Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, and fever on exertion. Anyone else experienced this?

My MIL has osteoporosis, arthritis, and is on .5 mg. steroids everyday.
She has experienced weight loss and recurring fever for the last few months, and an unexplained fluctuation in Hb levels. Has anyone else experienced this? An affirmative answer will mean a lot of relief at our end. Her dumb doctor never informed her that she has arthritis, just wrote it in her medical file. We just found out - 4 years later!

I know steroids are not indicated for either of these conditions, that is why i m mad at the doctor, but my family thinks i play doctor too much. Thanks for this confirmation.

I don't know who or what MIL is.

Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the hearth. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts.

I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis for 27 years. The telling signs of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis are the following:
- Joint pain in the feet (or cracking ankles) in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor;
- Joint deformities of the fingers, over time, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Elevated levels of C-Reactive protein and Sedimentation rate, as evidenced in blood tests.

NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, and codeine are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis.

The use of cortisone (steroids) should be avoided, and gradually reduced under medical supervision, if at all possible, because it will cause osteoporosis and artery clogging (leading to hearth attacks!). NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) were developped to avoid using dangerous cortisone.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet.

For any form of arthritis, you should consult an Orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which you suffer.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (http://www.aaos.org) maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.

The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:

http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/member...

Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For more info, please join our group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...

What is she on the steroid for? Are you sure it is osteoporosis and osteoarthritis -- steriods are not indicated for either of those. But they are indicated for rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. PLEASE RESPOND.

The recurring fever could be because corticosteriods interfere with white blood cells so she is more likely to get infections which result in the fevers.

I highly recommend that you get her to a doctor (not the same one) as soon as possible - unexplained Hb levels and unexplained weight loss could be the symptoms of some serious problems.