I've been having pelvic/abdominal pain for six months or so. As the ruptured cyst I had a couple of years ago is not an experience I particularly wish to repeat, I went to the doctor. I had exams and ultrasounds (all of which were clear). I went to the doctor again.
Tentative diagnosis? Rheumatoid arthritis of the SI (sacroiliac) joint.
Huh?
Apparently, pelvic pain is a frequent companion of SI joint problems and can make them difficult to diagnose. In my case, it's a throbbing that originates in the small of my back and radiates across my pelvis and down my left leg.
I must admit I felt a little silly at first. Shouldn't I know this disease like the back of my hand by now? Shouldn't I be immune to surprises? After another exam and a review of my ultrasounds, the doctor, who I don't know well at all (I definitely don't go to my GP/uncle with this sort of thing), told me I'd probably injured the joint.
"You should take some advil to bring down the inflammation," she said.
There's another joint in there? And it's inflamed? In my head, the pieces started plonking into place.
"I'm already on Enbrel, methotrexate and naproxen for rheumatoid arthritis," I replied, looking pointedly at the list I'd made for her on my first visit.
And so began a discussion of RA of the SI joint - an issue I plan on delving into in greater detail with my rheumatologist. I suppose this is one of those occasional unwelcome reminders that, despite my familiarity - even my relative comfort - with this disease, it's still unpredictable. This is a new kind of pain for me. It's insistent, throbbing, distracting. I can't remember how my most severely active joints felt when I was a kid, but I wonder if it was something like this.
All that said, it's kind of nice to be able to blame what I thought was an entirely separate problem on RA. It's a handy catch-all for so many symptoms, and it's very nice to know I'm not heading for another ruptured cyst and all the good times (read: hysterical crying) that go along with it.
Time to break out the artillery: hot baths, heating pads, and anti-inflammatories. Woo-hoo.
14 comments:
I'm sorry, but there's a joint in your/my pelvis?!?! Man, that's...unpleasant. Since getting RA I'm pretty sure I've learned about lots of joints I didn't even know existed before. I hope that your doctors are able to do something about the pain. I always find new pain to be the most distracting too.~;o(
And what's with doctors who seem to have no idea what's going on with you when they have your file RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM???
I think you deserve to add some other things to your artillery. Like cake. ~;o)
That sounds like a pain in the arse! (Sorry, I saw the graphic and it was the first thing that popped into my head. I'm going to hell, I know.)
I hope that they are able to get it under control for you quick- don't you love learning about new joints only when they start to bother you?
At LEAST cake. Chocolate. With raspberry filling. Followed up with a savory cuppa chai.
Helen, I'm so sorry you're fighting off another RA attack on a joint we'd all rather forget and just sit on. ;o) Rheuma is so bloody sneaky.
I hope your arsenal of soothing things will make it ease up very soon. In the meantime, maybe a donut cushion might help, too?
-Wren
OK, admit it – we're all going to be freakin' experts in anatomy, aren't we?
God, I hope you manage to get the pain under control soon. I can somewhat imagine what it feels like, because I fell down some stairs a few winters back and deeply bruised my sacroiliac joint (!!!). Not fun, but for me the pain only lasted a few days...
PS. I vote for a Toblerone bar! Haha! you knew I'd say that, didn't you???
Ok, now I REALLY want chocolate! Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and a Toblerone bar. :)
The only remotely dessert-y items in my kitchen are oranges and hot chocolate, so hot chocolate it is.
Mariah - I had no idea there was a joint in my pelvis either. I thought my hips were it for that whole area. (And yes, I was more than a little annoyed that she hadn't taken 30 seconds to read the form I'd filled out.)
Laurie, you're so funny!
Helen, that just stinks :( It really really really stinks! I hope that the rheumy can come up with an effective remedy.
I've got that pain! It's annoying (what's new?!) and sometimes makes walking or moving an extra challenge. Everything seems a little more unstable, besides just hurting.
For me, a heating pad, placed over it (very low back) helps most. It is also sometimes comforted by massage---one of the only RA joints that I can stand having rubbed! I think the muscles around that area get very tense when it hurts and is unstable.
Hope it isn't a sign of Spondyloarthropathy...that's what they thought I had!
I've had RA flares in my sacroiliac joint as well. I was having trouble walking - sharp pain every time my right foot landed - and thought maybe I tweaked some muscle in my hip, back, or butt, or that I had sciatica. The pain radiated all the way from my lower back to my leg, making it hard to pinpoint. I was limping around with a cane. My rheumy looked at it with an ultrasound and showed me the inflamed SI joint. Then I got to have a series of shots right in the joint - ow!!!!! - which left me unable to walk for a few days. After that, I was much better!
Sorry you're experiencing this - it was probably the toughest of my flares, because it had such a big impact on my mobility. I still keep an eye on it - it gets tender now and then, and I sometimes have to ice or heat it.
Thanks so much for all of your comments. It's interesting to hear about your experiences with RA in this joint.
I actually find the pain almost identical to menstrual cramping, which is another reason I at first thought it was something abdominal. The more I read about SI joint issues, though, the more it seems to make sense. I'm considering asking my rheumy if I can move my appointment closer instead of waiting until May. I have so many things to discuss with her.
I've got a massage coming up in 2 weeks, too, so maybe that will help.
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LOL - looks like your spam filter didn't work!
Ha - I guess not!
Perhaps I could use pet arthritis spray on myself!
Great to hear about this actually...i was afraid i had another diverticulitis abcess...but since I've also had RA for 35 years, I think this is possibly what's going on with me too...i remember back when i got it at age 24, how even cartilage in my nose and ribs could hurt, much to my amazement--and i also hadgotten used to and comfortable with barely having symptoms these days. i've been on antibiotic therapy for 15 years--and it is safe and absolutely takes away any evidence of the disease. Now this is a new thing and i've got to get to the bottom of it, no pun intended! Thanks for you post!
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