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Date: 27.03.2017
From: Emma

Subject: Advice Please

Hi I am 43 years old and have aches & stiffness in the fingers of my right hand. It has been going on for quite a while but I just dismissed it. But in the last few weeks it has been more noticeable and moved to the joints near my finger tips. The stiffness etc comes and goes throughout the day but can move from being in one finger to all three middle fingers. It has now started on one finger of my left hand. I am not in agony but I am conscious of my fingers when they ache. My middle finger seems to swell slightly sometimes which I only really notice when I can't remove the ring from that finger. I feel fine in my self no fatigue etc.
I went to the doctor for a pill review and thought I would mention my fingers. She looked at my hand and said it's probably osteoarthritis from wear & tear and suggested using a ibruprofen gel & that was it. Tried the gel which didn't do anything so I went back and the nurse said the next step would be blood tests to see if I had any signs of inflammation. Got a text this morning saying the blood test results were satisfactory. So my question is what do I do now? I know I'm not in agony but it is spreading & not going away could it be the start of arthritis? Has anyone had anything similar before their diagnosis? Or am I worrying over nothing? As the dr said it could be osteoarthritis do I just put up with it then?
Any advice/ opinions would be greatly received 😀
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Date: 28.03.2017
From: Colin W

Subject: Re: Advice Please

Emma, there are blood test to show if you have Rheumatiod Arthritis , but you would have heat & redness in the joints

Ibruprofen in not the best of the gels , Volarol is alot better , you could ask for a xray on your hand & that shouls tell them if its ostoarthritis , and as for the blood test ask for the figures for ESR & CRP which is the inflammation makers , their idea of ok may not be the same as yours
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Date: 28.03.2017
From: Emma

Subject: Re: Advice Please

Thanks Colin, I am keeping a diary of what's going on & l will go back in a week or two to the Drs and I will ask what the levels were in my blood test. Part of me feels like I am overreacting as I am not in pain as such. My joints ache and stiffen up and the aching moves to different fingers. There isn't any redness so I don't think it's RA. I know something is not right and I want to know what's going on before it gets worse.
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Date: 28.03.2017
From: Anne

Subject: Re: Advice Please

Hi Emma. As far as i know you don't get rheumatoid arthritis in the joints closest to the fingertips. x
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