• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center

Show Search
Hide Search
  • Disease Information
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Gout
    • Osteoporosis
  • Patient Corner
    • Drug Information Sheets
    • Managing Your Arthritis
    • RheumTV – Patient Education Video Library
  • Our Research
    • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
    • Current Research Studies
    • The Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education Fund
  • About Us
    • Appointment Information
    • Contact Us
    • Our Faculty
    • Our Staff
    • Rheumatology Specialty Centers
  • Donate
Home / Ask the Expert / What do I have?

What do I have?

April 10, 2007 By Arthritis Center

Question

I have some questions about a couple of different kinds of arthritis. According to the local emergency room, I have “strep arthritis”. My regular doctor, whom they told me to follow up with said I had “post infectious arthritis” but then wrote that I have “post inflammatory arthritis”. I am so confused as to what is the true diagnosis and how to figure that out. I’ve been trying to get in to another doctor for a second opinion but haven’t had any luck so far. Further information that might help is that my streptozyme level was positive. My STZ Titer is 200. My throat culture for strep was negative. My SED Rate is 33. My White Blood Cell count is normal as are all other blood tests at this time. Symptoms include sudden onset, severe pain in the shoulders, knees and several minor joints (ankles, wrists, elbows, etc.) about two weeks ago now. The pain sort of floats around and does not stay steady in one joint but is predominately in the shoulders every day. With pain medication the pain is tolerable but not gone. Without pain medication I cannot even undress myself. Any help anyone could give me is appreciated.

Answer

I can’t comment directly on your situation, but here are some general concepts. Arthritis can develop after a strep infection. Usually the infection is a throat or upper respiratory infection. Joint pain and swelling occurs 2 to 4 weeks AFTER the infection and is related to your body’s immune response to the infection. Anti-inflammatories are used and in general the arthritis improves over a 6 week period of time. If symptoms persist, I would try to see a rheumatologist.

Arthritis Center

Founded in 1998, the Arthritis Center at Johns Hopkins is dedicated to providing quality education to patients and healthcare providers alike.

Primary Sidebar

Ask The Expert Topics

  • Alternative Therapies
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Associated With Other Illnesses
  • Bursitis and Tendinitis
  • Corticosteroids
  • Diet and Exercise
  • Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
  • Enteropathic Arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • General Arthritis
  • Gout, Pseudogout, Other
  • Infectious Arthritis
  • Myositis
  • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Reactive Arthritis
  • Regional Pain: Back and Neck
  • Rehabilitation
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Surgical Therapy
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  • Systemic Sclerosis
  • Vasculitis
RheumTV Logo

Rheum.TV is an informational platform created to educate patients living with a rheumatic disease. With over 100 disease education videos produced by the team at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology.

Visit Rheum.TV

Footer

Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

  • Johns Hopkins Rheumatology
  • Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
  • Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center
  • Johns Hopkins Myositis Center
  • Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center
  • Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Syndrome Center
  • Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Johns Hopkins Medicine

© 2023 Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center
Patient Privacy