Quote Originally Posted by Onix View Post
My grandmother has some type of arthritis. I'm not sure if it is rheumatoid arthtitis. I will call her. Hmm. Gosh, I hope it isn't that. I am in my twenties. When does it normally have onset? Hmm.
Inflammtory (autoimmune) arthritis can strike at any age. Women are more likely to develop it than men. Many women are diagnosed in their child bearing years. I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis when I was 16. 11 years later...

While there is believed to be a genetic component to some types of inflammatory arthritis (psoriatic, ankylosing spondylitis), you can have it without a family history of the disease.

If you can't tolerate aspirin, try Aleve. It's an NSAID (non steroidal antiinflammatory drug)

Symptoms of inflammatory arthritis:
1. Swelling in the joints
2. Pain
3. Fatigue
4. Stiffness, particularly in the morning, lasting 30 minutes or longer.


If it is inflammatory arthritis, the treatments now are FAR better than they were 11 years ago. So, it's not the horrible diagnosis it used to be. Still sucks, but it's manageable, especially with early diagnosis and treatment.