Home › Forums › Health & Fitness › Arthritis in young people
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September 17, 2008 2:07 pm at 2:07 pm #588257intellegentMember
Does anyone know of anyone in their late teens or early twenties who have arthritis? Do you have any ideas about excercises, diets or anything else that works for pain and moreover limit long term progression of the disease as well as permanent damage to joints? Any other type of advice is appreciated!
September 17, 2008 3:14 pm at 3:14 pm #948339alrightParticipantIs it rhuematoid athritis you are suffering from?
September 17, 2008 3:17 pm at 3:17 pm #948340intellegentMemberno. Not rhuematoid arthritis, BH! It’s a more uncommon kind of arthritis. It is not as severe as r. a. It’s basically swelling in the joints.
September 17, 2008 6:52 pm at 6:52 pm #948341Itzik_sMemberBS”D
Probably a dumb question, but have you been thoroughly tested to rule out Lyme disease? Anyone who has ever been in summer camp or in the country could have been infected with this and sometimes it is not detected until very late in the (still reversible) disease process.
September 17, 2008 7:51 pm at 7:51 pm #948342intellegentMemberItzik_s,
Can Lyme disease last for almost 4 years? Also, the doctor asked me a million questions about family history etc. There were a lot of correlations made etc. I think it’s definitive.
Am I the only person in this situation???
September 17, 2008 7:55 pm at 7:55 pm #948343feivelParticipantlyme disease can last much more than 4 years
i would take itzak up on his suggestion and ask your doctor
September 17, 2008 7:57 pm at 7:57 pm #948344Itzik_sMemberBS”D
Can Lyme disease last for almost 4 years?
From what I read, YES – if untreated it becomes chronic arthritis.
Refuah sheleima.
September 17, 2008 8:02 pm at 8:02 pm #948345intellegentMemberBut I have family history with inflamatory (however that’s spelled) and auto-immune diseases. I was also diagnosed in the winter when my simptoms started in my thumb. I live in the city. Is it possible?? I’ve seen a doctor who was very thorough and went to numerous follow up visits and still do every three months along with blood tests. I also have sort of two different conditions which go hand in hand.
I also went to see a big doctor in Manhattan who confirmed the diagnosis. I also see a doctor currently who as soon as he saw my finger right away named the exact type of arthritis that I have.
My father is very knowledgeable about these things and read up on it as well.
Do you still think there is a possibility it’s wrong?
September 17, 2008 8:06 pm at 8:06 pm #948346intellegentMemberThanks!
Okay. It doesn’t really matter what was the original cause of it although I still highly doubt I ever had lyme disease. But it doesn’t really make a difference.
It’s so wierd. Is arthritis really so uncommon in young people?
September 17, 2008 9:35 pm at 9:35 pm #948347Itzik_sMemberBS”D
Arthritis caused by Lyme disease can be partially or totally reversed but if you had so many tests I would hope that was one of them. But remember doctors are but human and often very subjective in their diagnosis and treatment.
I was prescribed the wrong creams (plural, as in at least 3 different ones) for a very minor skin condition that I called “insurance related dermatitis” because of all the money the group practice I went to made from my insurance company on that nonsense. Then after a year and 50 odd tubes and bottles of incorrect medication I saw another doctor and she prescribed the right one – and the first doctor admitted to me that she did not give me that right off only because she herself is sensitive to it!
September 17, 2008 10:31 pm at 10:31 pm #948348intellegentMemberso I should have myself checked for lyme disease? what kind of dr. do you go to for that?
September 18, 2008 1:54 am at 1:54 am #948349teenagerMembermy friends sister was niftar from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which usually is not fatal but is fairly common, I dont think it fits what you are describing as the onset is ually from 5-early teens. about 300,000 kids in the U.S have it, and 10% have what she has, which is system jra and causes the organs to shut down. As I said this doesnt fit what you said I just wanted to bring awarness of this problem.
September 18, 2008 3:28 am at 3:28 am #948350yoshiMemberintellegent – Your primary physician can perform the lyme disease tests. I had to get tested because I had chronic pain throughout my entire body.
If in fact you do have arthritis, there is a medication they give out for arthritis pain (or some cases for people who suffer from severe pms) called Celebrex, which in my case worked wonders for me. Also, certain exercises can help with the arthritis.
September 18, 2008 5:05 am at 5:05 am #948351yoshiMemberOh and I forgot to mention in my previous post about Celebrex. It’s NOT a controlled substance (so your Dr. can call it in to the pharmacy, and you can get refills), but there is no generic for it, so it can be a bit pricy. Take just once a day, as needed. It’s in the same family as advil, so the side effects are kind of similar, but this drug is much more powerful then an advil. It’s a pretty good alternative for people who can’t handle codeine or other harder pain killers.
You can also do strength training exercises, but take it easy, don’t strain yourself. It just builds some muscle, and strength, and that can ease the pain as well.
I’m sorry you have to go through this, especially at such a young age. Hope this info helps a bit.
September 18, 2008 10:43 am at 10:43 am #948352intellegentMemberTeenager,
I do not have rheumatoid arthritis BH. Rheumatoid arthritis is usually quite severe. I don’t think what I have is considered Juvenile arthritis as the onset was at age 17 1/2.
Yoshi,
Thanks for the advice. I am on medication. As I said I see a doctor regularly and keep monitering it through blood tests as well. This helps a lot. (I know because when I was off medication for a while it was really bad and when I’m on medication it’s not so bad) but I still have a lot of pain in my hands (fingers) and in my feet which I am so used to that I barely notice but I wonder if there are any specific things I can do that would really work. Also do you know if arthritis always progresses with age? If that is the case, that means I will be in really bad shape in 20 years?
Also is too much excercise not good either?
I read up on this already, but I don’t really know anyone in my situation and would like to hear from real people not only from texts.
September 18, 2008 12:20 pm at 12:20 pm #948353someone who caresMemberI’d like to raise your awareness to another possibility – Raynaud’s and thoracic outlet syndrome. Raynaud’s is a sensitivity to cold which causes poor blood circulation to the fingers and causes them to turn red and blue. About half of Raynaud’s cases are simple, meaning they are not caused by any underlying factors – you simply need to stay warm to avoid the symptoms. However, about half of Reynaud’s cases are caused by underlying conditions such as lupus or thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). TOS is a group of symptoms caused by the fact that sometimes a person’s rib or collarbone structure causes crowding in the chest area and presses on arteries or nerves, causing a lack of blood flow to the fingers. Someone I know, in her late teens, suddenly in the wintertime developed several swollen fingers that looked arthritic. The family doctor said it was Raynauds. However, I did some internet research and saw info about TOS that seemed applicable in her case. In arterial TOS for example, the particular fingers that tend to swell were the same ones that swelled in her case. The swelling disappeared when the weather warmed up but then returned the next autumn. At that point she underwent some tests that measure finger temperatures after hands are immersed in ice cold water several minutes apart over a period of time. Her fingers took longer than normal to return to regular temperatures. Another test was a measure of blood flow to her hands. She fortunately has a mild case in which she is advised to 1) exercise to help increase blood flow; 2)try to gain a little weight to increase her body warmth (she is thin); 3)wear wool gloves, wool socks, and a hat and dress warmly enough when the whether gets cool or cold. Some people take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for this but she didn’t need to. In extreme cases surgery is performed to break the bone that is compressing everything in the chest and create more room.
You may want to ask your doctor if this is a possibility in your case.
September 18, 2008 1:58 pm at 1:58 pm #948354Itzik_sMemberBS”D
Re: Lyme Disease – if you are under the care of a rheumatologist he should have tested you for it regardless of your living in a city – someone could have gone to the country and brought a deer tick back with them and it then got to you somehow. Ask him if he did and if he did not insist that he does. If it turns out you have indeed had Lyme for 4 years then it is best treated by an infectious disease specialist. Refuah sheleima – ksiva vachasima toiva!
September 18, 2008 2:28 pm at 2:28 pm #948355intellegentMemberSomeone who cares,
Thanks!
Actually, I’ve heard of Reynauds before. My sister has it. It was never officially diagnosed but I’m pretty sure she has it. Her fingers swell up when she comes from cold to warm. I also have it and I think more severe. I get it in my toes as well and it causes sort of like an itchy sensation and swelling but I don’t think it’s the bone that swells. Also it’s not actually in the cold that the symptoms occur but after an extreme temperature change. I find that putting my fingers in luke warm water soothes it a little. So you can let your relative know. But I have arthritis! It may be related but I HAVE it. I can get myself checked out again but i think the result will be the same. There are too many things pointing to it!
Yoshi,
Thanks for the info. I take a different med which I think is probably more than Celebrex because Celebrex sounds like it just works as a pain killer and anti inflammatory. I don’t think I can take advil-like medications long term along with what I am taking right now.
September 18, 2008 2:31 pm at 2:31 pm #948356intellegentMemberItzik_s,
Thanks for all the info. For all you know I was tested for Lyme disease! That would be funny. The original reumatologist I went to was pediatric and she was VERY thorough. I sat in that office a looooong time with my mother. Does lyme disease also cause skin conditions? I know longer live in the same place as I did when I saw that doctor but I will keep it in mind.
Also does anyone know if swimming is a good excercise for this?
September 18, 2008 5:14 pm at 5:14 pm #948357Itzik_sMemberBS”D
I would hope you were tested for Lyme Disease but after my year of collecting useless creams due to a subjective medical error, I would always triple check. Sometimes even the most thorough doctor can miss something or use incorrect judgment when diagnosing an illness.
Off the top of my head, yes, the organism that causes Lyme does cause skin problems as part of the disease process.
Swimming is probably the best exercise for you because it has the lowest impact on your already compromised joints.
September 18, 2008 5:58 pm at 5:58 pm #948358tzippiMemberHave you checked out yahoogroups or other discussion boards? I’ve had to research/deal with a few medical conditions and found excellent groups. A bit hit and miss but you should be able to discern which will be helpful.
September 21, 2008 10:51 am at 10:51 am #948359intellegentMemberCan vitamin D deficiency be linked with arthritis?
September 24, 2008 4:02 pm at 4:02 pm #948360intellegentMemberI just found out that I am vitamin D deficient? Can this be related? Has anyone ever experienced this?
September 24, 2008 4:27 pm at 4:27 pm #948361yoshiMemberHey picked this up form wiki for you, a little info on Vitamin D deficiency:
Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can result from: inadequate intake coupled with inadequate sunlight exposure, disorders that limit its absorption, conditions that impair conversion of vitamin D into active metabolites, such as liver or kidney disorders, or, rarely, by a number of hereditary disorders. Deficiency results in impaired bone mineralization, and leads to bone softening diseases, rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, and contributes to osteoporosis.
Diseases caused by deficiency
.
Vitamin D deficiency is known to cause several bone diseases including:
Rickets, a childhood disease characterized by impeded growth, and deformity, of the long bones. The earliest sign of subclinical vitamin D deficiency is Craniotabes, abnormal softening or thinning of the skull.
Osteomalacia, a bone-thinning disorder that occurs exclusively in adults and is characterized by proximal muscle weakness and bone fragility.
Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by reduced bone mineral density and increased bone fragility.
September 24, 2008 5:21 pm at 5:21 pm #948362intellegentMemberThanks Yoshi! I did some research myself as well 🙂 But this helps. Does anyone have personal experience?
September 24, 2008 11:30 pm at 11:30 pm #948363Itzik_sMemberBS”D
Intellegent, I am going to ask a research physician at Hadassah Hospital who is a friend of mine to see if he has any info on that. Now dealing with post chassune exhaustion exacerbated by a 2 mile walk to get rid of all I ate so will do it tomorrow IY”H.
September 25, 2008 2:29 am at 2:29 am #948364oomisParticipantFirst of all, refuah shelaima. I have just a touch of arthritis and I am not a younger person, and it can be really painful. I will assume you have been to a rheumatologist and endocrinologist to rule out such auto-immune disorders as Lupus, Thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s Disease), and other muscular-skeletal diosorders,as well. If not, make an appointment ASAP. because AI diseases can cause painful joints and swelling. Good luck in getting a handle on this, I am sure you are in discomfort much of the time. Do drugs such as Ibuprofen help?
September 25, 2008 12:24 pm at 12:24 pm #948365intellegentMemberI’ve been to a rheumotologist (not endo..) I’ve been diagnosed close to 4 years ago and I don’t think there is much question about what it is. (I know diagnoses can change along with further research etc… but as of know, I am not really looking for different ideas of what it can be.) Isn’t arthritis an autoimue disease itself? I really have a combination of 2 different ai diseases, arthritis and psoriasis, called psoriatic arthritis. So it is very unlikely that I was misdiagnosed.
I am on a prescribed medicine that I think is an anti inflammatory. Iboprofen helps but I don’t think it’s strong enough and I’m not sure if it can be used long term
June 22, 2011 12:07 am at 12:07 am #948366PrincessEagleMember“Unearthing” an old thread.. Intellegent – doesn’t seem like you’re still on here 😉
On this topic – maybe somebody gains from this thread? Does anybody have any such conditions / taking such medication?
April 25, 2013 8:09 pm at 8:09 pm #948367GG yekkeMemberive had rheumatoid arthritis for the last 3 years and at first my local doctor told me it was just growing pains but then i was refered to a hospital (as an outpatient)and after blood tests, MRI’s, Ultra sounds they found that i had arthritis. At first i was on Naproxon and then i was referred to another hospital (as an outpatient) and was seen by ‘the best doctor of rheumatoid arthritis in Europe’ and was prescribed with Metotrexate a very strong Anti Inflamatery and am required to go for blood tests every 1 1/2 months to monitor it. i also had one of my knees drained of fluid with a needle and then they injected a very strong anti inflametry in it. Athritis is basically when the imune system fights against the joints and this medication weakens the imune system.
Hopefully you are better, Intellegent, and i am too late to help you but i thought i would share it anyway for any others who might be suffering from this condition.
April 25, 2013 8:47 pm at 8:47 pm #948368HealthParticipantGG yekke – Methotrexate Is NOT an Anti-inflammatory drug. It is an antimetabolite and antifolate drug, which is used in Cancer and RA as a DMARD.
April 25, 2013 8:55 pm at 8:55 pm #948369The Best BubbyParticipantGG yekke: Wishing you a refuah shelamh b’karov besoch kol cholei yisrael!
I would be so grateful if you can write the name of the doctor of whom you had seen as an outpatient for the rhuematoid arthritis? A very young member of my family (in Golders Green),is suffering very badly and no one is helping her or any medication. Thank you in advance!
April 25, 2013 9:02 pm at 9:02 pm #948370GG yekkeMembersorry for the mistake. The methotrexate used for Rheumatoid Arthritis is given in a MUCH smaller dose than for those with cancer l’o
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