He's only had it for 2 months. Started on his hands, wrists, toes, knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders, and his jaw just started to bother him. he gets joint stiffness, swelling, and redness. He seems to be getting "attacked" really fast. he is only on ibuprophen and doesn't help him at all.
Q: My husband was shown to have positive traces for RA is 2 months to long to wait for joint damage?
Answers (9)
4/15/09 12:09am
I started out on 800 mg Ibuprofen 7 months ago. I will not protect his joints. He needs to see a Rheumotologist now! I suspect he was seeing an Ortho doc. That's how I started, and until I really pushed him he didn't refer me. Once I was referred the RA doc knew right away I had severe RA. Don't wait, get him in there now.
Brad
4/14/09 4:37pm
Your husband needs to set up another RA Doctor appointment. The ibuprophen is not helping with the pain and the stiffness. If he gets on the right meds, then the joint damage can be slowed down. He is in the early stage of RA, I got joint damage 3yrs into my diease.
4/15/09 12:46am
Hey alma...your husband's RA experience sounds very similar to mine. It certainly was fast and furious for me. I felt like my body was falling apart. I was so surprised that my xrays didn't show damage! I sure FELT damaged!!
Hopefully, like Brad said, your husband is seeing a rheumatologist, if not now then soon.
From what I understand, joint damage is a process, not an event. So, the sooner he gets on some better medications, the sooner that process is interrupted.
4/15/09 5:45pm
Get a referral right away to a rhuematologist! I also had to push my doctor to get him to refer me, he kept wanting to treat me with Celebrex and other anti-inflamitories. Get an appointment as soon as possible since it usually takes a while to get insurance companies to approve treatment since it is so expensive.
My symptoms came on the same way, the good news is that with the right meds the swelling can be reversed before real damage occurs.
4/16/09 11:01am
That is how my RA effected me. It comes to you out of nowhere, and with no warning. He does need to see a rheumatoid specialist. The doctor can assess the damage and get him on something to eases symptoms. There are so many drugs out there now to stop the attack on the joints without the side effects. He needs to do this asap, because there will be irreversable damage to the joints if he does not take care of the problem now.
4/16/09 1:11pm
I was diagnosed about four months ago and it hit me precisely the same (i.e., hard and everywhere). I really hadn't noticed any issue with my joints before that time. However, my first x-rays showed I already had some significant erosions. Two months may just be the time that RA has been noticeable for him. I would get to to the dr. as soon as possible. Also, ibuprophen has been utterly useless for me. My dr. prescribed vicodin and percocet for the rough times and they've been far more helpful.
4/16/09 6:49pm
Dittos, dittos to seeing the RD asap!
Also, read, read, read. Some medicines treat symptoms, and some treat the disease; if you are unsure ask questions about everything which is prescribed. Recent research shows that treating the actual disease earlier is better (that's not ibuprophen, of course) and treating aggressively is also important.
He is so blessed to have you in the fight with him. I thank you on behalf of him and those of us who fight without such help.Yay for such a caring spouse as you, Alma!
4/17/09 12:57am
I was diagnosed with RA several years ago after a bad attack of swelling and twisting in my hands. I waited for the appointment with the rheumatologist and my PCP put me on Naproxium Sodium for the inflamation and another pain killer that was to be used if it got real bad. When I got to the specialist he put me on 1000 units of vitamen D and started me on a low level malaria drug that some people had been getting relief from. I never took the malaria drug and haven't taken any medication except the vitamen D and the Naproxium Sodium if I have a bad flare in 7 years. I am now 67 and feeling good except in really wet cold weather.
4/18/09 11:12pm
I have had RA for 35 years, and now that i am 60, i have finally found a way to ease the discomfort.....take and soak a box of yellow rasins in Gin....i took a canning jar and covered them in it for a least a week....then cover the jar with cheesecloth...and start eating 10 rasins a day...it really helps...
As for your question...if he was shown to have positive traces for RA...then the joint damage was already there when he was shown...unfortunately, as we get older the damage is unavoidable....just keep excercising...it really helps...as for the pain, the natural way to go is the recepie above...But i have been on strong drugs for 20 years as well...i dont like to take them, but with my RA it is building me a new back bone out of cartlage, and sometimes the pain i unbelievable...
Just trust in the Lord above, it says that he will never send you anything that you cant withstand.
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By Alma— Last Modified: 12/27/10, First Published: 04/14/09
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