Could my daughter have RA?

[remar]

My aunt who has passed had RA, and also my younger sister has it. Is it genetic? My 34 year old daughter is having some of the symptoms and I'm very concerned. What test, or tests should we ask for her to have to see if this is what's going on?

[Deni37]

All the responses are correct, especially the one about the so-called seronegative RA....that's me...I have had NO abnormal bloodwork other than a highly positive ANA of 1:640...all the RA specific bloodwork on me was and remains negative after almost one and a half years of experiencing daily arthritis of the fingers, hands, and wrists...my current rheumy calls me "undifferentiated arthritis" with likely seronegative RA or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(SLE, or I could even have both...but the most important thing is that my rheumy is taking my pain, stiffness, and swelling seriously and treating my symptoms, regardless of which specific systemic, autoimmune, connective tissue disease I have....and after a year and a half of trying various meds, I can say that things are looking up for me with no swelling and much less pain and stiffness now...it takes time, patience, and perseverance, as well as a good rheumy to get there...don't know how long I can safely stay on my current mix (prednisone, plaquenil, imuran, humira, and celebrex), but I'm thankful for every minimal pain day I have...hang in there and insist on the referral to a good rheumatologist...good luck and keep us posted...

[Rawksea]

Hi, I saw at the end of your post regarding an online article. Where can I find these types of articles etc. I would like to read more as I was just recently diagnosed 2 wks ago after 3 solid yrs of Drs, meds and tests. Not to mention all the yrs prior that was to vague for a Dr to pay any legit attention.
Anyway Thank You

[carolanivey]

Yes, definitely ask your doctor about the social worker. I believe most hospitals have them on staff, or at least that's the way it used to be when I was a kid and going to the hospital several times a year. There was a lovely lady at Children's in Cincinnati who helped me get money for college. It wasn't a lot, but it paid for my books and part of my room and board. This was 30 years ago so I'm sure she's retired by now! :)  

It's true diseases like diabetes and cancer get all the coverage, when autoimmune disorders like RA and its "cousins" get little to no attention, though they can be just as devastating and sometimes be just as fatal if left untreated too long.

It's one of those invisible disorders...but then again cancer and diabetes can be that way, too. Yet if you say you have cancer or diabetes, you get all the sympathy and support in the world. Say you have RA or lupus and you get a blank look, or "get over it and don't be so lazy", or "my grandma had that in her pinky finger."  Sheesh.

Even among "our own kind" we get judgment and no support. Yesterday I read a response to an online article that said "Jeez, people, she just has arthritis" and this was from someone who HAS RA. Her case is mild and easily controlled, which of course makes her think everyone's experience is like hers. I had to knock upside the head (gently) with a reality hammer. LOL

[remar]

Yes, it is sad that these things can just happen. And it's also sad that it can years to get a diagnosis. It did literally did take my sister years to finally get a diagnosis. It upsets me every time I think about the horrible pain she was in and was getting no answers. My sister is getting help with some of her meds, thank goodness! It's incredible how expensive some of them are and she is at the point of not being able to work any more. RA on top of having a heart attack at 45 and needing two stents. Something is going on with my daughter and I'm so glad all of you have answered my questions about where to even start with all of this. I'm wondering if our family Dr can help with setting her up with a medical social worker?

[carolanivey]

You're welcome. Good for her that she's continuing to exercise as much as she can. A good rule of thumb is if she does an activity that hurts a bit but the pain subsides within a few hours, it's probably okay. If she does something that causes some pain and still hurts the next day, she did too much and needs to find a different activity or back off on the intensity.

Isn't it sad that we do "all the right things" and still end up sick? :(  And it amazes me that in this day and age, people STILL go months or years without a proper diagnosis! What's wrong with the medical schools???

Most drug companies have programs that provide free or reduced price meds to those who qualify. And many of the first-line meds are generic now, and less expensive. Ask for a referral to a medical social worker, who can hook her up with free and sliding-scale services, from meds to therapy to job retraining. Best of luck to her!!

[remar]

I want to thank both of you so much for getting back to me. I remember my sister finally being diagnosed in her early 30's after seeing many Drs. She was told it was depression to fibromyalgia. Thank goodness she finally saw a rheumatologist. She said my daughter might want to start with the blood test first because she has no insurance. My daughter lives such a healthy life, no smoking, drinking, eats extremely well and exercises. Although it can be painful for her to exercise and take walks.This pain is not normal and we need to find out what's going on. I'm going to write down the tests both of you recommended and give them to her. Thank you so much.

[carolanivey]

It's very important that she schedule an appointment with a rheumatologist, who will run all the appropriate tests. Even with her family history, blood tests alone never tell the whole story. Some people are "sero-negative", which means they have all the physical symptoms but nothing ever shows up in their blood. A good rheumie will order x-rays, possibly an MRI, observe all her other symptoms, and lay hands and eyes on every joint to test for swelling, tenderness, heat and pain levels. arthritis.org is a good place to find explanations of what each blood test is for, and what to expect from her first rheumie appointment.

RA can definitely run in families, or can appear out of the blue with no family history. It doesn't manifest exactly the same way in any two patients. I think it's more a loose collection of symptoms rather than a definite disease. Patients might have one symptoms, a few, or all of them. And no two patients responds the same way to the same treatments. That's why RA can be beastly hard to diagnose, let alone treat.

First step is to get in to see the rheumie. RA is beyond the scope of most primary care doctors; a good one will realize that and send her to the specialist.

[Lauraly72]

Have a CCP, ANA, RF factor and Sed Rate done. That should give you the answers.