Hi Kristin,

Your primary can help you to a certain extent, that's if they're willing though. Generally, it is the Rheumatologist who prescribes the medication for RA. I've been to 4 Rheumatologists. Some were worthless. The place I started was at an Arthritis Clinic. Do you have any in your area? Have you read the roadback foundations story on treating Rheumatic disease? Here's a link for you.
https://www.roadback.org/

Look for Nancy McShanes page on this website. She has quite a bit of great helpful information on her page.

@A myRAteam Member
The 2 Rheumatologist you describe should be in another field. See if there is a teaching hospital, with a research department, near you. If so, contact their RA Research department and tell them what is going on. They maybe able to see you on the research side, which allows for more test and different meds. At the very least they maybe able to see you on their clinical side, which would provide you with more caring Rheumatologist.
This is how I started the best treatment and found my working med.
Please keep us updated.

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A myRAtea...

I have had RA 5 years now and 5 years of pain pills from my primary doctor. It's sometimes hard to get any doctor to prescribe pain pills. Rheumatologist generally won't prescribe pain pills. I don't know about pain doctors. I don't know where you live but those 2 so called rheumatologist sound worthless to me. My way of thinking pain and pain pills go together.