Should I ask my doctor to put me on aggressive treatment?
I am a 26 year old male. I have had the following symptoms since May 2009: 1) cold limbs upon wake up almost everyday, 2) morning stiffness on both arms and hands, 3) hands and feet will feel extremely warm, followed by stiffness and coldness, 4) warm knees, 5) feeling fatigued usually in midday, usually getting better after dinner, 6) feeling chill and afraid of cold weather all the time, 5) afraid of cold airconditioned rooms, 7) No fever found although I did monitor it regularly, 8)the PIP joint of my right index finger was slightly swelling and twisted towards the pinky finger direction; however the left hand index finger appears normal up till now.
My aunt has had RA for more than 20 years, so based on what I saw of myself, I suspect that I also have RA.
I went to a rhematologist in Boston area and she did blood works on me twice, once in June and once in July. Everything came back negative expect my ANA, first time 1:160, second time 1:40, third time 1:40 again, so they were both slight positive according to the rheumatologist. She put me on Ibuprofen and asked me to follow up in the future. She also put me on vitamin D supplement because my Vitamin D level appears to be too low. From what she saw about me, she said I do not have RA. But she couldn't rule out that i might have some other kind of autoimmune disease.
My question is: I really think that I do have RA, not that I want to have RA, but I feel if I have these morning stiffness and hand joint pain, I should get on some treatment as soon as possible. I couldn't think of anything else that can cause the symptoms above. I am very anxious everyday now because I don't know if I should tell the doctor to put me on some aggressive treatment like methotrexate. What do you guys think? Does everyone who suffer this kind of symptoms go through the same ups and downs like I do? Any words to the wise on staying sane? Thanks!
I am not sure you have been dxd by reading your question. If you have, most drs agree that early aggressive treatment is best. We are not medical professionals here, just a support group. If you feel you are not being treated aggresively enough, try another dr. I hope you feel better.
Brad
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A second opinion may be in order. Are you seeing a rheumatologist? They are trained to diagnose and treat autoimmune disorders. Your symptoms seem to point that direction but only a doctor can diagnose. Positive blood tests are not required for a RA diagnosis. Check out these links.
http://www.rheumatology.org/publications/classification/ra/ra.asp?aud=mem
http://rawarrior.blogspot.com/2009/08/blood-tests-for-rheumatoid-arthritis.html
Many of us have similar stories and getting a proper diagnosis, whatever is going on with you, is key. This can be agonizing and take time. Early and aggressive treatment are critical. Stay proactive and be your own best advocate. I hope things get clear for you quickly.
- Thank you for your input
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