Can I have RA without the swelling?
My mother has RA. I have alot of stiffness in my back, especially in the morning. I have stiffness in my knees although not as severe as my back. My upper thigh hurts at night, when I lay on either side. I am tired alot.
It is quite possible. Get your blood tests done and start the investigation.
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For more information, check out our section about the basics of RA. It's quite common for the disease to be very hard to catch in the beginning - it sort of plays hide and seek. However, swelling from joint inflammation does tend to be a major indicator of RA, so you not having any makes the issue a little iffy. There are many other things that can cause the symptoms you describe, so don't be too worried yet.
However, I do agree that you should see a doctor soon as possible to get checked out and ask for some blood tests, especially considering that your mother has RA. Please be aware that approximately 20% of people who have RA are seronegative, which means their RA does not show up in the blood work, so if your tests are negative and you still feel that you need to be seen by a rheumatologist, request that your doctor give you a referral.
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I was diagnoised in June 2008, at that time I was in severe pain and had a little inflammation (but my sed rate was within range). My Ra Factor was 252 and my CCP was greater than 100.
Here I am 18 months later, several DMARDs later, taking Enbrel injections weekly, and I still have pain daily. But, my sed rate has never been high and it's always within range. So for me, that sed rate doesn't mean that I'm not in pain because I am.
This disease just blows my mind........you just never know what to expect.
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