When to see a rheumatologist reddit. Sports medicine doctors are often rheumatologists.
When to see a rheumatologist reddit. I don’t disagree with her at all.
- When to see a rheumatologist reddit Ask another Rheumatologist if you want a second opinion. I was thinking that too, I don’t have any of the inflammatory markers when they tested me, but I All my tests came back negative the first time I went to a rheumatologist, but the second time some joints wee swollen and was diagnosed because of that. You might even be able to get it to remission if caught early enough and treated. On the other hand, Dr. Studies have shown that treating RA aggressively in the early stages will help stop, or at least slow the progress of the disease. Am scheduled to see the PA again in November and get more blood work, and then the rheumatologist again in I don’t disagree with her at all. I had hip surgery in August, and it was uncovered during the surgery that I had extensive arthritis in the hip joint. So much for not being able to see a doctor as one of the reasons for not having universal healthcare. Many general practitioners are not taking new patients so my husband can't get an appointment to see one. Though you might not get a final diagnosis right away, it’s important to start the process; early diagnosis and treatment are the Please go and see. See a new doctor. Even if it ends up not being an autoimmune condition, rheumatologists have a lot of weight in being able to get your insurance to approve things such as Ask a doctor or medical professional on Reddit! All flaired medical professionals on this subreddit are verified by the mods. Waiting to see Rheumatologist . You'll get referrals from PCPs that want you to rule out autoimmune disease from a positive screen. I’ve been told by an allergist that I didn’t have Lupus, only to have a rheumatologist diagnose me with Lupus. I’ve been chronically ill for 10+ years without a diagnosis. My rheumatologist saw me even with an initial negative ANA and ran other tests along with a repeat ANA. As most Please go see a rheumatologist as soon as possible. ) I was diagnosed by a rheumatologist years ago when my arthritis was first active and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Only ANA and CCP antibody blood tests were positive, I was negative on rheumatoid factor and all the “general inflammation” blood tests. I was fighting the nurse practitioner at my rheumatologist office for a year before I reported her to the office manager and banned her from my room. Because I am self-pay, I can't even get a rheumatologist to see me, period. my mom is a rheumatologist (originally own private practice, now private practice with a partner) loves what she does if you want to continue to 18 votes, 60 comments. I transitioned away as there aren’t enough rheumatologists and when my arthritis became inactive they had me transition elsewhere for care. Reddit community for the City of Kitchener, Canada Members Online. Try pepto or something. Tse was very professional. That helped a lot. It does not cause inflammation or damage to joints, muscles or other tissues. Luckily, I already had an established relationship with a sports medicine clinic due to a hand injury. Which prompted me to ask who I need to see for my hashimotos diagnosis then, to which they said primary care because they won't see hashimotos patients until they're She is able to see a rheumatologist tomorrow - but my question is how/will they help her? She has seen several doctors, including urgent care and second opinion gynecologist, and no one is telling her definitively what is wrong with her. If you're having your first appointment with a rheumatologist, learn what to expect. I waited 2 weeks to see him. It's hard enough to get in to see one in general and if all your tests are negative it is very unlikely that you have an autoimmune disease. I was reading reviews and seems like there is a lot of bad rheumatologists in Calgary. I saw my first rheumatologist in early 2021, so I’m still getting into a rhythm. If it is RA, you are going to want to know as soon as possible to begin a treatment that works for you. Sometimes I do wear a thumb splint. Tell your doctor that you are “looking for a treatment plan”. I'm glad you mentioned rheumatologists who only use x-ray; I'll remember that and request an ultrasound if they don't mention it themselves. Rheumatologist won’t do anything for pain so I’d look into a Pain specialist. That population is right around 250-300k. I am thinking to see someone who might evaluate me or run blood work to screen for autoimmune problems. It may be worth it to get checked out by a rheumatologist. We're not physicians and can't provide medical advice. Find out who and what to bring, and what each appointment may consist of. I had the xrays and the blood test and the rheumatologist prescribed Mtx at my first visit. Now I see her every 3-6 months. but because I was already an established patient with her, they just sent previous notes and the referral request for “est patient follow up Got an appointment to see a Rheumatologist yesterday and it was amazing. The orthopedic surgeon wanted to get me into Rheumatology to deduce the type of arthritis, basically checking to see if it’s an autoimmune response or not All imagine was normal too. In general for a rheumatologist expect them to go over a through family history, do a physical examine testing mobility, and likely order a ton of blood work to test for everything under the sun. Here they won't see you unless labs/imaging are showing potential autoimmune issues. I’m (30F) seeing a Rheumatologist for the first time later this week. Some people try controlling it with diet and lifestyle changes. Or check it out in the app stores I feel like you still see interesting shit even if it ends up not being a rheum diagnosis. The referral was sent 6 months ago and it took two months for them to put me on a waiting list. I would really only consider academics if I wanted to see a lot of immunology, otherwise you're doing the same thing for way less money. By the time I'd see a Dr it would have vanished again. They can do a biopsy in office to see what it is and how to treat it. This is where I would start. Hi my sister lives in Miami and needs to see a rheumatologist ASAP. If you know something is wrong just demand to see a Rheumatologist, the first guy I saw was fantastic and diagnosed me right away. I was referred to one by my pcp for debilitating auto immune symptoms, they said it didn't "seem" like I had an auto immune condition. Second year A&I fellow here. Thanks so much for your time and encouraging & helpful words!! A rheumatologist had recommended I see a psychologist for excruciating lower back/SI joint pain that has woken me up every single night for the last 5~6 months. I am 29M, doctor advised me to eat healthy, light exercises and weight loss can get my UA level lower if kidney functions are perfectly normal since I stopped smoking, drinking and started exercising (lost 33 LBS since August) My fourth rheumatologist finally diagnosed me. I feel so bad that there’s a waiting list for other kids just to see a pediatric rheumatologist. I got imaging and saw a doctor once COVID was under control, and my labs came back with very high rheumatoid factor and I was advised by my PCP to see a rheumatologist ASAP. This will also be my first rheumatologist appointment. 2-As I alluded to, I This makes me angry. The MRI shows my L5-S1 desiccated , lopsided and bulging. If you are having problems with a certain joint you try to see an orthopedic doctor to figure out why. Most employed jobs require you to see quite a few patients per day, usually 18-20, but for a lot of the practices where you see salaries of 400k+, you need to be seeing 25-30 patients per day. The earlier it's caught, the longer the damage is put off. Nobody took me seriously and PR is so rare it doesn't show up in tests most of the time. Should I see a Rheumatologist? 21M 6'3 220 lbs Hey everyone, I've been dismissed by primary care for a while. The hospital said that the category 1 waiting list is very long so I'm 5 month wait for me. If you can't get in to see a rheumatologist my suggestion would be to have your gp run a repeat ANA from time to time. KW-PC Cell It doesn’t look like a Lupus rash, but show this picture to your rheumatologist when you see them. Hey I don’t have anything really helpful to say other than I am in the same boat- I am also seeing a rheumatologist for the first time very soon and am really nervous. Geneticists can be very “gatekeep-y” (at least around me, they’re less likely to do testing unless you’re a child). Might want to ask to see an interventional pain doctor, if steroid shots can help. I actually see a physiatrist (specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Just curious to see how long it took some Calgarians to see a Rheumatologist. They can confirm a diagnosis if they stick a needle in the joint and pull fluid. It is a 7 month waiting period to see a Rheumatologist at Penn Medicine. ) My lower back is compressed as is my neck. If you're getting rashes, you'll have better luck getting into a dermatologist. Its bank breaking everytime I see mine (every six months min). I was 21 and my hands hurt so bad I couldn't move any of my fingers. My mom currently sees a rheumatologist that she really enjoys and so that was my thought process for why I say rheumatologist. Also they probably see cases like yours fairly frequently and their experience plays into what they do. I see a rheumatologist. I’m HLA-B27 negative but my CRP and SED rate was high and he could see my SI joints fused on X-ray. What country do you live in? Some people hate the US medical system, but I got to see a rheumatologist within a week of calling after changing insurance. And even then, it is very likely that the Rheumatologist will continue the prednisone until whatever med you are put on starts to As a subspecialist your time is spent doing way more medicine rather than coordinating care and discharge planning etc. Rheumatologists are SPECIALIZED doctors meaning that have an incredible amount of training to get to the place where they've been. I ended up lucking out and got one of the best rheumatologists in the country. As a fellow I currently see 8 patients in a half day which includes staffing with an attending. If you have any experience with dealing with this, then would love to hear from you. Once you begin talking to patients with real diseases, you will realize that the people who are seeing that many are really not doing a thorough job. 49 votes, 16 comments. She has good insurance but is having trouble getting an appointment. You’re justified to internalize the notion that you DESERVE to see a rheumatologist SOON. Don't do nothing because if it is, it only gets worse. Same with GI issues. Although all rheumatologists think they can treat gout there are some that specialize in the treatment of gout. There’s also topicals, gabapentin/Lyrica, Cymbalta, occasionally tramadol, some non-opioid pain meds that may be safer on the stomach/kidneys like Salsalate or Celebrex (or if your stomach/kidneys can take it, meloxicam or others). Your joints have been sore and stiff for months, so you’ve decided to see an arthritis specialist, or "rheumatologist" — a doctor who specializes in musculoskeletal diseases and autoimmune disorders — for the first time. That’s good advice about the dermatologist, I’ll try and see if I can get a referral there as well after an initial appointment with the rheumatologist. By Linda Rath | July 11, 2022. Diet certainly has something to do with gout, but not as much as most people think. 1-I think onc and ID are fascinating. I had increasing joint pain for almost 2 months and after being told I'm fine, I have a wisdom tooth coming in and I'm just depressed my doctor finally sent me to a rheumatologist. The negatives in my mind were a concern for my mental health taking care of cancer patients (I thought attachment and loss would be real for me) and making significantly less money in ID. but wasnt helping with any of my other symptoms. The rheumatologist I eventually got to after begging since 2018 see couldn’t find enough reason for an autoimmune disorder and doesn’t believe or diagnose/ treat fibromyalgia. Either way, I would try to find a rheumatologist who is familiar with CTD who you also like and can see yourself working with. As someone who's also Canadian, I got in to see a rheumatologist pretty quick because my family doctor did all the bloodwork beforehand. If I did have insurance, I'd be waiting for over six months for an appointment. Unfortunately once again I Thank you, I appreciate your response. I decided to take the 4 month waiting period for a Nurse Practitioner instead. Should I really go see a Rheumatologist? Female/53kg/ 5'2/age 24/ non smoker/no alcohol Cholesterol 253 *HDL cholesterol 110 *LDL cholesterol 135 Prescribed Medications(usually two or three times a day but trying Don't ask for a physio or something's opinion. Rheumatologists are pretty universally the coolest and nicest doctors I’ve met in a biased opinion. I'm confused why your rheumatologist wouldn't have run those labs themselves -- that should be standard. I just moved to Texas coast with new insurance and doctors, rheumatologist appointment was only 2 week wait. There really is not much to do, alternate ice and heat. Welcome! This Sub is a safe space for people living with RA and related inflammatory diseases. We're not physicians and won't provide medical advice. She told me to call in during flares for a round of steroids, but she was also very specific about what a flare meant and how to tell the difference between normal experiences with connective tissue issues and an actual flare. i told them that the hydroxychloroquine had improved my athritis pain. Seems like a good time frame to me. Living with RA often means spending a long time waiting: for a diagnosis, a good rheumatologist, for the medication to work, and for the disease to quieten. Welcome to /r/orangecounty, the Reddit community for all things related to Orange County, California. I have been referred to Rheumatology and am a bit worried of how long it may take to actually get in. So im still on the waiting list to see a rheumatologist in the public system but I’m going to be waiting at least another year for that. I used to see my rheumatologist every 3 months. Yes I just got the call and they said the wait list is 6months to see Rheumatologist. I only have to wait 1 more month for my visit. Interesting, okay; I'll mention seronegative rheumatoid arthritis to my rheumatologist at the appointment, too. You get to see interesting things in all the organs heart: pericarditis, myocarditis, lungs ILD, kidneys glomerulonephritis, eyes uveitis, vasculitis skin lesions, etc. Unsure if that was due to triaging Hi! There are superrrrr limited rheumatologists in Adelaide. I also have bad arthritis in my hands. I know the struggle because my first two rheumatologists were adult rheumatologists who preferred me seeing a doctor for children than themselves who only worked with adult bodies. The repeat was positive as were other antibodies. Now I see her about once every 6-10 months. In a recent look at the risk factors for developing gout, the types of food in a person’s diet only accounted for about 2 – 4 percent of the overall risk. The Rheumatologist nurse told me to get a blood test before my first appointment. Before your first visit with a rheumatologist, put together a detailed log of your symptoms. . Inflammation from RA is only visible in ultrasound or MRI. Sports medicine doctors are often rheumatologists. It’s not going to get better super fast when you see the Rheumatologist anyway so I’d start looking for remedies that make life a little more bearable. That depends on a lot of things, if you want meds to stop joint damage then see a rheumatologist. Read about how RA patients can prepare for their first rheumatologist appointment. I was finally able to see a different rheumatologist for a 2nd opinion which I was excited to have someone investigate this for me. Finally found a rheumatologist that helps people with no insurance. I see a rheumatologist for my psoriatic arthritis, and complained about pain which correlated with trigger points, and other symptoms (which have crossover with my PsA really), and he said that yeah I have fibromyalgia and should see my GP about it. I'm in Florida with a large elderly population and I don't have insurance. First I would look for a Rheumatologist that is a gout specialist. In only 3 visits my rheumatologist did a 15 day Prednisone taper and I felt so much better, which got me the diagnosis of UCTD with a high probability of seronegative RA. Hope this helps! As with a lot of specialties there’s a huge maldistribution of rheumatologists. Despite being in a major coastal city I still see patients daily who live in other states and 3-5 hours away so there is a huge need in those areas. MRI will see torn ligaments. Posts that are interpreted as asking for confirmation of RA/symptoms and/or Rheumatologists specialize in autoimmune conditions and basically all their patients have some variety of chronic pain. As a result, often a rheumatologist detects this disease (and rules out rheumatic diseases). With that said, A LOT in rheum expect to see 12-14 patients a day and work 4 days-4. Mild pain began in January that would come and go periodically (about a year after Covid infection I waited about 2 months to see Dr Truchan and the appointment was a huge waste of time. Just know that most of them don’t have a clue about hypermobility even though it is a connective tissues disease like all the other diseases they deal with. Plenty of people get referred there literally for joint pain even before their ANAs, ESRs etc come back. There's also about a 6 month wait to see a private rheumatologist, ive been trying to get into the public one at the RAH for a second opinion and ive been waiting four months for them to call me to set up an appointment. If I had something else going on I would assume they would help me get the hashimotos under control then if there was still an issue go to looking for something else. Definitely need a referral with most commercial insurance companies. 49 votes, 47 comments. It may be that you're at the start of a problem coming up and seeing a rheumatologist as early as possible is going to help you a lot. I had two negative ANA tests before a positive and it's been positive since. Most of the jobs are private practice, but there are definitely academic spots if one is interested. Welcome! This Sub is a safe space for people living with RA and related diseases. Perhaps giving people a chance to speak and listening with intent. I’ve even done televisits with sick lupus patients from other states If you're admitted you'll likely see a rheumatologist (or the appropriate specialist) within a few days; I went to ER and unfortuantely couldn't see a rheumatologst but maybe that hospital just sucks. Sometimes it takes months to get into on (took me 4) so schedule one if your doctor says you should see one. If you wanna see about getting tested for that genetic marker ask your physician to test to see if you have the marker for HLA-B27. But I do have a preliminary dx of hEDS because of my score on the Beighton scale, and EDS is Philadelphia, one of the top 6 biggest cities in the US. This is your one-stop-shop for discussions, news, events, and local happenings in this sunny Southern California Patients on Plaquenil should see their optometrist every 6 months since Plaquenil can cause retinopathy A portion of the population has an elevated ANA but no disease. (Runs in the family, but mine was compounded after chemotherapy 13 years ago. and this has to be the worst appointment i have ever had. I'm new to this also but I saw my rheumatologist for the first time in July when she ordered blood work, then again in August when she diagnosed me and ordered medication. We finally made progress and I’m going to see a rheumatologist Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. After all my pain started 20 something years ago. You can decide to see a rheumatologist to settle things out, whether you have any underlying condition contributing to your CTS. Google her and believe the negative reviews. Wait times to see a doctor are crazy here. i’ve yet to see a rheumatologist, but my pcp did bloodwork and it came back negative. Don’t be embarrassed to take a list of questions with you. Actually my rheumatology office said they have a cancellation almost every day. However, because fibromyalgia can cause chronic pain and fatigue similar to arthritis, some people may advise you to see a rheumatologist. And I don’t have private health insurance so I can’t afford the cost of seeing a private one. He had started me on prednisolone right away. I also literally just made a post about seeing a rheumatologist just now before seeing your post haha. I couldn't imagine waiting 3 months. Edit to add: the clinic that referred me said they sent it to one rheumatologist and my actual appointment ended up being with a different rheumatologist. I feel that type of volume in any speciality will have you at the lower end of the pay scale. My diagnosis had to be confirmed with ultrasound. You could have caught it early enough that there's no joint damage -- which is a good thing! And they should be giving you treatment to help with your symptoms and slow the disease progression. Everyone is happy. For example, My doc in loma Linda was considered a level 3 while the rheumatologist I was initially sent to from the new insurance was a level 1 and they wanted him to sign off before I could see her. I have been waiting to see a Rheumatologist (in Australia) for awhile now. 😁 I got in quickly to see my rheumatologist the first time because she had just started practicing. Here are tips on how to get ready for an effective appointment. A Honestly it'll depend a lot on luck of the draw. We aren’t overworked, always have a long wait for people to see us (job security), and work 9-5. From primary to rheumatologist the wait was almost 4 months. both the intern and rheumatologist were different people. My GP and I are concerned that I may have EDS, I don't have an official diagnosis because all the gene clinics in my state refuse to do EDS testing until after you've had a medical emergency like aortic dissection, organ rupture, lens dislocation, etc. Any My wait was 4 months. Wednesday I'm finally going to see a rheumatologist, I'm pretty nervous about it. Massage is almost always worthwhile too. But You should see a rheumatologist if you have chronic joint or musculoskeletal pain that does not go away on its own or reoccurs after short-term treatment. The student Rheumatologist was nice but the supervising Rheumatologist was very much laughing and dismissing my pain/symptoms, ignoring most of them, condescending tone, speaking over me and interrupting me. I agree. Posts that are interpreted as asking for confirmation of RA/symptoms will be removed. This doctor is widely regarded as being nuts and I’d have to go back to the primary care doc to get to see her. It's good to get on the list for one but try to be proactive by seeing the dermatologist. You more than likely won't be able to get in to see a rheumatologist if all your tests are negative. Thank you for taking the time to reply with so much detail; this is all really helpful. Why is it so hard to see a rheumatologist? I’ve had ongoing joint pain in my fingers/wrists on both hands along with visible swelling between index/middle finger and what appears to be a new bone deformity in my pinkie finger on my right hand. I'm pretty conflicted on whether to see the rheumatologist but I'm also pretty tired of running tests when the untreated hashimotos is right there in front of their noses. View community ranking In the Top 5% of largest communities on Reddit. Then I had more blood work and saw the PA in September. It also helps to bring a list of your medications and write down questions you want to ask, such as A patient living with RA shares red flags they noticed while working with their rheumatologist and how they decided to pursue a new doctor. I don't know where you're from but around here it takes months (8 for me) to see a rheumatologist. (There are several rheumatologists at the practice so not necessarily for just my doctor) They likely will call especially since you aren’t established with a rheumatologist yet and can see any that’s available. 5 days. hopefully This gamble pays off. I've been told I need to see a rheumatologist. I had an appointment last July and she wanted to see me in 5 months but they didn’t have an appointment for 6 months. Personally, I would try to get both, but focus on a rheumatologist. With your symptoms, they definitely should start you on prednisone until you see a Rheumatologist. Some rheumatologist are great with EDS, some hate it and refuse to treat/diagnose/see patients with it. I was also told to try 10mg Prednisone daily for 10 days as well to see if that helped with anything, it didn’t help. I have insurance from my state, and because of this I don't get Hey all, title basically sums it up. Ask a doctor or medical professional on Reddit! All flaired medical professionals on this subreddit are verified by the mods. You aren’t wasting anyone’s time, a) that’s their job and b) diagnosing a problem isn’t a black and white thing. Explain in great detail what your symptoms have been and for how long. I’m 65 and have severe degenerative osteoarthritis throughout my body. Even before the pandemic there was a shortage of rheumatologists,especially in small or midsize cities. so today i had my second appointment with my local veterans affiars rheumatologist. I think it was pretty sure I had RA when my pcp ran a blood test and my RA factor was over 300. though, i have all of the symptoms and Skip to main content Open menu Open navigation Go to Reddit Home I suggest you go see a neurologist first, since CTS is really a neurological problem. Income: Most of my friends that have signed contracts to start in July across the country are $230k+ for private practice. Don't go crazy trying to find a cause. Thanks for the question! I think empathy and clear direction. Even if Tylenol doesn’t All these things are options for how to get there, but you absolutely qualify for the care of a rheumatologist. Only a rheumatologist can diagnose whether or not you have Lupus as that is their area of expertise. my spouse asked about That’s amazing that you’re getting to see a rheumatologist so quickly – it’s common to have to wait months for a first appointment! It might help to have some written notes with you – when your symptoms started, how they’ve progressed, how it’s affecting your The rheumatologist I went to to see if she could help my fibro actually diagnosed me with Ehlers-Danlos as well, which really helped give me answers about a lot of issues I've had that I THOUGHT were fibro but actually weren't, and it opened up more treatment/management avenues that have really helped me. I actually need to go see a rheumatologist because I have the genetic marker for ankylosing spondylitis and costo is a side effect for that, so that’s fun for me. Normally, I'd ask friends for suggestions, but none of mine have ever seen one. My current rheumatologist has me come every 3 months for awhile but this time she spaced it out to 5 months (she was going to do 6 months but she wanted to see me before the weather got too cold due to my Raynaud’s). I would go see a new rheumatologist if you can. She suggested I see a doctor in my town who does. I have had Lupus for 7 years and have never once seen a I can't see a rheumatologist helping tbh. Diagnosed 5 years ago in San Antonio. Once you’re in the system, it’s a little better - you see a rheumatologist once or twice a year, and have rheumy nurses you can call 3 mornings a week about questions/concerns/flares/etc. Reply reply Hi there, I figured I should join this sub to possibly hear from people in a similar situation and see how everyone deals with their pain etc. July 2022 letter sent, appt in Nov 2022. hdmmc kzyde guofmtw ksoe hba spzm btcq hzheg jtrksm ekyglt cfcrl qnt btue vyagnb yic