I have been having pain and swelling in my elbows and hands for over a year.All signs point to RA . I finally convinced my very unhelpful gp to refer me to a consultant .After many mnths waiting i saw a consultant who stated i had nothing wrong with me. He took bloods and x rays , all came back negative.I am back at sqayre one. I suppose i could fake being in pain , but not redness and swelling. Everytime i read the symptoms of RA it sounds exactly like me. Where do i go from here now ? At the moment i am in limbo in alot of pain but unable to get help.
10/ 8/08 1:46pm
Unfortunately, getting a diagnosis of RA can take a while - it's a tricky disease, especially in the beginning where it can pop in and out and not leave a lot of physical evidence of its presence. Many people experience months of going to one doctor, then another before finally finding someone who will give them a diagnosis. Keep in mind that doctors are human beings first and that means that they have their own idiosyncrasies - e.g., some don't feel comfortable making a diagnosis if you have a negative RA factor. However, a significant amount of people who have the disease don't test positive for it (I'm one of them and I've had the disease for 40 years). Being told either directly or between the lines that "it's all in your head" is also a common experience for people who haven't been diagnosed yet and whose disease hasn't settled into a full flare with joint damage. It's important that you don't buy into that message. You are the expert on your body, you know what's normal and what isn't and that means you have to trust your own assessment. From what you describe, something is very clearly going on.
While you're waiting to get a diagnosis, your family doctor should be prescribing you some painkillers. If that's not happening, your doctor is essentially patting you on the head and telling you to go away. Don't accept that. You have to be able to trust your doctor and if he's not taking your concerns seriously, you need a new doctor. Will there be difficulties for you in finding one? Ask your friends and coworkers about their doctors and when you hear of one who is good at listening to their patients, try to get in to see them. Getting a good family doctor and developing a good team with her/him can be key to persisting through the system - if your family doctor believes that something is going on, s/he will continue to send you to specialists until you get a diagnosis.
Good luck - please write again if you have any more questions.
10/ 8/08 2:59pm
Go to a Rheumtologist to make sure and have the tests redone. That would be my suggestion. You also may not have RA but may have osteoarthritis. There is alot of pain with that too.
10/16/08 11:30am
Blood tests can come back negative for RA. But that in itself doesn't mean you don't have it.
I actually don't know where you go, ESPECIALLY if you have to deal with DR.'s under or should I say in a H.M.O. plan. I noticed to way my Dr. treated me when I had Medi-Cal. I got EXCELENT care, unfortunately, a few months later when CA made it MANDATORY for some to join a H.M.O. (like me) the same Dr. went from caring & concerned to not helping me at all! I changed Dr.s & found that it was the same with each one. Strange though, anytime I needed help & had to deal DIRECTLY with the HMO I never had a problem! It was the Dr.s themselves!
Back to what you can do, I want to warn you, BE VERY CAREFUL with ANYTHING prescribed! I don't trust the FDA or Big Pharma. Sorry, but the FDA & Big Pharma have a VERY SERIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!!!
If you can afford a "Natural Practitioner or Holistic Practitioner" there ARE 100% SAFE & natural "meds." You can also probably find a M.D. that practices "natural medicine".
Unfortunately, most insurance doesn't cover these types of doctors.
There are also publications that you can read to "RESEARCH" meds & their DANGEROUS side effects.
As for your pain I have found that SWIMMING works wonders & it's the ONLY thing that I can do without ending up in worse pain. I have other problems besides RA.
10/16/08 11:46am
It's me again, Usedtobesupermom, RA doesn't only cause joint pain, it can cause muscle & nerve pain. Be VERY careful with Motrin, especially the 600-800mg. After 5 years of taking it 3X day, my gallbladder had to be removed in an EMERGENCY surgery! Now my liver is compromised. In other words DAMAGED!!!! It sucks, because the meds only worked for about 20 min. - almost an hour if I was lucky!!! Other meds for RA were tried & didn't work or I had other factors that made them TOO DANGEROUS or impossible me to use.
10/16/08 11:47am
If they do not want to start you on the high powered RA drugs, try asking for some of the older meds. Feldene or Diclofenac Sodium may help & they are both available as generic. You can also ask to try Tetracycline 100 mg daily for a month or two. It workes wonders to decrease or stop for the red swelling & the pain from the swelling. I've been able to cut back to only 1 or 2 a week, increasing to daily when the RA is more active. If they will let you try these and you get "any" relief, perhaps they will move on to the newer highpowered meds.
10/16/08 1:32pm
Keep pushing. I had knees swollen three times their size, my finger joints were also swollen and I had had severe attacks in my shoulders, but since my tests came back negative for RA, he told me I just had "simple arthritis".
Everything I read, told me this was RA. Every symptom, every pain, every swelling, said I had RA. I wished that I was wrong, but wishing wasn't making me any better. So I called the clinic again and asked for a different doctor. She took one look at my knees and sent me on to an orthopedic clinic. He wasn't the best (bad experience), but at least the tests he had done did say there was something going on. The test results were way off, but they got him to refer me to a Rhuematologist (who laughed at the test results with me.).
My Rhuematologist told me that he couldn't give me a 100% guarantee, but in his opinion (99.99% opinion), I had RA. He also told me that some people test negative for RA, but still have the disease. It's now 17 years later and I still test negative, but I sure have RA.
10/17/08 3:04am
Hello! First of all, I send you every good wish as you travel the road ahead. My suggestion is to find a good, experienced rheumatologist...one who understands that in the early stages, the "RA" factor may not yet show up in a blood test, nor would any joint damage be readily seen on an xray. You probably already know there is no cure for RA, but it can be treated and you might even enjoy an occasional remission. Early treatment is important so that serious joint damage can be postponed for as long as possible. There are many meds for RA. Check rxlist.com for complete information on any meds prescribed. All RA meds, while beneficial, have serious side effects which you should be aware of so you can make informed decisions. This site (RA Central) is most helpful. There are other informative sites worth visiting as well. Exercise, even if it's just walking or riding a bike, is important. Watch your diet and weight. RA is not the end of the world. However, it will challenge you every step of the way. I am 61. I was "officially" diagnosed at age 31. However, knowing what I know now about RA, I know I had it when I was in high school! Again, the most important thing for you now is to find a good doctor with whom you are comfortable...one who will take time to listen to you. Read all you can about RA so you can engage in conversation with any doctor. I have been fortunate enough to have 2 female doctors who have been most helpful and understanding. I am male, and I would choose a female doctor over a male any day. My experience has been that female doctors are more understanding and willing to listen and answer questions. Keep your chin up...keep a positive attitude no matter how bad you feel. Best Wishes!! 
10/17/08 10:27am
I know of people in your situatiion. I have been living with RA for 45 years. My suggestion to you would be to find an Arthritis support group, hospitals usually have them, and ask the people there which doctor they use. Find the best Rheumatologist that you can. I have found that all doctors are not created equally. Good luck and I wish you well. - Galen
10/17/08 3:14pm
Find a good, experienced rheumatologist, immediately! And remember even if you do not get a positive RA result from the tests, that doesn't mean you do not have RA! I have not had a positive result since all this began for me in Aug 2001. My rheumatologist writes my diagnosis as Polyarthritis, but he tells me it is definitely RA. I have been on methotrexate since my diagnosis. I still have flair ups and still have pain all the time but I haven't had any joint damaged yet, and that's a good thing!
Keep positive! That's also a very important thing to do, too!
Best of luck to you, and God Bless You!
10/17/08 3:34pm
This might sound bad but it's true. You should go see a quack doctor that will write medicine for anyone that walks in the door. I'm in serious pain to and if you go see a good docoter they won't write you anything beacuse to many people our faking it. So I went to a quack doctor that would write everyone anything just to get the medicine I needed. Doctors don't care or can get into trouble for writing to much medicine for people. I had to learned all I can on the internet or I wouldn't know anything. My doctor told me I have it but wouldn't write me anything for it so I went to a quack doctor. It worked for me. Good luck.
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By tocmad— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 10/08/08
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