Anyone here have Reiters Syndrome?

[Thinline]

Does anyone on this forum have Reiters Syndrome?

[Paramedic_UK]

I had Reiters Syndrome (aka reactive arthritis) when I was 21 secondary to salmonella poisioning. I'm now 42 and still in chronic pain management because of this. (although it's getting a little better recently......it comes in tlare how).

[Paramedic_UK]

That should have said flare ups......(stupid phone)

[Dsandman500]

Yes it has been classified as an RF Negative Spondyoropathy
Most in the medical field call it Reactive Arthritis now but many doctors don't understand the RF Negative arthritis (doesn't present in blood work) So most doctors who stereotype think a patient is lying.
A rhuemy would be your sons best bet. They know more than doctors do about it. They must find what is causing him the infection or bacteria and try stopping it. Mine was found from a bad tooth but my body was destroyed from years of being misdianoised. It did first present as blurry vision.
It caused plaque and bacteria to get in my stomach and bloodstream and overtime caused blockage, diabetes, gallstones, high cholesterol, (symptomless strep g), nausea, fatigue, enthesisits, and arthritis that has destroyed my knees, ankles, back, sternum, left shoulder. My body sounds like pop rock's when I stand.
Its taken me five years and I'm in goal with everything but the arthritis left behind has left me crippled. I sure wish I would of been lucky and not find doctors diagnois me with Growing Pains (I wish I could run across them in a dark alley)
The smart people believe now that Reactive Arthritis is a precursor to Ankylosing Spondylitis so it could all be due to testing positive for the HLA-B27 gene. Some doctors rule out AS with a SI joint xray. I've read many of doctors don't go off the the xray and use other criteria
  

[Tuckamore]

This is an old post. You may not to start a new one. That said I am very sorry for your pain and the difficulty you have encountered with a diagnosis. Many of us here know that fustration. It is my understanding that this Syndrome is usually short lived. Pain is life changing and again I am sorry that you dealing with all these medical issues.

You may want to read the information below that I obtained from the internet.

What Is the Prognosis for People Who Have Reiter's Syndrome?
Most people with Reiter's syndrome recover fully from the initial flare of symptoms and are able to return to regular activities within 2 to 6 months after the first symptoms appear. Arthritis may last up to 6 months, although the symptoms are usually very mild and do not interfere with daily activities. Only 20 percent of people with Reiter's syndrome will have chronic arthritis, which is usually mild. Some patients experience symptom recurrence. Studies show that about 15 to 50 percent of patients will develop symptoms sometime after the initial flare has disappeared. Back pain and arthritis are the symptoms that most commonly reappear. A small percentage of patients will have deforming arthritis and severe symptoms that are difficult to control with treatment.

You must stay aggressive in your search for answers. No one cares about your health as much as you do. Please keep us posted. Take Care, Tuck

[intrepidhiker]

I haven't been diagnosed with Reiter's, but I just read about it today and I think that's what I've been having.

I had food poisoning back around 1995.  Shortly thereafter, I had a brief bout of blurred vision, intermittant bilateral knee pain, my allergies became much worse, and I experienced chronic loose stools.  For years, I thought I had a parasitic infection, but testing was always negative.  I even took anti-helminth medications without relief.

About four years ago, I started experiencing prostatitis which increasingly got worse to the point that urination is seriously affected.  I was diagnosed with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.  I started to get worsening backpain.

All symptoms (loose stools, prostatitis, backpain) were initially relieved by ibuprofen.  Symptoms (except for loose stools) would wax and wane.

For the last year, symptoms got increasingly worse.  I am now impotent (started intermittantly a few years ago & is now near constant), have exceedingly difficult problems with urination, backpain, palpitations if I work out too hard (even when I am not exercising), shortness of breath, dizziness, rash on my sternum, weird warts on my trunk that look exactly like the photos of the Reiter's growths that usually occur on feet (they eventually became itching, got scales across them and peeled off), and I was just diagnosed with massive amounts of food allergies (rice, wheat, egg, dairy, soy, corn, bananas, peaches, etc), bilateral knee pain, my right pinkie became swollen and reddened without trauma or break.  I have intermittant reddening and watering of eyes.  

Part of me is so happy that I think I have finally found what has been going on with me for these past 14 years.  My sedimentation rate has always been normal when checked.  When backpain was going through acute phase one time, my neutrophil count was abnormally low... but otherwise my tests have been good (no elevated WB's in CBC, good kidney function, clear UA).

A doctor still hasn't made this diagnosis with me.  But it all seems to fit (at least in my mind).  I am so scared that I will just be labeled as a hypochondriac.  I have been in pain so long.

[SNAFUED]

Hi thinline,
I am unsure as of yet but its something the doctors are looking into. You can read my long rant http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/522574 here.

I did discover there is a gene they can look for. Its listed in the reply to my post in the link above. In my case, it would be secondary to having salmonella.

Hope this helps a little.
Peace
T