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Date: 27.10.2012
From: Laura

Subject: Osteoarthritis at 25?

Hey everyone,

I am new here, so hello to you all and thank you for letting me join in the fun here!

I am 25, and ever since I was about 10/11 have had clicky hips one of which partially dislocates, and I have been very flexible since then. It wasnt painful then, and I did gymnastics and all seemed to be fine.

Later in life at around 14/15, my hip started hurting and crunching and I had an X-Ray done to see if I had hip dysplasia. There was nothing wrong with the bone, but the Drs said I had "cartilage wear and tear". I never followed it up again, I thought wear and tear was just normal. My right hip would hurt more than my left, and damp weather would aggravate it further, as would being on my feet for long periods of time, and using the joints a lot. they would feel very weak and floppy and would crunch when walking, and the pain would extend down the right thighbone.

I started doing secretarial work at 18, and have done since then. My wrists have started hurting too, mainly my right one again which today wont support my weight and hurts when I actually move it. They began as really deep aches, and now are bigger deep aches that standard painkillers will not touch. My wrists click and crunch, and feel "frozen" sometimes, and again with damp weather and a lot of use they really hurt.

I saw my GP a few months back, as I was waking up actually crying because my bed springs dig into my hips and it is really painful. they ran blood tests to check for the Rheumatoid factor. Turns out its not rheumatoid arthritis. I saw them again and they asked for the symptoms etc and came up with Osteoarthritis and have prescribed Naproxen in the morning and night, and Tramadol at night.

As it stands, my wrist will "give out" if I try and lift anything heavy (I cant pick my son up today for example), it creaks and crunches when I move it, and there is pain on moving it too. the pain is in my actual joint and extending up my arm towards my elbow. The only way, non medicinally, to get rid of this pain is to heat up one of those wheat bags in the microwave until it is steaming hot and put it onto the joint. It burns me, but there is no joint pain afterwards.

My hips are the same, crunching and popping and pain radiating down my thigh bone and now around my whole pelvis. Damp weather is ALWAYS an issue, and I can generally tell when it is going to rain because my joints hurt. The Dr has said that I am hypermobile, and that hasnt helped matters, and that it is just pain management from now.


So, my question is:

1. Being 25, is this accurate? There is no family history of any form of arthritis at all

2. If I do indeed have OA, what else can I do aside from taking painkillers? I am not over the moon with the idea of taking Tramadol every night (not taken one yet), because apparently it is addictive and will give me withdrawal symptoms should I stop taking it in the future.

I have tried Codeine, paracetamol, ibruprofen, diclofenac sodium, aspirin etc but nothing is working now, only the burning heat

3. Is joint degeneration this quickly even possible? A few years ago, prior to having my son, my wrist joints would hurt about once a week, depending on my workload, now they hurt virtually every day.


Thank you for your time reading this, just wanted other opinions seeing as my GP has not x-rayed me this time around, nor have done anything other than throw pills at me.

- Laura
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Date: 27.10.2012
From: Jeanette

Subject: Re: Osteoarthritis at 25?

I think given your young age Laura you need to be seeing a specialist. Thought it sounds as though your GP is good I would ask for a referal to a specialist, as not only would they be able to give you the best of treatment they can refer you to physio, splints for hands etc x
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Date: 27.10.2012
From: Two hip replacements and still going!

Subject: Re: Osteoarthritis at 25?

Hi Laura, welcome to the forum. I agree with Jeannette you need to be referred by your gp to a rheumatologist. Arthritis can affect anyone at any age, my ra started at age 14. I suspect they misdiagnosed you when you were younger and the wear and tear has happened over the years. You may also have developed rsi from using the computer, have you tried a wrist support? I find it helps me when I have pain. Tramadol is addictive, but so is codene and if it can help in the meantime until you can see a rheumatologist. Sometimes you have to be forceful with your gp. Hope you get some help soon.
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