Hi guys,
I am a 24 yr old recently diagnosed with RA after about a month of stiffness and soreness everywhere. Can anyone tell me what my test results mean whether they are high or low. Rheumatoid Factor 425, Rose Waaler Titre 64, ESR 53, CRP 20. I have pain very bad every morning but it usually lasts all day and gradually eases at night when i go to bed. But I also wake with pain during the night. I am on plaquenil at the moment. I tried Naprosyn but had an allergic reaction to it, so my doc put me on mobic which does nothing at all for me. My Doc really wants me to go on Prednisone but i really don't like that option. My life revolves around sport and this is devastating me....if anyone has any suggesstions or information on the best way to get back to my old lifestyle i am keen to hear..
Thanks Everyone... Wish You all Well
Emma
I'm not sure how to read the test results other than the fact that based on those results is how they diagnose RA. I'm sorry I'm not much help with that but I do understand you wanting to get back to your normal life. I too am a very active person and this was devastating to me as well. My doc put me on 20mg MTX a week and I'm starting to get that energy level back again (A little afraid to overdue it so I don't do as much as I used to). I understand your passionate need to get back there, being only 24. I'm 41 and if I go back to that age and with an RA diagnosis, I don't think I would have handled it as well as I am now. Good luck to you and hope you stick around.
Jackie
Hi Emma,
You've come to the right place for support and information. I started with symptoms in March and am still trying to get this pain under control.
I was on Prednisone from March until just this past month. The Prednisone will make you feel a lot better. It is not a cure and you can't stay on it for a long period of time. It has a lot of nasty side effect but when the pain get bad enough it can be your "best friend"
You might try the Pred for awhile and see how you feel until they find a Med for you where you won't need it.
I don't know about blood level. I don't test positive for RA but have the full blown symptoms as do alot of people with Ra.
There's some good info here at the beginning of this message board. Do as much research as you can. Knowledge is power!
Good Luck Emma, welcome to the board
KAT
Jackie, I am almost fifty and I want my old self back. I can't handle it at my age
Emma, I hate prednisone but short term use does not hurt. It is long term that does the damage. It does cause weight gain if you are not active but it may help you become more active. Keep up on the med. management because it can get so much worse.
There is a really good website that you can go to for understanding your stats. I will find it and come back and post it. Where did you put it Wayney
Staci--My rheumy told me that RF, anti-CCP and sed rate were the biggest indicators in the beginning--the diagnosis stage. Then they watch the sed rate and CRP (whatever that is) every month to see how the meds are doing. To give you an idea, in the beginning my RF was 276 (normal 0-20), sed rate 92 (normal 0-30) and anti-CCP 385 (normal <20.) Now that I'm on meds, my CRP was last read at 0.3 (normal 0.0-0.5 .) In the beginning, it was 60.0. The sed rate is down to 14. So all is well.
Emma, Go back one page and go to useful links. There is one on blood tests, lab results and several other good links. Thanks Wayney for posting them. Let us know what you decide to do Emma. Take Care.Hi Emma: A note re the Plaquinel. I was diagnosed last March and immediately advised to take Plaquinel plus MTHX (the MTHX I declined and didn't start it in combination for another 4 months). I felt that the Plaquinel kicked in at around 2 months, mainly reducing the inflammation and stiffness. I have started the MTHX approx 6 weeks ago and still waiting for more relief, although I am not in dire pain right now, just still some stiffness, and sore feet but compared to the pain I was in last year, well there's no comparison. I am pretty active still so hang in there, it takes time to feel the benefits of the meds although it seems that Prednisone is used as an immediate pain reliever when necessary, I have never taken it so can't comment. I probably needed it last year but was waiting for the diagnosis and didn't get much help along the way. The site will help you a lot, I learn more here than at the doctors!! Gill MacDonaldThis site explains lab tests better than I've seen elsewhere and deserves to be bookmarked/listed as a favorite:
http://www.labtestsonline.org/
I understand your reluctance to try prednisone. Personally, it is my lifesaver -- and I keep it at a fairly low dosage. I had gotten to the point that I could not function at all -- and prednisone went from being "no way" to "bring it on."
I can tell you with the newer drugs, your chances of improvement are much better than in any time in history. Breakthroughs come very frequently now -- and I live in hope that one day there will be a cure.
Patience is the hardest virtue to come by with these diseases -- and it is the virtue we need most.
IslandWoman--
What a great site! Thank you for sharing it. Taught me a few things for sure. For example, I didn't know ESR and sed rate were the same test. duh. Very cool.
I've book marked it! Thanks so much.Hi Emma and welcome to the board!
I don't know how to interpret those results especially because I really dont' remember what my numbers were when I got my first blood tests done. However, the only one that sounds somewhat familiar is the ESR, and I believe that mine was somewhat around there or a little higher when I first got the tests done.
In regards to painkillers, there are many different ones that the doctor can put you on....if the mobic isn't working, you should ask the doctor to try you on a different pill..hopefully you can find one that works for you.
It's a long and frustrating road, but it's not nearly as bad as it could be, just remember to always look on the bright side!
Welcome to the board...post again!
Brit
I am 32 yrs old and have RA and 2 other autoimmuned diseases too and im pretty depressed at moment with the RA as in horrific pain throughout body as had my thrid son 8 weeks ago and for last 3 weeks had flare up throughout body. I have just started DMARDS and NSAIDS of Dicloflex and Salzopherine and no good so far but early days yet - but the only one thing that helps with the flare up and pain and thats PREDNISILONE - anything from 5mg to 10mg which are very low doses will help me a hell of a lot. First time i took them my hands where both clawed and couldn't open them and feet couldn't walk, shoulders, knees etc in severe pain and took pred at 5pm and no lie by 9pm that same night I could open hands for first time in months without pain and was crying with relief that this simple tablet made me better ! Was 7 months pregnatn too at time so you imagine the depression that was hanging over me !
Anyway - still taking the PRED but I go from 2.5 up to 20 on bad days and the only side effects i have had is loosing my temper a lot quicker on husband and family and feeling a bit down - but to me you have to decide - take PRED and have pain relief or don't take it and be in pain plus the depression that comes with being in pain too. Id rather take it and at least one less thing!
Hope you let us know what you decide .
I have gained so much information, help and advise from all the other people on here this site its fantastic. I feel unless you actually have this yourself you would never know the pain it causes.
GOod luck
Chelybel; I feel the exact same way as you with Predisone. The first time I took it I knew nothing about it. I didn't know to be afraid of it...I just took it like the doctor said. With in 24 hours I made remarkable progress. I would DEFINATELY advise it Emma. It will make a dramatic difference very quickly.Lovie - its peace of mind isn't it that when you are in pain - you know that there is something that WILL WORK!!!
That's the truth....I've been doing this more than 11 years now and it's never failed me.
I've never stayed on it more than a month or so...never had to. Just short courses to get me through now and then.
I know I can count on it.