Does anyone has chronic reactive arthritis??!
Question: I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis after salmonella posioning after handling pet swimming turtles. I had severe bouts of diarrhea initially and then my feet and knees swelled up. My knee swelled up so big the doctor had to drain my knee. I was in terrible pain. I could not walk. Doctor told me it may go away in a month or a year or never go away at all. I took nsaids for the swelling for 2 years and after that I just dealt with the mild pain and stiffness. it has been 11 years and I still experience stiffness and sometimes flare ups but never as bad as the initial. Has anybody else suffered this, and did it ever go away after 11 years??
Answers: I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis after salmonella posioning after handling pet swimming turtles. I had severe bouts of diarrhea initially and then my feet and knees swelled up. My knee swelled up so big the doctor had to drain my knee. I was in terrible pain. I could not walk. Doctor told me it may go away in a month or a year or never go away at all. I took nsaids for the swelling for 2 years and after that I just dealt with the mild pain and stiffness. it has been 11 years and I still experience stiffness and sometimes flare ups but never as bad as the initial. Has anybody else suffered this, and did it ever go away after 11 years??
Reactive arthritis is one of the easiest condition to treat with 12 to 18 months of antibiotics. It is obvious to me that you didn't get the right antibiotics for long enough.
Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts.
I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis for more than 27 years. The telling signs of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis are the following:
- Joint pain in the feet (or cracking ankles) in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid Factor (RF);
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Blood tests showing elevated levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Sedimentation rate (ESR).
NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, codeine, and statins like Lipitor are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis.
Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet.
For any form of arthritis, you should consult an orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which you suffer.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www.aaos.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.
The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:
http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/member...
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons maintains a wealth of information online at:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org
Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.
Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.
There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.
Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. And Reactive arthritis is so much easier to treat! For more info, please join the antibio group at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...