My family doctor looked at the swelling and with my pain and high ESR and CRP it is definitely a systemic arthritis issue. Getting into rheumy next week. Hope relief is on its way.
I have had slightly swollen hands, but only in humid weather. Sometimes my rings won't fit. I don't usually have that as a symptom. I do however experience painful and weak feelings in my hands. I have trouble opening things like jars all of the time.
I didn't test positive for RA, but I definitely have FMS. My hands hurt, but they don't usually swell. They hurt as if they should be swollen, but they usually aren't.
I've learned, too, that some people have RA but they don't test positive for RA. I mentioned this to a friend of mine who definitely has RA. She told me that for many years she didn't test positive for RA, but she must've had it all along for all these years. She was finally diagnosed years ago.
Interestingly, she had definite signs of Osteoporosis (various broken bones) but didn't test positive for that for many years either.
She told me that for many years her SED rates weren't high, but they are now.
yeh my hands hurt (the most), too. i have cfs. i wonder if it's cause i have cracked my knuckles? i played piano for 10 years? i have always used my hands for work? my hands aren't swollen, they just feel 'inflamed'. if i wasn't looking at them, i would've sworn they were swollen, yet they're not. i also notice my arm muscles radiate a lot of heat, like they're running a fever...
Fibro is not an auto-immune disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is. You hands can swell because of this. My sister has RA and she has terrible hand swelling and pain at times. Take care. Remar