Early signs of rheumatoid arthritis?

I have a question. I can find plenty of info out there about rheumatoid arthritis, but I want to know something specific: what are the actual early warning signs?
Here’s what I’m dealing with:
- My heels have been killing me since August. If I’m on my feet too long, two little bumps—kind of like knots—show up on one side near the ankle. They aren't there in the morning, though. It happens every single day. It feels like I’m walking on hot coals. The pain radiates toward my glutes and down my spine... I recognize that part; I know it's sciatica. But the rest of it is confusing me. It doesn't feel like a typical herniated disc issue. I've actually had three spinal surgeries by now, and it's never felt like this before.
- A bit later on, my knees started acting up. When I have to kneel, I feel nauseous. Going down stairs is a struggle, even if going up is easier.
- And now, finally, my fingers have started hurting. They look a little swollen... it's hard to make a fist. In the mornings, I can barely squeeze my toothpaste tube. My fingers just feel clumsy, like I'm constantly bumping into things, almost like I'm relearning how to use them. It’s just not right. The worst pain is right at the joints.
The same thing is happening with my toes... I can feel the bone structure more than I ever have before.😕

My doctor initially thought it might be spondylitis, but the MRI showed no bone fusion—thank God for that. But at the time, I didn't mention the knee or finger issues to him.

Do you think this could be the start of some kind of rheumatic disease? It makes no sense for it to be the herniated disc, because my hands are affected, and the disc issue is way down low. This is really wearing me down. I already have a halo of pain around the site of the old hernia, and I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon this Monday. I feel awkward asking my primary care physician for his take on all this... everything is just getting worse and I'm lost on what to do next.

If anyone has gone through something similar, or if you have any insight, please let me know what you think. I just need to know if I should be seeing a specialist or not. Thanks.

All of this has been building up since August of this year.

Chloe Ward44 said:I have a question. I can find plenty of info online about rheumatoid arthritis, but I need real insight—what are the actual early warning signs?
I’m dealing with several issues:
- My heels have been killing me since August. If I stand too long, two swellings pop up on one heel (on the side, near the ankle) that feel like lumps. They disappear by morning, but it happens every single day. It feels like I'm standing on hot coals. The pain radiates toward my glutes and down my spine... I recognize that part; I know it's sciatica. But the rest of it is confusing because it doesn't fit the typical profile of a herniated disc. I might actually have a herniated disc—I'm facing my third surgery for it soon—but nothing has ever felt quite like this before.
- A bit later, the knee pain kicked in. When I have to kneel, it's nauseating... going down stairs is a struggle, though going up is easier.
- And now, finally, my fingers have started hurting... they look a little swollen... it's hard to make a fist; in the morning, I can barely squeeze a tube of toothpaste... my fingers feel clumsy, like I'm constantly bumping into things as if I just learned how to use them. Something is definitely wrong... the worst pain is right at the knuckles.
The same thing is happening with my toes... I've never felt the bone structure so prominently before...😕

Initially, my doctor suspected spondylitis, but the MRI showed no bone fusion—thank God. However, I hadn't mentioned the knee and finger issues back then...

Do you think this could be the onset of an autoimmune or rheumatic disease? It makes no sense for it to be the herniated disc, because my hands are suffering, and the hernia is located much lower down. This is really wearing me down. I already have a halo of pain around the hernia area, and I have a neurosurgeon appointment this Monday. I feel awkward asking my primary care physician for his take on this specific set of symptoms... everything is just getting worse and I don't know what to do.

If anyone has experienced anything similar or has any idea what this could be, please share your thoughts. I just need to know if I should go see a specialist or not—thanks.

All of this has been developing since August of this year..

Look, I know that the beginning stages of degenerative bone changes often show up first in the hands. In the morning, the fingers feel stiff and clenching your fist is painful. What you're describing sounds a lot like gout to me. You really don't have a choice here—you need to see a rheumatologist.

Get to a rheumatologist, and get there fast!

I’m feeling even worse today... just this heavy, dragging sensation throughout my whole body, like when you're coming down with a fever and everything feels limp and sluggish... and the pain? It's just getting more intense. It’s like a game of whack-a-mole; you fix one thing, and immediately something else flares up.

So, what you're saying is, this might not actually be from a herniated disc, but could be symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis... (or rheum... I can never remember the right term)???

Thanks for the input. If anyone knows anything else, please, let me know... or better yet, does anyone have advice on what actually works for the pain? I'm already taking some heavy-duty Advil, but clearly, it isn't doing the trick.

Yeah, you should definitely get to a doctor quickly. All I ever experienced from all that was pain in my joints and fingers... and I still deal with it, even though my blood work came back perfectly fine

I’ve got a neurosurgeon appointment tomorrow, so I should probably get this sorted out before then. I ran a bit of a fever yesterday and I’m just feeling off—and look, I’m not really the type to lie around dwelling on my health, but this is starting to worry me. Usually, I can handle just about anything... but lately, I can barely walk in the mornings. They told me that rheumatoid arthritis can be such a slow burner, too... hard to actually prove you have it. My finger joints are hurting more than ever, and honestly, my fingers are being pretty cruel to me right now. It’s a nightmare not knowing if this is RA or if it's all coming from the herniated disc...
Does anyone know of a quick fix? Something to take the edge off the brain fog and the pain... Yesterday my mother-in-law gave me some medication for arthritis and my temperature just tanked.

Chloe Ward44 said:I’m feeling even worse today... my whole body feels heavy, almost like I’ve got a low-grade fever and just feel completely sluggish... and these pains are getting more intense. It feels like as soon as I manage to treat one thing, something else flares up immediately...

So, you guys think this might not be from a herniated disc, but actually symptoms of rheumatism (or whatever the term is)...???

Thanks for the input. If anyone knows anything else, please let me know... or better yet, what could actually help with the pain... because even with the heavy-duty pills I'm taking, they clearly aren't doing the trick...

Ibuprofen, specifically Advil. It acts as both an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory. It should take the edge off the pain, but it isn't going to cure the underlying issue. You definitely need to see a doctor!