New to RA, and very curious about others initial symptoms

First let me say that you have every right to have any amount of anxiety you might be having because of your situation.  It is so scary to think that you have worked so hard to stay healthy and now you may be very sick. I know right now it is hard to be positive at this time.  I remember because I was there to.  And while there may not be anything I can say to make you feel better, I must try.  There are medications out there for this disease that  may prove wonderful and very helpful.   They may be able to give you your life back, a life without the pain.  My initial symptoms were severe pain.  The swelling didn't come until later, which made it hard for my doctors to diagnose me.  When the swelling did show I was literally swollen from head to every single toe.  Everybodys symptoms seem to be a little different.  But they all seem to include pain.  I have an wonderful health central site that tells a little more about the symptoms.  I hope you find it helpful:

http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/causes-000048_4-145.html

I know this is scary, but please know that you are not alone in this.  We are all here to support you regardless of your final diagnosis.  Good luck and best wishes!

Gosh, you could be me 22 years ago. I was in my early 40's, worked out in a gym 3 days a week, walked 3 miles a day with my dog, kept up with my kids and all, worked,  ate healthy, was petite and in good shape, didn't smoke or drink...so how did I get so unlucky as to get RA? I did have stress so maybe that helped. It started with what I thought was a pulled muscle in my leg that took a long time to heal, then my knees and hands hurt. I went to my doctor who did a blood test and said I had RA. I didn't know much about arthritis and didn't know there were over 100 different kinds so I did research. That is a very important step so you will know the treatments and what to expect. Since it is an autoimmune disease I am guessing it doesn't matter how well we take care of ourselves or how young we are, it can still get us. Maybe it is in the genes. Try to think positively and take care of yourself.

You didn't mention your age...I'm 46 and I have had RA my whole life. Started prednisone when I was 18 and I've been on it ever since.I never really had any side effects but now after all thes years it isatching up with me....osteoporosis, cushings disease,weight gain,compromised immune system. I feel like prednisone was a miracle drug for me, it gave me my life back and as long as you can get by with a low dose I say go for it. Take your calcium and be extra careful about colds and infections and you should be fine. Good luck and God bless....Cyndi-lou