What Are Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis disease is whereby you experience periodic episodes of pain, swelling, warmth, and stiffness of joints. You have recurrent attacks of transient inflammation in and around the joint. The pain is usually focused on two or three joints. The pain can be very severe and it is difficult to find relief.

Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis is usually characterized by episodic articular, or periarticular pain. Joints that are affected are usually your fingers and knees. The pain may be intense but it does not stay for more than two or three days. The attacks can end as fast as they begin.
You can easily spot the specific pattern in these recurrent episodes of pain. In 60% of the cases of palindromic rheumatoid arthritis, pain-free periods may last for several weeks or months. In some cases, these attacks recur after years.

Rheumatoid factors in Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis

There are certain rheumatoid factors that may be present in some of the Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis patients. Some these rheumatoid factors include:

* It is the large joints that are most commonly afflicted in the recurrent episodes of attack.

* However, in the swelling of the periarticular tissues such as heel pads and finger pads, soft tissues are also involved.

* Aside from pain and swelling, the Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis patient may feel nodules just below the skin in subcutaneous tissues.

* Blood tests: If they indicate an elevation of the ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and CRP (C-reactive protein) level, it is a rheumatoid factor.

Treatment for Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis

It is difficult to treat palindromic rheumatoid arthritis. One of the main reasons is attributed to the transient nature of the episodes of pain and attack.

Even the anti-inflammatory medicines may not be very effective. However, what is usually prescribed are disease-modifying drugs such as hydroxyxhloroquine or methotrexate for Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis patients.

In all these cases, the treatment is symptomatic. As such, they do not address the root cause of palindromic rheumatoid arthritis. More research is now being conducted for this special form of rheumatoid arthritis disease. Hopefully, with more light shed on this disease, there can be a cure some day.