Stuff on Arthritis...symptoms and such.

Since I really don"t know what kind of Arthritis I have (but I clearly have something) be it a late term side effect of my exposure to chemo drugs (thanks Cancer) or age...(I'm just rounding 40...c'mon) I am suffering from some form of arthritis. I searched WebMD for some info and symptoms that fit...

Here is what I found...

Joint pain and progressive stiffness without noticeable swelling, chills, or fever during normal activities probably indicate the gradual onset symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Painful swelling, inflammation, and stiffness in the fingers, arms, legs, and wrists occurring in the same joints on both sides of the body, especially on awakening, may be signs of rheumatoid arthritis.

There are two major types of arthritis - osteoarthritis, which is the "wear and tear" arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory type of arthritis that happens when the body's immune system does not work properly.

Osteoarthritis is also called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis. It affects about 33 million Americans and is the most common chronic joint condition.

Osteoarthritis results from overuse of joints. It can be the consequence of demanding sports, obesity, or aging. If you were an athlete or dancer in high school or college, you may be wondering why your knee or hip aches when you climb out of bed in the morning. Ask your doctor about osteoarthritis. It often strikes early in life with athletes or those who suffered an injury in young adulthood. Osteoarthritis in the hands is frequently inherited and often happens in middle-aged women.

Osteoarthritis is very common and can coexist with other types of arthritis such as rheumatoid or gout.

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. More than 1.3 million Americans are affected. According to the American College of Rheumatology, about 75% of those affected are women. In fact, between 1% and 3% of women are likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis in their lifetime.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. That means that the immune system attacks parts of the body. For reasons that aren't clear, the joints are the main areas affected by this malfunction in the immune system. Over time, chronic inflammation can lead to severe joint damage and deformities. About one out of every five people who have rheumatoid arthritis develop lumps called rheumatoid nodules. These often develop over joint areas that receive pressure, such as over knuckles, elbows, or heels.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can come on gradually or start suddenly. Unlike osteoarthritis, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are often more severe, causing pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, stiffness, and even fever.

With rheumatoid arthritis, you may feel pain and stiffness and experience swelling in your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles, feet, jaw, and neck. Sometimes the pain occurs in one body part. But more commonly, rheumatoid arthritis pain occurs in combinations such as in the hands, knees, and feet.

With rheumatoid arthritis, the joints tend to be involved in a symmetrical pattern. That is, if the knuckles on the left hand are inflamed, the knuckles on the right hand will also be inflamed. After a period of time, more of your joints may gradually become involved with pain and swelling and may feel warm to the touch. The joint swelling is persistent and interferes with activities. For example, it can interfere with opening a jar, driving, working, and walking -- the very activities that allow us to function in our daily lives.

The stiffness on arising in the morning, which may have started as a temporary nuisance, can soon last for hours or even most of the day. Fatigue can be debilitating. Inflammation can cause reduced appetite and weight loss. Fever, rash, and even involvement of the heart or lungs can occur with rheumatoid arthritis. These feelings and symptoms -- other than joint pain and the inflammation in other organs -- happen when the damage done by the immune system spills over from the joints to other areas of the body. The exact causes of rashes and heart and lung involvement are not known.

With rheumatoid arthritis, some of your body's cells recognize a protein as a foreign intruder. The exact protein involved in rheumatoid arthritis has not yet been discovered. Some experts believe the immune system becomes "confused" after infection with a bacteria or virus and begins attacking the normal joint tissues. Certain immune cells called lymphocytes are stimulated to react to this protein. The reaction causes the release of cytokines, which are chemical messengers that trigger more inflammation and destruction. This battle between the body's chemicals occurs mainly in the joints, but it can spill over to other areas of the body.

There are many cytokines, but the most important in terms of causing inflammation are tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1. These are thought to trigger other parts of the immune system in rheumatoid arthritis. Medicines that block TNF and interleukin-1 can improve the symptoms and prevent joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis.

I seem to fall in between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. My symptoms are not a neat little fit into either category. Eventually a real diagnosis will have to be made. I can only pop so much Tylenol. (Which doesn't work very well...never has)

My Oncology nurses told me after my last infusion that "osteoarthritis can come on sooner" after chemo. Just like Joann (the onc nurse who warned me "you might taste this" before my first infusion...and she was right) these nurses know their stuff. While my Dr's won't admit I could be experiencing late term side effects...my nurses said otherwise and they more or less, warned me.

I think they are right.

I wouldn't doubt the ABVD regimen is partly responsible for the arthritis pain I have now. There were pages of side effects with each one of those drugs. The worst of them was Adriamycin. I have read that it (this drug) can re-write your DNA. So anything is possible.

So of course the more information I can obtain about what is making me hurt is only going to help me understand how to fight it...so I will continue to research and read about the pain I am having. Eventually I will have to start dealing with pain on a whole new level.

I am willing to say this is collateral damage from having Cancer. It's fallout from the Chemo. The nurses said it was coming...so this is part of me now.

The game keeps changing. It is indeed always something...

Be Well.
-Scott