Dr. Aaron Broadwell

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Very different: Mixed connective tissue disease is a specific disease characterized by a combo of symptoms with a high titer rnp antibody. Lupus is the prototype con... Read More

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 25-year-old female asked:

Does ra patients have osteoporosis?what is the difference between ra and osteoporosis?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Different diseases: Ra is an autoimmune disease which affects the joints and causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. Osteoporosis is an asymptomatic disease of brittle bon... Read More

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Dr. Arnold Beresh agrees1 doctor agrees

A 40-year-old male asked:

For my waist, hip and leg pain which kind of orthopedist doctor should i consult ? like rheumatology, musculoskeletal, bone trauma etc..

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Sports Med or NS: For your age, id try a sports medicine doctor. If it seems to be coming from the back, i'd see a neurosurgeon to do an mri.

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 31-year-old female asked:

Ebv igg extremely high positive, low positive rhumetoid, sed rate. i have also significantly high alt. what could it be? i'm referred to rhumetology

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Anything: Ebv igg just means that you have been exposed to mono in the past. It doesn't mean anything recent- that's igm. With positive rheumatoid factor and s... Read More

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 31-year-old member asked:

I have osteoporosis but it acts like symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. what should i do?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Talk with doctor: Osteoporosis does not hurt! it is a completely painless disease until you break something. This is not what is causing your symptoms.

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 41-year-old female asked:

Terrible pain in arms and legs, low grade fever pain bad enoigh cannot bear weight at times.family history psa & ra could it be rheumatology issue?15yr old

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Yes: Could definitely be a rheumatology issue. Could be jia (juvenile idiopathic arthritis- either associated with psoriasis or not). Could be other thin... Read More

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 42-year-old member asked:

Is it possible for ejaculating more often to lower my uric acid levels?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

No: This would not significantly change your uric acid levels.

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Dr. Stephen Chinn agrees1 doctor agrees

A 50-year-old member asked:

Is there a blood test to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Sometimes : The rheumatoid factor and ccp can help diagnose ra, but these lab tests are not perfect. A rheumatologist can diagnose you however.

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Dr. Arnold Beresh and 2 doctors agree3 doctors agree

A 47-year-old female asked:

My mother's age is 48 years and she is suffering from fever for last 3-4 days and her creatinine is 1.2 and uric acid is 6.4. is this normal or not?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Yes: Neither the creatinine (kidney function) or the uric acid (can be associated with gout) are too abnormal and neither is associated with fevers.

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4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 41-year-old female asked:

Mother had lupus and died suddenly of autoimmune hemolytic anemia that caused cardiogenic shock.is that a lupus thing or do i need 2 worry. i have ra?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Lupus: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia can be part of lupus. You so not have to worry about aha if you have RA however.

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Dr. Jeffrey Bowman agrees1 doctor agrees

A 25-year-old female asked:

Been prescribed calcium carbonate for osteoporosis - heard this isn't the best absorbed - what is? i'm on two 600mg split doses.

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Calcium: You can take calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Make sure and follow the directions on the bottle as to whether or not to take it with food. Natu... Read More

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Dr. Jeffrey Bowman and another doctor agree2 doctors agree

A 53-year-old female asked:

Consistently low to low norm c3 and c4. (sle). hosp with severe infection. c3 and c4 increase a lot. why? please explain.

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Complements: Complements are parts of the immune system. Lupus activity decreases complements. Infection causes a rise in complements in general. They are termed... Read More

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3.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 45-year-old female asked:

I have a painful finger. ra tests were negative . might it be gout? it has hurt for six weeks and is particularly painful and stiff in the mornings.

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Unlikely: If you are premenopausal and have normal kidneys, gout is very unlikely. Ra tests are not always positive in ra. Do you have psoriasis or is there pa... Read More

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 59-year-old female asked:

Will knee arthritis make the bone/ muscles running down the front of my legs ache/hurt?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Yes: It definitely can. It may be radiating pain or you might be using your leg muscles differently to protect your aching knees.

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A 17-year-old female asked:

Positive for hla-b27.this procedure rules out the b27:06 & 27:09 alleles which lit suggests arent associated w/ spondyloarthropathies.what this mean?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Spondyloarthritis: Hlab27 is a generic marker that is in 8% of the caucasian population. Many people with diseased called spondyloarthropathies (ankylosing spondylitis,... Read More

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A female asked:

What would be the best treatment for my rheumatoid arthritis? i am presently taking prednisone, plaquenil, methotrexate shots, and actemra infusions. as has been the case in the past, i have built up a resistance to the actemra. in the past i have taken

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

What else taken?: If you have not take orencia, (abatacept) Rituxan or xeljanz, those are options. You can also add Arava to your methotrexate, but you must watch the ... Read More

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Dr. Yash Khanna agrees1 doctor agrees

A 27-year-old female asked:

Is there any treatment for nail psoriasis?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Multiple treatments : Tnf inhibitors improve the vast majority of nail psoriasis. Some data with Leflunomide and Methotrexate as well. Nothing topical.

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 17-year-old male asked:

Heart pounds significantly harder (around rate of 180) during exercise than b4, even during mild physical exertions. mild chest discomfort.

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

See a doctor: While the possibility if benign conditions are there, you should see a doctor to evaluate those conditions to make sure nothing serious is going on. I... Read More

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Dr. Harry Dollahite agrees1 doctor agrees

A 26-year-old male asked:

My uric acid is very high 9.

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Gout?: You may or may not develop gout. Limit alcohol, red meat, and shellfish intake and try to keep a normal weight.

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A 22-year-old female asked:

I have lupus and my joints are pretty painful today. what can i do? i already took 1 aleve (naproxen) but it's not working...

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Talk to physician: Talk to your physician about other treatment possibilities including other anti-inflammatories, steroids, or other drugs like methotrexate.

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3.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 25-year-old female asked:

Many ra drugs can cause osteoporosis, as well as lack of activity. there are drugs to prevent this!what ra drugs cuz osteoporosis and what to prevent?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Steroids: Steroids are the main drugs that cause osteoporosis in RA treatment. The current recommendations are that if you are going to be on higher amounts of... Read More

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4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 24-year-old member asked:

Blood work results: "elevated rheumatoid factor & ccp c/w ra; elevated jo 1 (34h) & anti histone (1.2h) antibodies, mng" what should this mean to me?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

See a rheumatologist: The rf and ccp would suggest RA strongly: the jo-1 can go along with polymyositis, but your rheumatologist would need to see if they thought you have... Read More

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Dr. Thomas Namey and 3 doctors agree4 doctors agree

A 30-year-old member asked:

How does rheumatoid arthritis cause osteoporosis?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Not directly : It increases the risk of osteoporosis. A large risk factor is if steroids are used in ra.

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Dr. Arnold Beresh agrees1 doctor agrees

A 23-year-old female asked:

My"normal temp is 96.6 my whole life but right now i have a chill(it's warm out) and my oral temp is 98.3 would that mean i have a fever?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Not a fever: Temperature fluctuation below 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) are not fevers and are fairly nonspecific. This does not mean that you are... Read More

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Dr. Susan Arnoult agrees1 doctor agrees

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A 38-year-old member asked:

Which is the main difference between rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gouty arthritis?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

All different : Osteoarthritis is a 'wear and tear' type of disease. Gout is due to having too much uric acid in your body. Ra is your immune system attacking your ... Read More

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Dr. Yash Khanna agrees1 doctor agrees

A 35-year-old member asked:

What kind of multi-vitamin should a person with rheumatoid arthritis take?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Nothing special: Whatever you would take otherwise. If you are on Methotrexate and the multivitamin has Folic Acid in it, make sure and tell your doctor.

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4.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Arnold Beresh and another doctor agree2 doctors agree

A 33-year-old female asked:

How can i be sure that i have rheumatoid arthritis or gout?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

See a Rheumatogist: Both are very clinical diagnoses (a doctor looking at you and your whole story) and labs don't tell the whole story. Only a rheumatologist will be ab... Read More

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 40-year-old female asked:

Rheumatology appt in week, bad muscle weakness, have taken 2 doses prednisone for mild bronchitis. if i stop can it still affect test results i.e. cpk?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Ok: A couple of doses of Prednisone should not affect your cpk.

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A 35-year-old male asked:

Does high severity in ra, 17 joints inflamd high serum rf and ccp, no remission and chronic anemia despite high therapy, lead to morbidity n mortality?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Yes: All of those factors have been shown to increase morbidity and mortality.

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Dr. Arnold Beresh and 2 doctors agree3 doctors agree

A 46-year-old member asked:

I have gout symptoms but no uric acid, what to do?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Recheck: Uric acid levels can normalize during an attack. Make sure levels are being checked outside of flare instances. Also, anything above 6 is high.

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 45-year-old female asked:

I've heard that if you carry a lupus gene, that it takes a major trauma to make it start attacking your body. is this true? where can i find the info?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Not really: There is no identified one 'lupus gene'. Of the many genetic tendencies, none of them make you 100% get lupus. Also, there is no evidence of traumat... Read More

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Dr. Keshab Paudel agrees1 doctor agrees

A 22-year-old female asked:

Is taking supplements such as omga-3, fish oil, glucosamine and vitamin c sufficient enough to ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

No: While these can be helpful to help the pain, they will not stop joint distraction and disability. This requires dmard medications and/or biologics.

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Dr. Arnold Beresh and another doctor agree2 doctors agree

A female asked:

Why do people with rheumatoid arthritis get scleritis so often? my mom has ra and also always seems to have eye problems, particularly scleritis flare-ups. why is this so common in ra patients?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Not too common: The sclera, just like the joint lining, is a connective tissue. The same immune response can happen in the eye as well. Scleritis is becoming more ... Read More

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Dr. Jeffrey Bowman agrees1 doctor agrees

A 31-year-old member asked:

Do you think or might know if long term alcoholism could cause severe rheumatoid arthritis?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Not directly: Alcohol intake has little to do with the development of ra, but poor dental hygiene and smoking both have been associated with an increased risk of ra... Read More

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 23-year-old female asked:

How would i know if i have nerve damage or nerve inflammation in my thenar muscle? what are the symptoms?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Exam, emg/ncv: A good history and exam by a doctor as well as a possible EMG/nerve conduction test can be used to come down to this diagnosis. Symptoms could includ... Read More

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4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A member asked:

How should i exercise my fingers that are starting to have enlarged knuckles due to ra? 56 year old female, only medication is zocor (simvastatin) 20 mg. for cholosterol. take calicum 1200 mg, and fish oil 1000 mg.

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

ROM: Work on keeping range of motion and strength. You could use silly putty or other squeezable material.

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Dr. Jeffrey Bowman agrees1 doctor agrees

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A 27-year-old female asked:

Is it possible to have systemic manifestations of ra- problems with eyes, vasculitis, rashes before problems with joints? ana 1:160, anti ccp igg: 63

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Yes: It is possible, but not very common. If it is ra, the joints should be months or a year or two behind.

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Dr. Yash Khanna agrees1 doctor agrees

A 49-year-old member asked:

How can i treat high uric acidity without drugs?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Diet, weight loss: Diet (avoiding high purine foods such as alcohol, red meat, shellfish), weight loss. This will only be able to decrease uric acid by 1-2 at the most.... Read More

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4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 68-year-old member asked:

How does one distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from any other kind or from unlabeled aches&pains?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Many ways: Ra has joint swelling and usually an hour or more of morning stiffness. Ra can sometimes have positive blood tests. If the wrists or large knuckles ... Read More

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Dr. Arnold Beresh agrees1 doctor agrees

A 45-year-old female asked:

Is there a medical team or institution that is uniquely specialized in working out complicated diagnoses unfamiliar to most doctors that involve endocrinology, rheumatology, and possibly other areas?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Mayo Clinic: I would use mayo clinic. They have campuses in minnesota, florida, and arizona.

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4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 44-year-old member asked:

Who deals with rheumatology?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Rheumatologists: Rheumatologists deal with rheumatology. We are primarily trained on how to treat improperly acting immune systems (as in ra).

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4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

A 35-year-old male asked:

What high values of anti ccp are seen in ra patients ? is there numbers at 300s or 400s or even more? my wife's was 250. how severe? is it highest ?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

250 is usually high: Different labs have different scales, but 250 is the highest my lab (quest) even goes. That is a high result in any lab and strongly suggests ra.

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Dr. Ronald Krauser and another doctor agree2 doctors agree

A 43-year-old member asked:

Can you tell me what is the best remedy for rheumatoid arthritis ?

Internal Medicine 16 years experience

Many: The most important part of RA is to be on disease modifying therapy. Every patient is different. Drugs like methotrexate, enbrel, (etanercept) humir... Read More

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4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago