28 posts shown.
Grace Davis77 said:I'm looking for a solid physical therapist in Washington, D.C. (preferably somewhere central, though being near a subway line isn't a dealbreaker) who actually tailors their treatments and exercises to the patient's specific issues. I don't want someone who just insists on doing everything strictly "by the book."
wearybison8 said:I'm looking for recommendations for a solid private physiatrist in Washington, D.C.
I should probably get started on physical therapy as soon as possible. I need to see a physiatrist over on Vinogradska, but they aren't even booking appointments until September. 🙄
restlessangler said:Personally, I just handle my appointments online. They have an email listed right on the Rebro Hospital site.
I usually just send over an inquiry along with a scan of the referral. It helps if you include your medical history too—you know, so they know which doctor you’ve been seeing and can match you with the right specialist for the tests.
Every time I've needed ophthalmology, that's how I've booked it, and they’re actually pretty quick to get back to you.
Grace Davis77 said:John Smith works at the Mayo Clinic and also does private practice.
Maria Fisher46 said:First off, enteropathic arthritis doesn't always have to be polyarthritis. That’s just how it works sometimes. It’s true that it often shows up right alongside inflammatory bowel disease or maybe a bit later on, but occasionally, it can actually pop up before any gut issues even start. But, for now, let's just say it doesn't look like Type 1 enteropathic arthritis, where there's a specific genetic predisposition involved.
If we're talking about reactive arthritis, though, you have to keep in mind that a certain number of patients don't actually have a preceding symptomatic infection. So, just because you haven't dealt with any gut or urinary tract problems in the past, it doesn't necessarily rule out reactive arthritis.
And finally, having a genetic predisposition for something doesn't mean you're definitely going to develop it. I guess it just means the possibility is there.
Maria Fisher46 said:So, you've got the HLA-B35 marker. I guess that means there's a link to a specific kind of enteropathic arthritis—Type 1, I think they call it. It’s basically when joint inflammation kicks in for people dealing with inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn's or ulcerative colitis, or just other gut issues. Maybe it's related, maybe not, but that's the connection.
That’s what comes through in the HLA typing, I guess.
I guess a diagnosis of seronegative arthropathy or arthritis would be on the table too. Maybe.
Maria Fisher46 said:From what I can gather, the rheumatoid arthritis markers (RF, anti-CCP) are coming back negative. The antistreptolysin titer—which would point toward a recent strep infection—is also negative. Complement levels are normal, serum protein electrophoresis looks fine, and the ENA screen is clear too.
The borderline positive aCL IgG, the positive ANA (though they didn't list a titer), and the slightly elevated total IgE are the outliers here.
That’s basically everything I see that isn't sitting where it should.
A borderline aCL IgG is pretty non-specific, I guess. It's hard to pin down exactly what it means. It could be from an infection, maybe some medication, or it might lean toward systemic connective tissue diseases.
As for that slightly high total IgE, it might just mean an allergy tendency, but honestly, it could be idiopathic. It might not really mean much at all.
The ANA came back positive with a homogeneous pattern. Knowing the titer would be helpful, but then again, healthy people can have positive results like that too.
All in all, I don't know if there's enough evidence here for a systemic connective tissue disease, but it doesn't look that way to me. Though, without a physical exam, I can't say for sure.
Maria Fisher46 said:It’s honestly pretty demotivating to try and comment on anything when people don't describe their symptoms—and then they just drop raw immunology lab results without any reference ranges. Those numbers change depending on which lab you use, I guess.
analogfox63 said:Hey, could someone help me make sense of these HLA typing results?
I had them done because my joints have been acting up. Here’s what it says:
A2,- ; B27, 51(5); DR8, 13(6)
thanks
Hannah Hernandez50 said:Bradley Martinez3,
Are you looking at going private or using Medicare?
If you're sticking with Medicare, I could suggest:
- Dr. Mary Despot, Rebro Hospital
- Dr. Davorka Herman Mahečić, Vinogradski
Jason James3 said:So, I went to see my rheumatologist, and I promised I'd keep you posted. She examined my joints, though to be fair, I wasn't feeling much pain—even during deep squats, knee exercises, wrist movements, or heavy lifting. She told me not to start panicking prematurely. When I mentioned the Escherichia findings, she suspected Rea, so she ordered more tests, specifically looking for certain antibodies. On top of that, she insisted I visit a gynecologist to test for Ureaplasma and Chlamydia. It feels a bit unnecessary since I'm not seeing multiple partners, but she insisted she had to rule everything out. I should have all the results back in about ten days. Has anyone else here dealt with these specific bacteria?
p.s. Reactive arthritis is curable, and even in the most severe cases, the prognosis remains quite positive; you just have to be persistent and give your body enough time to repair the damage caused by those bacteria. The key is maintaining good hygiene, a healthy diet, and keeping up with a reasonable level of physical activity, along with regular checkups. I realize not everyone can afford it—very few people can—but in my opinion, it is far better to book a private specialist to resolve things quickly rather than waiting for the public healthcare system to finally find an opening for you three months down the line. Health is the ultimate priority. I'll check back in once I have news.
Charles Gomez2 said:Does anyone have any updates to share?
I’m still taking Sulfasalazine (Salazopyrin), but nothing seems to be changing... I was wondering if anyone knows if this medication is considered a cytostatic drug or not, since I know Methotrexate is used for arthritis too...
Charles Gomez2 said:Bradley Martinez3 Asks:
I’ve been on Decortin for about eight months now, and I started taking Salazopyrin roughly two months ago... I was actually switched over to Indomethacin about two weeks back since nothing else seemed to be doing the trick...
I’m feeling a bit better now—considering my first shot was 60 ml, followed by two 15 ml doses—though my knee is still a little swollen and feels warm to the touch, which makes walking feel quite tight... My doctors are currently trying to taper me off the Decortin, so I’m slowly lowering the dose and just seeing how things unfold. The last couple of times I tried dropping down to 10 mg, the swelling returned quite aggressively, so they bumped me back up to 20 mg, which means I’ve learned my lesson and nothing can really catch me off guard anymore...
I don't really know anyone who has dealt with this...
What did the doctor end up saying to you... did they have any idea why the swelling hasn't gone down after all this time...
😢 Just a heads-up that you might need to keep an eye on your white blood cell counts from time to time, since Salopyrin can sometimes cause them to drop... I used to get my levels checked every three days when I first started, though eventually I moved to just once a month, as that seems to be the main side effect of the medication. I was also wondering what the specific uses are for Indomethacin and Decortin... I recently had a Daprofos injection, which acts similarly to a pain reliever, but the effects only seemed to last for about a week... 😢