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odd swelling in joints

Posted by jenfred75 @jenfred75, Jul 15, 2011

I have had very odd swelling of my joints. One week my left index finger will swell and will be painful, then a week or two later my knee will swell, then my middle finger on my right hand will swell, then my elbow will swell - you get the idea.

My westergren numbers continue to rise and are high. My doctor does not know why it is happening or what it is and he continues to test me every 3 months.

Any ideas?

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Bugs38 | @bugs38 | Jul 16, 2011

Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will swell or get "puffy". It can be many different joints and can have no real rhyme or reason. In fact, it can swell in the morning and be fine in the afternoon. Sometimes it's one of his toes that swells and get painful or his elbow or his knee or his...you get the picture. 🙂 Have you had a Rheumatoid Factor test?

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6 replies
jenfred75 | @jenfred75 | Jul 17, 2011
In reply to @bugs38 "Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will..." + (show)
@bugs38

Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will swell or get "puffy". It can be many different joints and can have no real rhyme or reason. In fact, it can swell in the morning and be fine in the afternoon. Sometimes it's one of his toes that swells and get painful or his elbow or his knee or his...you get the picture. 🙂 Have you had a Rheumatoid Factor test?

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I have had two and will have a third in October. So far it shows up negative - only the westergren shows up. My doctor sees me every three months with blood work proceeding it, just trying to figure out anything he can. He even gave negus cell phone and e-mail address to send him pics when something swells. His goal is to have me have something that swells on the days he works so he can draw out the fluid, but it hasn't worked out that way yet. I hope they figure it out soon. Im tired of the pain and weirdness.

REPLY
Bugs38 | @bugs38 | Jul 17, 2011
In reply to @bugs38 "Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will..." + (show)
@bugs38

Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will swell or get "puffy". It can be many different joints and can have no real rhyme or reason. In fact, it can swell in the morning and be fine in the afternoon. Sometimes it's one of his toes that swells and get painful or his elbow or his knee or his...you get the picture. 🙂 Have you had a Rheumatoid Factor test?

Jump to this post

It's tough when they don't know what's wrong. It is so much more than frustrating. My son's joints sometimes seem puffy before he has any pain at all or notices more swelling. Actually, I'm the one that notices it. Is your doc a Rheumy?

REPLY
jenfred75 | @jenfred75 | Jul 17, 2011
In reply to @bugs38 "Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will..." + (show)
@bugs38

Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will swell or get "puffy". It can be many different joints and can have no real rhyme or reason. In fact, it can swell in the morning and be fine in the afternoon. Sometimes it's one of his toes that swells and get painful or his elbow or his knee or his...you get the picture. 🙂 Have you had a Rheumatoid Factor test?

Jump to this post

I went to a Rheumatologist about 3 years ago because I had really strange blood results, but at the time I had no symptoms of anything so it was all dismissed. I guess I need to go back. However, I will probably find a different one. I'm glad they found out what is going on with your son. What do they do for it?

REPLY
Bugs38 | @bugs38 | Jul 18, 2011
In reply to @bugs38 "Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will..." + (show)
@bugs38

Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will swell or get "puffy". It can be many different joints and can have no real rhyme or reason. In fact, it can swell in the morning and be fine in the afternoon. Sometimes it's one of his toes that swells and get painful or his elbow or his knee or his...you get the picture. 🙂 Have you had a Rheumatoid Factor test?

Jump to this post

Medications to help with the swelling which causes damage to the joints. Lots of exercise to keep what I call "lubricated" joints. And ice for swelling and pain, hot baths for pain, exercise for pain. All of them help and he is doing much better. You are a different patient today than you were three years ago. 🙂 You should try again in my little no account opinion. I had seen a Rheumy about 5 years ago and was told basically he couldn't help. I went to another Rheumy last year and was diagnosed with Fibro with possible involvement of Lupus and/or Rheumatoid Arthritis. I know what it feels like to wait & wonder and hurt. Have you kept a journal of your health?

REPLY
jenfred75 | @jenfred75 | Jul 19, 2011
In reply to @bugs38 "Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will..." + (show)
@bugs38

Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will swell or get "puffy". It can be many different joints and can have no real rhyme or reason. In fact, it can swell in the morning and be fine in the afternoon. Sometimes it's one of his toes that swells and get painful or his elbow or his knee or his...you get the picture. 🙂 Have you had a Rheumatoid Factor test?

Jump to this post

I keep a photo journal on my phone. 🙂 I will go see a different doc after my appointment with my new blood work in late Sept. Thanks for the recommendation on continuing exercise. That is good to know.

REPLY
Bugs38 | @bugs38 | Jul 19, 2011
In reply to @bugs38 "Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will..." + (show)
@bugs38

Hello. That sounds very familiar. My son has Poly Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and his joints will swell or get "puffy". It can be many different joints and can have no real rhyme or reason. In fact, it can swell in the morning and be fine in the afternoon. Sometimes it's one of his toes that swells and get painful or his elbow or his knee or his...you get the picture. 🙂 Have you had a Rheumatoid Factor test?

Jump to this post

Oh great idea! I need to do that for my son. 🙂

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