By Aisling on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:00 pm:

Hi
I've just been diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome and I was wondering if the fact that my aunt recently passed away due to chronic rhuematoid arthritis would
have any relevance to my condition. Should I be worried about arthritis. Thanks

By TJ Harp on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:00 pm:

It is something you should think about. The amount of extra wear and tear on joints from hypermobility can lead to problems early on with osteoarthritis. I have an
inflammatory form of arthritis my doc has yet to identify. I don't know if HMS puts anyone at higher risk for something like rheumatoid arthritis -- I've researched it
and can't find anything. But there are a lot of people like you who post here who mention rheumatoid arthritis. If anyone knows of any kind of study on the
correlation between HMS and rheumatoid arthritis, I'd like to hear about it.
Since you have rheumatoid arthritis in your family, you might just want to keep an eye out for symptoms.
God Bless.

By Henk on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:01 pm:

I don't know how hypermobility and arthritis are related, but I've seen the two mentioned together a few times. Also, my girlfriend just got diagnosed having HMS,
and her father and brother have some kind of arthritis but MDs were never able to diagnose it to a certain kind.
Again, I don't know whether you should worry, I'm also looking for some more medical papers on this subject, also because EDS seems a related disease/syndrom.
In any case, I wish you all the best.

By Greg on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:01 pm:

Henk,

I saw in an old article that the only real hypermobile-arthritic link is to osteoarthiritis. Laxity of ligaments is often a precursor to osteoarthritis in "normal" people,
so in theory, people like us who are naturally lax should have a greater chance of develpoing osteoarthritis. Sometimes it just doesn't turn out that way. I don't know
why though. Good luck

Greg

By Beth on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:02 pm:

OA is also a precurser to RA. I was told that i would have RA by the time i was 40. I am sitting in a wait and see mode as I approach 30. I am deteriorating though. I
have general arthritis, showing one of the signs for OA in my right knee.

By Eppie on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:02 pm:

OA and RA are two extremely different beasts. OA is caused by "normal" joint wear and tear that comes with aging, injury, and/or (maybe) hypermobility. RA is an
autoimmune disease where the body attacks the "joints" as a foreign substance. As far as I know there is absolutely no correlation between the two. However, I'm
not a physician.

But friends, doesn't it seem like you know more than the docs sometimes...(geesh, how frustrating).

KEEP YOUR CHINS UP PEOPLE!

By Eppie on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:03 pm:

Yes, I think, you are right. RA is normally an Autoimmune Disease and OA is an degenerating disease, what means that it happens if your joints are overused (that
means, if they get more damage by using them, than the body is able to repair in the same time).
But sometimes if you overuse your joints, that are already affected with OA, your joints can have the some symptoms like joints affected by arthritis: they are red,
swollen, hot and extremly painful. This is called a mechanical inflammation.

By Greg on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:04 pm:

Eppie,

I tend to agree with you more than the previous post. I have never heard of OA and RA being related to each other. I have many family members with OA, but not
RA, although I have friends who have RA and they seemed to be diagnosed at a very young age with it (like 13 or 14). They tell me that RA will eventually kill
them. Thanks for your input!

G

By TJ Harp on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 01:04 pm:

I don't think they're related either. Rheumatoid arthritis can kill you, but if the disease is caught and treatment begun early on, the mortality and disability rates are
significantly reduced. Right now it's about the same as that for Hodgkins Disease. But, just because the docs don't know of a correlation, doesn't mean one doesn't
exist!

By Christine on Saturday, September 23, 2000 - 08:26 am:

I just saw a Rheumetologist yesterday and I was diagnosed with HMS. My knees and hands are already exhibiting signs of OA and I am only 25!! My doctor specifically mentioned OA due to the wear and tear disposition that HMS people have. It makes sense to me that OA can be a result versus RA which is a whole other beast.

By dee on Friday, November 10, 2000 - 03:27 pm:

I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was 36. I
have waited as long as I can for a hip
replacement (52). I am very limber and bruise
and bleed easily. My wounds heal really well.
Can one have a slight case of this disease. I
have arthritis in all of my joints but my hips are
the worst. In my 20's I danced and have
always been strong and physical. However,
as a child I was a sick wimp, skinny, asthma
(not cortizone) and oxygen tent type. Any Info?

Thanks dee

By michaela on Thursday, June 21, 2001 - 02:45 pm:

I've just heard the most scarey news, I have a high chance of having Rheumatoid arthritis.
This is 6 years after my last test for the disease which lead to me being diagnosed with HMS.
My ESr rate has shot from 4 and 1mm/hr to 16, while not actually a high rate is still a sudden jump from a few months ago.
Also I have tested positive for RF. RA is an auto immune disease, while OA is not. The rheumatoid facter is an anti IgG ( Ithink) response, which means your own body is attacking itself. I studied immunology years ago at uni, and was sure IgG had to do with an immune response.. so it should just mean the immune system is compromised.. I'll have to do some more research on that.
I suppose I was quite lucky to catch it so soon. I never would have if a minor accident a month ago didn't lay me as low as a 'normal' person would had they been tackled to the ground by a scrum of rugby players.
Right now about all I can do is sit, type for a short time and hope I don't twist something else.

I posted to this forum some months ago last time, thinking I was recovering, as one is supposed to show recovery of HMS as they get older (joints stabilise etc) instead I get other news.

part of the problem was I had to perform a play (whish I loved btw) for three weeks after the accident, which seems to have inflamed things more. So if you feel pain, don't do it;) See if you can work out a compromise.

By Helen on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 07:25 pm:

After reading through all of the entries on this particular page, I am somewhat relieved, but frustrated. My mother was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when she was in her mid-20's, and now I am 22 and have been (sort-of) diagnosed with HMS. My body was so healthy and I was a very active individual until I had an accident on an outdoor alpine slide last year. After a delay of about 4 months, I began having soreness, laxation of my shoulders for no apparent reason, neck pain, etc. Now, almost 7 months after the initial problems and way too many visits to various dr's, I am beginning to have stiff joints in my hands. The doctors ran a series of blood tests which come up negative for a Rheumatoid factor (and of course they are SURE it is nothing), but I am not so sure. I live off of my ice packs at night, and I am in constant pain. Is there anyone who might be able to offer some insight or advice to a young person trying to embark on life??? Please, any help would be greatly appreciated.

By Silvia on Tuesday, July 24, 2001 - 04:09 pm:

Hi Helen,

I started having HMS problems last year and also visited many doctors. And like you, the arthritis tests done on me came up negative. I recently started prolotherapy and have felt better. So far I have had 3 treatments, I'm still in pain but not as bad or as often as before. If you're interested in learning more about this treatment check out www.prolotherapy.com

I also started taking the supplements glucosamine 500mg/chondroitin 400mg and others that my doctor recommended. There's a lot of information on these on the internet. Please keep in mind that even though these are natural supplements, I am taking them under my doctor's supervision.

Hope this is helpful

By Sharon on Tuesday, July 24, 2001 - 05:33 pm:

i have been diagnosed with juvinnile rheumatoid athritis or seronegative spondoloathritis since i was 12 years old, i also have recently been given a tentitive diagnosis of EDS 3. I still have a relativelly high inflammatory factor and have been put on Vioxx to help bring it down and see if it makes a difference to my pain levels, so far am only in the early stages of it. My blood tests still show this factor which can also mean that you have an autoimmune disease such as lupus etc which also run in my family as well as Sjogrens etc (Lucky me LOL). I am also HLA B27+ which is part of my bodies make up and means that i can be more likely to get things like ankolising sponolosis (not spelt right) and makes me an "achey person" to make matters worse i also have a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome from a couple of my injuries that happened at work.
I know how you all feel
Sharon

By Mei on Wednesday, July 25, 2001 - 12:59 am:

I have heared of Lupus as well as Sjogrens in combination with a connective tissue disorder.

By Sharon on Wednesday, July 25, 2001 - 02:13 am:

Hi Mei, I think when you have more than one connective tissue disease ie raynauds, sjogrens, lupus etc it is actually called mixed Connective tissue disorder

By Barb on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 01:15 pm:

I looked on the Arthritis Foundation website and can find nothing that links OA to RA.

http://www.arthritis.org/

By Deb on Thursday, November 22, 2001 - 08:25 pm:

I've been in constant pain throughout my body for almost a year now.. After complaining several times to my Dr. She finally sent me to a RA specialist who looked at me and said,, you have HMS.. So, I left still suffering from great pain... 2 mos later I revisited due to the pain severity... Long story short, the RA specialist finally ordered a series of tests, actually stating he suspected they'd find "nothing". Well I just got a copy of my bone scan report which confirmed what I knew... I have multiple arthritic involvement (throughout).. I Guess my point is.. I truly believe having HMS makes it more difficult to diagnose arthritis. Especially in those of us healthy, active and young.. I'm only 32 & feel awful... But with God as my strength, I'm determined to make it through!! God Bless

By katt on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 05:36 am:

I have Sjogrens and Hashimotos but as far as I am aware this is totally unrelated to the HMS. I also have arthritis (first diagnosed in my early twenties) but this is secondary OA from joint abnormalities caused by HMS and nothing to do with the autoimmune problems.

Having HMS dooesn't make you immune to other diseases - I personally think its just a coincidence...

By Anita on Friday, April 26, 2002 - 03:00 pm:

General note. My family history runs, nay, gallops! with arthritis. My mother and one of her sisters have RA whilst another of her sisters and my cousin have OA. The cousin (OA) and one aunt (RA) both are known to have suffered frm the age of twelve. They may be no proven link but twleve is very young to suffer excess wear and tear, and OA and RA seem to run pretty much side by side where I live!!!
Until I see a conclusive study I don't plan to be for or against a possible correlation.
After all, we were once told that BSE & CJD weren't linked!!!

By Becky on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 02:17 pm:

hi, the last post here was a while ago, but i was curious to read about RA as one of my very close friends is a sufferer and i know very little about the disease.

he's been told he has severe RA and is currently taking a huge number of drugs to help him, but the doctors refuse to try cortizone injections or any other alternative treatment as they belive there is 'no point', since they describe his joints as having gone through too much irreversible damage.

i know this is a website generally for HMS suffers (the reason i was reading in the first place is ive got EDS 3) he's only 37 and im really worried about him, especially reading about the death risk. i would be incredibly greatful for any help you could give me, or any sites you could direct me to.

thank you so much for any help,

Becky