RA diagnosed... But for sure?

I should add one thing - my GP said she was surprised but my inflammatory markers were low. Not sure what that would refer to, or its significance.

My PCP suspected RA and it was confirmed by my Rheumatologist with blood tests and X-rays. Since your GP already did the testing I imagine your Rheumy will begin treatment. As well as follow-up. Good luck on treatment. I hope they find what works best for you and I pray you are able to achieve remission as soon as possible!

Hi Ann

good to hear you now have a rheumy appointment.thanks for keeping us updated.

Having a positive rh factor is only part of diagnosis. The rheumy consultant will no doubt check joints and ask questions. Normally if there s a lot of swelling there would be high inflammation markers in your blood test too(they call it crp level on your blood results) so that is why gp is puzzled. But almost no 2 people have the same experience with this disease- or response to treatments.

This website is brilliant for info on RA including what to expect at first appointment.  NRAS.  

A lot has changed now as to how early RA is treated. There are much better outcomes than in previous generations. Maybe your dad already has joint damage but current new meds are very effective .

all the best 

Bless you sounds like it welcome to the world of ra I don't think I have had a morning in the last five years I haven't woken in pain , I still work all be it part time I am steadily working my way through the drugs regime they work for a time then I flare or get painful side effects and have to start another I have put on a lot of weight because of the constant steroids and lost my relationship and social life to this disease I would suggest it is prudent to get a good physiologist your gonna need it good luck x

I am positive for RF and off the scale for anti-CCP. However, my ESR and CRP levels are never elevated and my pain is often just on one side.

I've discussed this with my specialist on a few occasions and he simply told me that everyone is different. When talking about the symetical side of things, he said that many patients have a-symetrical symptoms due to the fact that they favour one side of their body more and that many of the 'defining symptoms' that physicans refer to today during diagnosis were set by physicians half a century ago. With regards to inflammation markers, he said that they are not always elevated and that my 'baseline' may be on the low end of normal. So 'middling levels' in my blood could actually be raised. However, I don't have an identical twin, so we have no control to measure this guess against.

It's not silly at all to question a diagnosis - I was in denial for a long time (and still am to some degree), so my atypicall bloodwork and symptom pathology didn't help. However, anti-CCP is a highly specific test for RA, making it extremerly likely that this is the cause of my sickness. That, combined with the fact that RA medications (hydroxychloroquine, methotrexate and steroids) have each managed to dampen down my symptoms.

An important thing to note though is that years ago, diagnoses were slow coming. That meant that much damage was done to the joint before treatment began. These days, faster diagnosis means that treatment begins quicker and much damage can often be (if not prevented enitrely) slowed.

I'm hopeful for the future - mine was caught early and is responding well. Not everyone is as lucky as me, but every day researchers are assessing new ways to help make our lives a little easier.

Hope that helps

Vic