Frequently Asked Questions

Rheumatologists often do chart biopsy to clinch the diagnosis. That being said, any previous rheumatological records are very valuable even if those are labs or XRays or  done several years ago. At your initial visit, please bring the following with you:

• Current medication list including prescription and over the counter drugs along with accurate dosage and frequency of intake
• Previous history of medications that were tried and stopped due to inefficiency or side effects
• Previous labs or XRays/ Ultrasound / CT / MRI. We try to request records from your other providers but oftentimes the request may get lost in the communication process despite best efforts. It helps a lot if you have a copy of your records that you can bring with you.
• Allergy History and the specific reaction that happened with the medications
• Family history of rheumatologic or autoimmune disease in any blood relatives
• Smoking or alcohol history
• New patient form listed at the bottom of the page OR complete the online questionnaire that is sent to you with the appointment reminder.

At your first visit, we perform a detailed history and examination often leading to an extensive blood work and imaging as needed based on the history and exam. Once we have all the results, we bring you in for a detailed discussion of the ongoing plan. Please note, that we also check a detailed infectious work up for most of our patients if there seems to be a need to start DMARDS (high risk rheumatologic medications) to ensure your safety. 

If you experience any joint pain which is long lasting, skin rash, Raynaud;s phenomenon, dryness in the eyes or mouth, chronic fatigue, malaise, positive labs such as ANA, RF, CCP, it is recommended to see a Rheumatologist sonner than later. Some of the disease are joint deforming and may also cuase organ damage and any delay in treatment may compromise the disease outcome. If you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to answer more questions.