Seeing a Rheumatologist Privately

Ha, ha wrong thread. RA also causes brain fog! 🤣

"CazyH*, you are still leaving spaces.

MOnica, the OP's GP hasn't been very supportive up until now. I wouldn't be wasting my time asking him for a private referral. He does not appear to have taken Starof1972's condition very seriously up until now.

RA is a systemic condition, which targets the whole body, it needs careful monitoring. Even with careful monitoring, my heart condition, related to my RA wasn't picked up, until I had a heart attack.

Ask your GP for a private referral, or failing that contact a local BUPA, Nuffield or other private hospital.

Look at the hospital websites. They will have details of the specialists who work there and what their specialities are and you should be able to identify which will be the best for you to see.

Feel free to message me at any time.

I have been so fortunate in having the most wonderful rheumatologist, who came out of retirement during the pandemic, because his replacement was working in Covid ICU.
He used to phone me to check up on me and on hearing how unwell I was, arranged for me to start biologics. It has not been an easy path, I am on my third biologic in three years (I have a tendency to allergic reactions), but I am always hopeful of a respite.

We can't give in or we would be done for, but I do admit to feeling absolute despair at one point. Incessant pain drags you down, no matter how resilient you are (and I am pretty resilient.)

I too wish you better days ahead.

Thanks again Marydoll. I'm sorry to hear that your pain has such a hold on you. It was hand pain that made me have to retire from much loved work too.
I will research Rheumatologists in my area and hopefully have my questions answered and concerns addressed. It will be worth the cost I'm sure. Wishing you better days ahead.

Perhaps a private rheumatologist would be the way to go, where you could articulate your fears and concerns, in the hope that you would get back into the system.

It was hand pain, which finished me off! I fought long and hard with everyone, but eventually I had to admit, that I was no longer fit to work. I could hardly use my hands and found the splints a blooming nuisance.
At the moment my pain levels are through the roof, despite all the medication. Hopefully it will settle down, once the weather gets warmer.

I wish you all the best.

Thank you so much Marydoll I forgot to say (head's all over the place tonight) that I was treated with several DMARDS for the first 5 years after diagnosis and then was said to be in remission and given a secondary diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. I was discharged into the care of my GP but, despite bloods being "normal" I'm worried that there is active disease again and damage is being caused.
I hope you are managing as best you can.

You have my sympathy, I was originally classed as seronegative thirty years ago, but ten years ago my RA became so bad, I had to give up teaching. Tests at that time showed I was now seropositive.
Even when I was seronegative, I had yearly, then six monthly appointments with a wonderful rheumatologist.

I cannot understand why you have not been referred to a rhuematologist and are not on disease modifying medication.
I have been through them all and am now on weekly biologic injections, Sulfasalazine, Fentanyl and paracetamol for pain relief. By seeing an NHS rheumatologist, you would also have access to OT and Physio.

Your GP is failing you. Can you see a different GP and ask for an NHS referral?

I hope you get help soon, it is such a cruel disease.