, finally getting a range of xrays on my back, blood tests and physio...so we'll see what comes of that. Suffering a lot at the moment from lower back pain because he had me trying to touch toes and twist :o) Quite happy with the Doctor, actually listened and was very "human" and personal in the way he talked and treated me :o) SignatureSean ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Becoming wise is not synonomous with getting older but in the realisation you always have much to learn. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> Under the present arrangement that means having it in a greenhouse under >> lock and key, looking over your shoulder as it were, and feeling [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=172 Here is a less drug-related link about hemp in all it's forms: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html >>>>>> I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a >>>>>> whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 105 lines] > > Sean. I am sorry for that Sean. >>>>>>> I am currently undergoing the diagnosis roundabout and recently on a >>>>>>> whole bloodcount the receptionist at my GP's said I have "slightly [quoted text clipped - 112 lines] >> Sean. > I am sorry for that Sean. No problem :) I'm 38 next month and to be honest really don't want full blown O/A at this age :) Jobcentre plus on tuesday to see what can be done about me having a try-out for work in a couple of weeks time, I'm trying to get myself fit enough because i feel pretty useless at the moment and to be honest am prepared to endure a bit of pain because I'm going out of my skull with boredom :( Sean. |
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