Rheumatoid Arthritis?

[Miss_Nonny]

Hello, I am a 23 yr. old female whose health has recently taken a sharp turn for the worse. Earlier this year I caught the flu. Since then I've had persistent joint pains. It started in my right knee and has progressed to the other knee as well as my wrists. I have seen several rheumatologists who've came up with the same temp answer, take prednisone and a NSAID and let's see where it goes. They all ran several tests for RA which all resulted negative. All they could say is that my sed rate was a little elevated but it was due to the inflammation in my knees. One of the doctors actually suggested Methotrexate for treatment but my gut feeling tells me that it's a drastic measure & there's no test to confirm that I have RA. I feel hopeless at this point. I'm not sure what to do next. All I know is that the current drugs I am on are not the answer. Please help!

[mrs_k75]

Hello I am 33 and I am having all the same problems you have listed and coming back negative on my RA tests. I am currently on Plaquenil for my RA and celebrex. I am sorry you are having all these problems. I was jsut diagnosed 4 months ago and I still know very little. I am also getting checked for Lyme disease since I've had 2 tick bites. Sorry I have no advice other than I hear ya, I have the same problems!

[txsilver]

It is hard to be in pain and not know why.  It is exhausting to go from doctor to doctor trying to get a diagnosis and never get one.  I know because I have been there.  Some of us have to see many different rheumys before we get to the right one.  The right one will listen to you, be genuinely interested in your case and you will feel comfortable and trust him/her.  You might try contacting a local support group and finding out which docs they recommend in your area.  Patient recommendations can make it easier to get to a doc that will work well with you.  
I agree that methotrexate is an aggressive drug to try when you are not even sure what you have.  Hang in there, keep standing up for yourself and let us help you as you go through this.  You are not alone and you are among friends here.

[txsilver]

So I was just doing some research for another post on post viral arthritis.  It is a kind of arthritis that can set in after you have a virus or the flu.  I read that it takes several weeks to months to resolve.  I immediately thought of you.  Ask your doctor about this type of arthritis and please let us know what you find out.

[Miss_Nonny]

Thank you for all your concern & advice. I will definitely ask my doctor about this next time around. Knowing that there are others out there who are experiencing the same issue brings great comfort. Thanks! (^__^)

[grendslori]

After my daughter had her heart transplant she got sick and ended up having a viral arthritis (as a child she also had Juvenile Rhuematoid Arthritis and we thought maybe that was a reoccurance) and the doctors told her it would last for about 6 weeks. Sure enough, after about 6 weeks the pain and swelling went away. Hang in there, it sounds like this is probably what has happened to you.