NY 1009

I just read yesterday while doing research on Rheumatoid Arthritis which I was just diagnosed with a couple months ago, (but I first started out with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis) and read that having rheumatoid arthritis can cause symptoms of numbness and tingling in the arms, hands and fingers, especially at night, which I have very badly and never knew why... my family dr. called it neuropathy or something like that but never did anything further to find out why. Because RA causes inflammation, widespread through out the body in varying areas, it can cause it in the arms or wrists which can press on the nerves, which would then be called " Carpal tunnel syndrome" which I always believed was only caused by repetitive use on a computer or something... but now have learned otherwise. interesting fact, huh? No WONDER I'm suffering with this horrible numbness in my arms and fingers at night. It drives me crazy! I want to add something else besides what I just wrote... have you ever had your vitamin D level tested? This is a very important vitamin to have regulated in our body and if depleted or even low level of, you can have a wide degree of uncomfortable symptoms such as bone and joint pain, weakness, lethargy, osteoporosis, etc.
I know, because I suffered with vit. D deficiency and had no idea why I was so sick. Thank Goodness the rheumy dr I was seeing at the time thought of testing it when I came back to his office for a follow up to a new medication he had me on and it didn't do a thing for me, and i was only getting worst... so he tested it and come to find out, it was extremely low.. no wonder I could barely turn my neck in the car when I was driving to see if uncoming traffic was coming. I began thinking I was turning into a hypocondriac due to all the aches and pains I was feeling all the time not to mention I felt like I had some type of major illness that was going undiagnosed. I started feeling like a new human being again once I got the prescribed vit. D into me.
this is just part of the story besides having to have endured years of pain and have negative blood work for an autoimmune disease.. which has finally reared it's ugly head. NOW I can begin treatment and begin to have my life back again, I HOPE.
I wish you well and hope you get an answer soon. don't give up trying. I understand how difficult and time consuming it can be to get to the root of a diagnosis.

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"Hundred of flowers in Spring, The moon in Autumn, A cool breeze in Summer, and snow in Winter.
If your mind is not clouded with unnecessary things, NO season is too much for you"