Osteoarthritis

Hi. I am a 53 year old woman who has had MCP joint relplacements in both thumbs. For a couple of years it was only my laft hand and when I started back to work as a nurse, my right hand gave in to arthritis. I had my last MCP joint replacement on Feb 13, 2012. On January 31st I woe up feeling ill. By February 5th I was almost unable to function due to all over joint pain. My Dr did blood work and I don't have RA. I had a full body bone scan last week and it showed symmetric polyarthropathy in my appendicular joints. Today my RA/arthritis specialist said well, it's osteoarthritis so keep taking my narcotic pain medication. That's not good enough. I can't drive, go up and down steps, need to stay in bed and run a temp once in a while of 99+ degrees. My normal temp is 97.7. I am in so much pain and even my muscles hurt that I usually end up crying once or so a day from the pain.

Have any of you out there just woke up one day and poof, your whole body had osteoarthrits? Every other part of me was fine until January 31st. I now am considering moving to the mail floor for my bedroom in the office.

Please help if you can with suggestions. I even asked about Viral arthritis but he thinks its unlikely.

Thanks in advance.

Liz

By chenhyuanyuan
Reply 2893153
March 7, 2012 at 10:04 am
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I also think Osteoarthritis does not work like that ,except pains of jionts,do you have some other symptoms?A disease called perimenopause syndome ,you may consulted with you docter.my suggestion is :first ,you shouled get enough rest ,second ,you can take some NSAIDs drugs when you feel pain,and you have to take care of you stomach if you take this medicine.

By bookcrazzzy
Reply 2893284
March 7, 2012 at 10:54 am
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It may not be any type of arthritis at all. I would go see a GP and see what specialists he would recommend. There are lots of conditions that can cause widespread pain in the joints and muscles that are not arthritis. It is definitely NOT osteoarthritis as it is a degenerative condition that develops slowly over time in individual joints. It never hits the whole body all at once.

By lizmcg
Reply 2893309
March 7, 2012 at 11:02 am
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I have been seen by an orthopedic who replaced 2 thumb joints due to arthritis. I have a specialist who is referring me to another specialist, Denver Arthritis Clinic. I had a bone scan that confirmed symmetrical polyarthropathy involving appendicular joints. I asked about Viral arthritis and he thiks it's unlikely. I'll see what the new place does. Thank you very much for you comments. I will take them to heart and do more research.

By bookcrazzzy
Reply 2893448
March 7, 2012 at 11:47 am
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I did some research and symmetrical polyarthropathy is another name for psoriatic arthritis which is a condition that my husband has had for several decades. He was treated with methyltrexate and prednisone for many years and has been on Humira with good results for the last several years.
This type of arthritis is much more like rheumatoid arthritis than osteoarthritis and certainly can impact the whole body at once. You can have this type of arthritis and also have osteoarthritis is individual joints as they are two distinct diseases and nearly everyone has osteo in at least a few joints by the time they are 60.
Here are a couple of links to sites about this form of arthritis:
http://arthritis-symptom.com/Psoriatic-arthritis-symptoms/index.htm
http://www.gentili.net/Hand/psoriasis.htm

By bookcrazzzy
Reply 2893466
March 7, 2012 at 11:53 am
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I should have mentioned that Humira is a TNF inhibitor drug that is injected (Remicade is another of the same class of drug). These drugs are extremely expensive but can virtually stop the destruction of the joints caused by rheumatoid arthritis and its relatives. They have risks and side-effects like every other drug and aren't for everyone but since you can not take anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids, this type of drug may be the only choice you have. Narcotics can lessen the pain but will not prevent the damage to the joints that this type of arthritis causes and which is often crippling. I would read up on it and discuss it with your doctor. If you aren't happy with your treatment at that point, you should get a second opinion or even switch doctors.

By jamin (Inactive)
Reply 2893756
March 7, 2012 at 1:42 pm
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All over body pain sounds like Fibromyalgia....which I was given the dx in 1999.

I deal with it, plenty of magnesium thru the day, advil, tylenol and a 1/2 vicodin now and then during the day
between the otc pain stuff.

Getting thyroid OPTIMIZED with proper meds and dose can make a huge difference too...too many docs dismiss
us with the "normal" crap from the labs...too many on inferior thyroid meds and doses....

I have a great "holistic" rheumy who gave me a lot of Mesotherapy injections last year (homeopathic) and
Prolotherapy works for many too...

I want nothing to do with those drugs and all their side effects.....

By tundrabunny
Reply 2894523
March 7, 2012 at 7:43 pm
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My understanding is that RA can not be confirmed or denied with blood work. People can show up negative but still have RA. And sure, getting arthritis from a viral infection is unlikely but it's definitely not impossible. But that totally sounds weird that your specialist would say OA. I don't think OA has the sudden onset you're talking about but this is why you're going to the awesome-possum Denver Arthritis Clinic.

How high do your temperatures get? What time of day do they flare? It will really help the doctor if you record that kind of thing so they can look for patterns. Are you getting any rashes? Does the arthritis move around? Does it get better during the day?

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I have a "relative" of RA (Still's Disease) and it sucks to be in that much pain. There were days I would sleep on the bathroom floor (still not quite sure how I managed to get down there) because it would've been too much effort and pain to walk the 30 feet to the bathroom if I needed to use the toilet.

And I would take these amazingly long, hot showers that would help and then the bathroom would be humid, which was also nice. I'm part of a condo association and the board had been wondering why our water usage spiked for a few months there.......

By tundrabunny
Reply 2894536
March 7, 2012 at 7:51 pm
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Oh and pictures! Take photos with your phone or camera of your joints (or have someone else take them if you're in too much pain). If you're getting a rash, take photos of that too. My symptoms would flare at night and then I would go to the doctor during the day and he wouldn't believe anything was wrong with me (this was my first rheumatologist, not Dr. Glassman). So we started taking pictures to try and prove it. It was really lame that I had to try and prove I was sick, but that's one of the many reasons why I don't see that guy anymore.

By lizmcg
Reply 2895036
March 8, 2012 at 12:04 am
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Wow, thank you everyone. I will check into all your suggestions. I've already done it a million times but maybe one time I'll find it!

By snarky1
Reply 2895080
March 8, 2012 at 12:56 am
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Have you been tested for Lyme Disease? it mimics 300+ autoimmune diseases and is in epidemic form presently, although no mainstream medical doctor would ever admit that, or that is can be chronic. Big Pharma's drugs will do more damage....than help...long term, and being a nurse, I'm sure your well aware of this. The same thing happened to me. I woke up one day and felt like I was beaten up during the night. Could barely get out of bed and walk. That was in 2008....when I found out I have spinal stenosis. In December of 2010, I went to a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor who clinically diagnosed me with Lyme and several coinfections. I was NEVER bitten by a tick and am 99.9% sure, as the doctor is, that I got it from my cat. I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Dercum's Disease, which I believe are Lyme-Related. I have done extensive research since I was diagnosed and I am convinced there are SO many people with SP much pain going to your typical allopathic doctor, who writes script after script, but never gets to the core issues. Naturopaths are much more educated in core issues and getting to the root OF the problem. At least this is what I believe, since I haven't seen an allopathic doctor in over 3 years. personally I would look at ALL your symptoms and maybe seek a naturopath and/or LLMD.
I'm so sorry your in pain ;-(

By Allie19
Reply 2901560
March 10, 2012 at 1:06 pm
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Hi Liz,
I don't know if you will have any answers for me but here goes. I had a sudden onset of pain in base of my right thumb on Jan. 2, 2012. I went to an Ortho clinic very well known and they did xrays, didn't find anythig so put me in a partial cast for two weeks. Swelling never went down. Then I was put in a hard cast for two weeks and had an MRI. She referred me to a hand specialist. The MRI only revealed slight inflammation and a cyst on the top of my hand, not relevant. I was fitted for a brace. Here we are two months later without a diagnosis and I am still off work. The swelling is the same the pain has improved but I am no where near normal. I have been out of wk because my job doesn't have light duty. Saw the Dr. a couple days ago and he wants to see me back in a month. Do you have any suggestions? This is really scary. I have Osteo in my back but nothing is revealing in my thumb. Thanks in advance.

By Rhonda1951
Reply 2924334 · In reply to 2906154 by lizmcg
March 20, 2012 at 3:51 am
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WHAT IS AN ARTHRITIS DOCTOR. I DEVELOPED NEW ONSET BILATERAL HIP PAIN AND MRI SHOWN INFLAMATION . TAKING INDOCIN FOR PAIN. FELL AND FRACTURED MY SHOULDER SEVERAL MONTH LATER, THEN 6 MONTH AFTER REPAIR WITH 10 SCREWS AND PLATE , I HAD LIMITED USE OF RIGHT ARM, SEVERE PAIN BOTH SHOULDERS. NEW TOTAL JOINT REPLACEMENT RIGHT SHOULDER DONE IN FEB, NOW NO PAIN IN THAT SHOULDER BUT THE OTHER SHOULDER KEEPS ME AWAKE, HAD A RHEUMATOID BLOOD WORK UP THAT WAS NEGATIVE. MRI IN LEFT SHOULDER SHOWED MILD ARTHRITIS BUT THE PAIN WAS MORE SEVERE IN MY LEFT SHOULDER THAN MY RIGHT SHOULDER WHICH WAS REPAIRED AND HAD SIGNIFICANT SCARRING AND OBLITERATED THE JOINT, A QUOTE FROM THE OPERATIVE REPORT. I ALSO HAVE SEVERE ITCHING AND BURNING IN BOTH FEET AND HANDS MOSTLY AT NIGHT HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY NERVE PAIN. I HAVE A BAD BACK , SEVERE SCOLIOSIS WITH FUSION OF THE THORACIC AREA, MID BACK. MY PAIN IS WORSE AT NIGHT WHICH MY DOCTOR SAYS IS NOT RA

By stormerage
Reply 2925559
March 20, 2012 at 3:41 pm
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I am having the same exact thing as you. I am very frustrated because they just dismiss you if it is OA instead of RA. I have always taken Nsaids (I got arthritis at 18, am now 49), but have suddenly become intolerant to them. I went downhill fast. I am in severe pain all the time, all over, joints and muscles. I even have arthritis in my jaw. Yet, no one wants to do anything. My physical Therapist just dismissed me because nothing was working, even though I diligently did the exercise he told me to do. I am going to an endocrinologist because I have developed some nodules on my thryoid (which only got checked at my persistence because my Thyroid tests were normal). Maybe hormones, maybe a muscle probelem. At one time, my ANA Titer was extreme, but they also dismissed it when 2 years later they retested and it was normal (this shows antibodies for autoimmune problems). I am at my wits end. I have to go through a county health program which is horrible, but have lost my life savings taking care of two disabled parents, so it is my only choice. If you find out ANYTHING about this, please let me know and I will say a prayer for you. Sometimes I feel like it is all I have.

By jamin (Inactive)
Reply 2925638
March 20, 2012 at 4:29 pm
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Oh those "normal" thyroid Tests....been there done that one TOO LONG....I needed thyroid all along, 10 yrs long....and I do take Iosol iodine daily for thyroid and breast health...MANY are deficient in iodine.

Boy, if you could get to an integrative MD who knows their stuff, what a salvation that would be.

By anatda
Reply 3070678
May 17, 2012 at 4:38 am
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You may wanna try an alternative way of coping with Arthritis. Imagine if there is a joint supplement which can be absorbed into your bloodstream within 10 minutes and you can feel much better right away, it’s Agel FLX, the only one.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are found to be helpful for OA patients, being a major building block of cartilage, helps keep it soft and flexible, and protects it from enzymatic destruction. Agel FLX is a product containing not only glucosamine and chondroitin, it also contains MSM and celadrin which are very beneficial in terms of strengthening collagen bonds, creating stronger, healthier cartilage, also relieves pain and reduces inflammation. Agel FLX is 100% natural extracted and 100% safe. I'm very certain you will be satisfied with Agel FLX. Please follow this link.

http://jointpainanswer.com/think-joint-supplement-think-agel-flx-only?ad=ar eeda&channel=adwords

Wish you the best :)

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