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Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation
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SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Rheumatology
Doctor Q&A
218 Answers
103 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
SSA / Ro status: The most important thing (besides making sure your medications are all compatible with pregnancy) is to know your ssa antibody status (sometimes calle... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Color change: Raynaud's phenomenon is a color change in the skin, usually the tips of the fingers. It is often brought on by exposure to cold, and can be painful i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Fast: Steroid responses often occur in just a few days.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Possibly: Sometimes arthritis in a joint can cause nearby muscles to become irritated. This can also happen on the opposite side from the bad joint, as you beg... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Personal choice: Most arthritis creams work on the idea of a "pain gate, " in which the cream causes a tingle or mild burning sensation that prevents the nerves from c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Fracture: The main risk of osteoporosis is that the bones will break too easily.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
It's on the box: Every box should have an expiration date stamped on it.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Inflammatory spine: Ankylosing spondylitis (as) is an inflammatory form of arthritis that tends to strike the low back and sometimes the hips. In severe or long-duration... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 56-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Need more testing: The images from a DEXA scan should not be used to make a diagnosis regarding anything other than the bone density.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Group of tests: An "autoimmune panel" is a group of blood tests used to evaluate a person for the possibility of several autoimmune diseases. It is important to reme... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Fracture: A pseudoarthrosis ("false joint") occurs when a bone breaks and thus allows movement to occur at that location.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Willpower: Prednisone is an appetite stimulant. Watch what you eat -- it will sneak up on you! the drug does also cause some water retention, that part can't b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Maybe: It would not be common at this low dose, but it is not impossible.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Yes: This is longer than it should take for the flare to improve.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Injured vs Inflamed: A shoulder strain is any minor temporary damage to any shoulder structure, usually by overuse or injury and commonly called a "pulled shoulder." tend... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Lots of treatments: There are many treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis, see a rheumatologist to help you pick the one(s) that fit you best.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 58-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Usually doesn't help: While many patients with various forms of arthritis will often report improvement with a change in climate (warm dry vacation, for example), these eff... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Bursitis for sure?: Are we certain that bursitis is the only possible answer? If you have had 2 weeks of continued pain despite attempts to treat (nsaid gel), this is so... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Careful!: You should never use a medication, even over the counter, more often than the label directs. Too much tylenol (acetaminophen) can be harmful. A deep... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Variable: Different forms of arthritis can hurt with different "triggers." time of day, weather conditions, activity, and the like can all make a difference. T... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Need Expert Eval: These tests are suggestive, but a diagnosis of lupus requires an in-person evaluation, preferably by an expert in lupus. The disease can look differen... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Steroid-sparing: We call Methotrexate a steroid-sparing drug because it can often take the place of Prednisone in the long term. I do agree with the other md who ment... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Just a screening: An "ana" is a blood test used to screen a person for the possibility of several autoimmune diseases. It is important to remember that this is a scree... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Unrelated: These two things are not related to each other in any reliable predictable way.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Is soft tissue reumatisism , the same thing as fibromyagia, or they r two different diseases? thanks
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Different: Soft tissue rheumatism is a broad diagnostic category. Fibromyalgia is a specific diagnosis.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Not Known: While it is generally agreed that the key problem in avn is compromised blood flow to the bone, the mechanism by which corticosteroid use contributes ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Many Possibilities: Hip pain can come from a lot of places, and you need an evaluation to figure it out. Be sure to tell the md what you mean when you say "hip." is it ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
No and Yes: Cold exposure by itself is not believed to get arthritis started, but many arthritis sufferers feel worse in the cold.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Maybe: The only way to know this would be to prove that the cause of the pregnancy loss was clotting which interrupted blood flow to the fetus. This can onl... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Crystal Buildup: Gout is a buildup of crystals called monosodium urate. These crystals form inside the joints, and are very irritating, thus the symptoms. Several me... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Diet and exercise: The most important ways to preserve good bone health (for a 31-year-old woman like the person who posed this question) are to be sure there is enough ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Need to be seen: There are many types of joint inflammation, and thus treatment needs to be tailored to your specific case. See your doctor!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Nobody Knows: Although osteoarthritis is commonly thought of as "wear and tear, " we are learning more and more that this is also a problem of cartilage biology. W... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Depends: For some people in whom the problem is a misalignment of the knee, a knee brace can be quite helpful. It doesn't work for everyone, and works best if... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Go Get Seen: Black and/or bloody stools may indicate a serious condition. It is possible that long term steroids have left the stomach vulnerable and bleeding is ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Doctors: Doctors don't agree how much vitamin d is needed, and the blood test for "normal" may not be right.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Yes: Some forms of arthritis do attack the sacroiliac (si) joints, and this damage can be permanent. For most people, however, even a complete fusion of t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 66-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Post-infectious: Many types of infections can be accompanied by joint pain. This is usually a situation that corrects itself over time, though recovery can be long (w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Complex: Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease in which the body is attacking its own tissue. Lupus is famous for affecting different people in different ways... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Lots of treatments: There are many treatment options for psoriatic arthritis, see a rheumatologist to help you pick the one(s) that fit you best.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Neg test when: Some pregnancy tests require you to be a certain number of days late before they are sensitive enough to detect pregnancy. Testing on your first late... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Poorly Named Test: If your "lupus anticoagulant" test is positive, it indicates that your blood may clot more easily than it should (long story on the reason for the bac... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Drug side effect: Some medications can cause those who take them to develop symptoms that look exactly like lupus. Stopping the offending drug usually fixes the proble... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
No: Pulmonary hypertension is difficult to diagnose. The recognized best method is by direct pressure measurement from within the circulatory system itse... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Unlikely: Without skin problems and raynaud's, scleroderma is not very likely. Also might need more testing beyond just ana... ANA is only the screening test.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
None Proven: Vitamins and other dietary supplements are generally backed by little if any evidence in the treatment of disease.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Joint pain: "rheumatism" is an older term, not used much today. Most people are referring to pain and swelling in the joints when they use this term. People may... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Only a screening: An "ana" is a blood test used to screen a person for the possibility of several autoimmune diseases. It is important to remember that this is a scree... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Maybe Not: Methotrexate does not work very well for spondyloarthropathies, but there is a chance that it would reduce the odds of developing drug-inactivating an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Arthur Mandelinanswered
Rheumatology 22 years experience
Lots of symptoms: Symptoms can vary from person to person and the list is so long i would exceed the maximum reply size this site allows, but the "big ones" are constan... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
3
Recommendations
291
Thank you notes
Mar 26, 2015
Great doctor. Consistently gives thoughtful, insightful and expert advice.
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Mandelin is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Mandelin is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! Thank you very much for your advice. Yes temgesic is probably just a European name but subutex, well both are buprenorphine.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you for this. I've never known what caused this and thought a possible autoimmune disorder.
HealthTap member
Thanks, I have of in both knees and am going to physio. I try not to take so muc but it gets to the point of tears they hurt so bad
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Rosalind Franklin University - Chicago Medical School
Graduated 2002MD
Medical/Graduate school
Rosalind Franklin University - Chicago Medical School
Graduated 2001MD
Residency
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Residency
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Awards
Thought Leader, Second Place, Chicago, IL - Winter
2013
Top Rheumatologist , First Place, Illinois - Winter
2013
HealthTap Founding Doctor
Affiliations
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Publications
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