Talk of The Villages Florida - Sudden pain here, there, and everywhere

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- - Sudden pain here, there, and everywhere (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/medical-health-discussion-94/sudden-pain-here-there-everywhere-301567/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotGolfer (Post 1708533)

I have RA, osteo-arthritis as well as fibromyalgia. I used GE post too as he's a retired dr., I believe. He's right about seronegative RA as it won't show up in blood-work. I didn't get my diagnosis for the RA right away...in fact I began the symptoms suddenly when we still lived up north. I went to my pcp (who didn't do labs) that directed me to a neurologist, who I fired (long story there). I eventually just decided I would live with it and it was horrible. That was about a year before we moved here..in 2008 or so. It wasn't til 2011 when an astute dr. in taking my history and asking a plethora of questions sent me for labs. They took 15 vials to rule out various things. It was then I was found to have RA. I can recommend Dr. Catherine Sullivan at the Specialty Clinic as a rheumatologist. I've gone through 5 before finding her and she's very good. You can private message me if you have any other questions.

Thank you. Can you tell me what they took 15 vials of? You had said RA won't show up on a blood test. How did this rheumatoligist discover you had it? I believe that's what I have too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jj6426 (Post 1709310)

Thank you. Can you tell me what they took 15 vials of? You had said RA won't show up on a blood test. How did this rheumatoligist discover you had it? I believe that's what I have too.

The dr. was wanting to rule out a whole bunch of things...such as Lyme, Rocky Mt. Fever (that's all I remember). RA "IS" found via blood tests and that's how my diagnosis came to be!!!! They can see your inflammation markers via this. Mine apparently were high. BUT as the dr. said in this thread, you can also be seronegative--where the markers won't show up high but you'll still have the symptons. Only a rheumatologist would be able to answer your questions and NOT a social media site. One other thing the rheumatologist did at my 1st visit was to have x-rays taken of my hands. They can see indications (apparently) from those as well. PLUS it's a baseline for progression later.