Question: Yes, I began having joint pain in my knees and elbows along with a flu-like feeling five years ago. My joint pain has progressed and I have a lot of swelling and what appears to be connective tissue on my lower legs. I also have severe muscle pain in my legs. I have only had one or two rashes, but my XXXXXXX became positive in November of 2009 (It was negative in September '09). My rheumatologist told me I had undifferentiated collagen disorder along with osteoarthritis. I no longer have good health insurance and am afraid that I will be unable to walk in another year as my left leg is extremely painful and the right foot is very tender and I'm developing lumps on the superior aspect of the foot and tenderness on the ball of the foot. I am taking Prednisone and Percocet along with Methotrexate and now Fosamax. I am in constant pain. Is there anything else that should be done for me in the way of testing and/or treatment?

Oh, I am not familiar with hydroxychloroquine. How does this drug work? Unfortunately, I am waiting to see a Rheumatologist and I have been told I could wait up to a year. I recently ordered a kit from WWW.WWWW.WW and will be sending them a DNA sample from saliva. My sister found out that Familial Mediterranean Fever is something that showed on my father's side and that she is positive for it. She has back pain. I don't have back pain as my most debilitating symptom. I am currently taking 15 mg of Prednisone and I am never pain free. Occasionally I take an extra 5mg when I am really desperate, but I am becoming very concerned because I am getting much worse very rapidly. Do you think that FMF is a real possible explanation for my problem? I have no cartilage at all in either knee and I have an area on both hands that goes from the forefinger over to the ring finger and it must be an effusion - on both hands, worse on the right. I'm developing a silver dollar sized swelling on the right foot.

I think I was on Plaquinil in 2009 for about 4 months with no change in symptoms. But, I was on a much smaller dose of Prednisone and wasn't as sick. I have already had total knee done on the left - it didn't help. I still have more pain in the left knee than the right. I did have a fall a few weeks after the surgery and landed on that knee but Xrays didn't show a fracture. I have a large effusion in front and also fluid in the back side of both knees. It is difficult to put any weight on the left leg. I had a titanium and plastic implant due to nickel allergy. Anyway, this is my last question. Would the Plaquinil help now in coordination with the other drugs? I very much want to reduce the Prednisone but right now I just can't do it and function. I am already having trouble just walking across the room. I wear ace wraps on my knees and ankle wraps to stabilize the joints. Oh, I forgot to mention that I have had several episodes of corneal abrasions on the left eye and the eye doctor believes it is related to whatever collagen disorder I have. Does this seem like Lupus???