I have been treated for RA for over 12 years. There is (what i think is called) an antibody test for RA. You can't get rid of RA there is no cure. I had an RA doctor convince me i had Fibromyalgia about 4 years ago. Put me on lyrica and it almost killed me. I had trouble breathing. Regardless, i went back on my original meds, found another doctor. I will also tell you i have discovered a number of food allergies i also have developed which present themselves as shoulder and knee pain. I did some research into what i was consuming and unfortunately alot of it was sponsoring my inflammation. I just got my prescription for Rinvoq in the mail today which i will be starting tomorrow. I have been on Prednisone, Methotrexate, and Enbrel for al least 8 years. Rinvoq is different. Instead of wiping out your immune system, Rinvoq says it targets the protein in the cell that causes inflammation. If it works it is a step in the right direction for dealing with immune system disorders.

I was diagnosed with Lupus, then told I have RA as well. Now my new PCP is saying I don't have Lupus. My rheumatologist doesn't give me a clear answer about the Lupus diagnosis but has said I have bouts with Fibromyalgia. I take Methotrexate now. Increasing the dosage helped with my flareups, but I still have pain in my feet. I would love to get a second opinion, but it is so difficult with my insurance.

I would get a second opinion pronto.

I hope the new medicine works for you. The doctor that switched my diagnosis from RA to fibromyalgia is sending me to an new RA specialist in Stanford, CA. I heard great things about Stanford. The funny thing is that Stanford only treats RA and not fibromyalgia. So if she really thinks I don’t have RA why would she send me there. 🤷‍♀️ Anyway what a process. I’ve always been healthy and active. This is really hard to except. I’m glad I found this group. And thank you for your reply.

Fibromyalgia causes pain but not the intense joint pain that RA causes I'm 43 and have been diagnosed with JRA and Fibromyalgia The treatment for both is DMARDs and pain meds and knew replacements which will be less painful than what you're having to endure now I promise I recommend seeing a new rheumatologist and orthopedist asap!