One morning I woke up and my hands were very stiff. I noticed that the small joints of both my 2 hands were very stiff and ached when I would flex my hands. I went to my GP and my GP took blood tests to test me for RA. It came back negative and then she said I had osteoathritis. I am 35 years old.

My middle finger ached so bad if someone tapped it by accident.... it would throb in pain. This all started after I had the flu last August. My hands have hurt since then. I asked the GP if osteoathritis affects both hands simultaneously and she said "yes." I wonder why this happened right after I had a pretty bad flu.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me, does this sound like typical osteoathritis? Does it really happen in both hands at the same time? What do you take for pain?

thank you

Has your GP offered you a referral to a rheumatologist?

I'd want a second opinion.

And, to answer your question: Yes, OA can be symmetrical or affect both sides of the body.

Because OA, as with other forms of arthritis (or within the arthritis "family") can also relate to the automimmune system, coming down with something such as the flu could be totally coincidentally or a "trigger" - enough to push it to the point of having to notice it and seek med. attention.

Thanks Bobbi.
It's a relief to get another's opinion, especially after 76+ people read about my problem. This is the
2nd occurence of athritic pain in my hands after flu. The first time was 5 years ago. It lasted 6 months and resolved on it's own. Again it was after a flu and my hands were in bad shape. At the time I was I tested for autoimmune disorders then (bloodwork) came back negative.Because it went away, I forgot all about it.

On this last visit, I tested negative to rhematoid and ANA. So I dont know where that leaves me now. My GP says its osteo,based upon blood work, but since osteo is a "wear and tear" form of athritis I find it odd that both hands would be affected exactly on the same day.

Thanks again for reply.

Aussie

I'd definitely ask to see a rheumy.

If it is OA and the onset has been ongoing (for some time now) customary X-rays or scans might show some signs of degeneration.

Too, the prob. with bloodwork is that there can be quite a delay in when effects display.

hi there

only about 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis test positive for it, which many if not most GP's don't know.

OA at 35 would be pretty unusual I think, although by no means impossible (a friend of mine got it at 12). I would ask for a referral to a rheumie, especially if you have early morning stiffness, increased pain in the moring, hot and/or swollen joints etc.

hth

raglet

Hello Aussie (love your avatar),

Well, I will talk about my case...

Im 26... and have OA !!!
How I "discovered" ? because BOTH of my wrists were killing me... terrible pain... I tried "everything" for common pain... ice, creams, pills... nothing... then, my feet... ouch, hurt too... So, went to doc... After he listened how my bones had a horrible noise everytime I/he moved them, he told me I had OA....

He gave Celebrex (Celecoxib) 200 mg/day which I took for about 8 moths more or less... I stopped. And Im pain free. (I mean, OA pain free.. have some other issues that give me pain... )

Good luck !

P.S Glucosamine sulfate helped me too.

Did not know that Raglet.
Thank you for sharing that.
Aussie

I see there are others here who have ankylosing spondylitis - an AI disease that more frequently affects men and causes inflammatory arthritis mainly in the back and other large joints. I am female and have AS, but in females, it affects the body a bit differently. If you look at my previous posts, you may find more info on how it affects me.

My hands and fingers do hurt a lot with AS. My middle, right finger the worse. It started as arthritis and is now, chronically, arthritis in the tendons. The pain is more on the side of my joint rather than the front of the joint. That is one way to determine if the pain is in the joint or the tendon. My AS is treated with Humira (weekly), Savella and prednisone in pulse when I am in a flare. I have been on many DMARDS, so far, Humira works the best for me.

Other than sometimes an elevated sed. rate and CRP, AS does not show AI positives titers in labs. No positive reactions to rheumatoid factors. There is a gene associated with it but that can also be negative. It can be a challenge to diagnose in females.

Mere