appointment with new rheumatologist today

Hello,

I'm a 25 year old male whose been dealing with joint pain and severe fatigue for over a year now. I've seen a rheumatologist in the past but he was an @$$hole and told me I was too young to be having these problems..which brings me to seeing my new one today. I've waited 2.5 months to get in and I really want answers. I wake up hurting and go to bed hurting. I wake up hurting more after naps or sleep..I don't know why. My fingers, hands, elbows, knees and feet are what bother me the most. I thought I had fibromyalgia, but no doctors agree with me.. Even though my mother has it. I also havr been dealing with anxiety for over 10 years.

I've been tested for RA, Lyme's, and several other things, but it all came back negative. I've had xrays and MRIs.. They all looked fine. The daily pain and fatigue are starting to bring on depression and it's only getting worse.


What can I bring and say to this new doctor to help the process and maybe speed things up?

Wanted to wish you well at your appointment today! Hope it's a good doctor.
I do agree with Carole D, I also have sero negative RA, but it is still classified as RA. You can google sero negative Ra for more info on it...However, I also have lots of inflammation...My feet hurt the most right now...
Keep us posted how your appointment goes for you, you probably will be sent out for bloodwork again, a good RA doctor will do they bloodwork as you never know when it'll show up on the bloodwork...I do believe that sero negative do eventually have positive bloodwork...

How did the appointment go?

It was disappointing. She was a little rude and didn't have any ideas yet. She ordered a ton of xrays and took 6 vials of blood. Just told me to come back in a few weeks when my test results come. Didn't get prescribed anything either..

I'm sick of hurting and I'm so done with it. My primary doc refuses to up my pain medication. I only get 2 norco 5mgs a day..which hardly get me through work.. And it's funny because I hurt worse after work!

Can you ask your primary for a referral to a pain specialist? A friend of mine has been having a lot of back pain and the specialist was able to help her a lot more than the other docs.

Your kinda in the same boat as me as far as medications, Norco works good to keep me functional along with a muscle relaxer, but I have a whole list of medical disease that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Sjogren's gets most of the blame for my illnessess as it can cause nerve problems and not just eye and mouth dryness...Maybe look into finding a pain management doctor as a lot of primary doctors don't want to prescribe pain meds especially with norco now being a class2 medication.

If you do get a diagnosis of an RA disease, methotrexate is used and it can interact with norco you just have to space your doses on the one day you use the methotrexate. Also methotrexate can cause ulcers and I'm on protonix to help against the ulcers when I'm on methotrexate...
I've had bleeding stomach ulcers and not the common ones that are the h.pyelori (SP?)
I had the fewest side effects with the injectible methotrexate.

But, for now just wait and see what your tests reveils...Some RA doctors are like that on a first visit to weed out drug seekers, and to get a better dx for you, your next visit should go better, if it doesn't then you do need to find a doctor that will give you a better quality of care. Make sure to get copies of your tests results after your next office visit. I keep a copy of my tests and x-rays, mri's reports.

Many well wishes...

I would wait after the second visit.

Wait for now to see how your second RA visit goes and if it's worse than the first then seek out another opinion, maybe with a pain management doctor...However, some RA doctor don;'t like to prescribe pain medications and if this doctor won't help you on that then you might need pain management.

I was 26 when I was diagnosed and had been dealing with the pain and fatigue for 3 years at that point so I know exactly how you feel. My blood work was all positive RA factor with SED rates through the roof during that time too I just had a primary who had no idea how to interpret it and that is was all pointing to RA. Hang in there and don't take no for an answer from the Docs.

I would certainly ask for a referral to a pain specialist if I were you. I thought I was losing my mind back then. Don't stop pressing them just do it in a respectful manner so as not to bruise their ego's.

Take care -Don