Hi! I am new to this board and have had RA for about a year. I am old, at 67, to get this disease. I've been to see a rheumatologist at University of Pennsylvania twice since diagnosis by a local doctor. My RF reading was well over 450 at the beginning and is now 308. My sed rate is normal. My RA started with a parvovirus infection, which is still elevated on my blood tests. My x-rays of hands, fingers and wrists just taken last week show absolutely no signs of RA, perfectly normal joint structure with no nodes.
The doctor says that at present I may have "mild" RA perhaps brought on by the parvovirus infection which still exists. She has not put me on MTX yet, but wants to wait to see test results in February. I'm on ibuprofen 800 mgs three times a day for pain. I do have swelling and pain in my wrists and fingers, and on and off pain in my left shoulder. However, I also have the fatigue symptoms and morning stiffness which is hard because I am still working.
Has anyone had an elevated RF reading but absolutely no sign of joint damage after a year? And did anyone's RA start with an infection like parvovirus?
My blood test was a peptide test ?? ( I think thats what its called) 30 to 60 is positive I was 156, yet my sed rate was 10. I guess blood tests are just part of the diagnosis
They just tested the "rheumatoid factor" in my blood, don't know if that's the same thing. The outside normal reading is 13.0, so I'm obviously way above that, but I seem to be coming way down from the initial reading of 450. Don't know what to think, hope I'm getting the right treatment. Are you on any DMARDS yet?
Thanks for your response.
Carolean~If you have just been dx'ed with RA it's likely that you wouldn't have any damage due to RA that would be visable on your x-rays. Sometimes that takes years to show.
I'm not sure what coarse of treatment your doctor plans to take, but DMARD is the way to go. It will prevent or slow the damage and that is very important.
Welcome to AI. We're glad you're here.
Hi there: I was diagnosed in March of this year, a little old too at 60!! Anyway,funny thing you should mention parvovirus cos my doctor last year came back with this diagnosis after some blood work. I have often thought that this was the start but really have no proof. The symptoms of RA came on VERY suddenly although the diagnosis took longer. I have read since that there is possibly a connection between an infection and the onset of RA but we can't do much about it now. I am on Plaquinel and MTHX and symptoms are better compared to last year. The theory is that you start the aggressive treatment as soon as possible to stop the progression of the disease. I was very scared about starting the medication but this site has helped a lot and now I have chilled out a lot!! Hope you are feeling better. Gill MacDonaldWhat is yr CRP level?I am still not used to using this board, so I'll try to answer each of your responses in this one post.
To Lovie: My rheumatologist told me most of the damage happens within the first year. I have had RA for about 11 months with no damage. (So now I'm confused) Anyway, she is checking it all again in February, so I guess I'll just wait and see, unless I start getting worse. Thank you for welcoming me and for your informative response.
To Gill: Obviously our cases are very similar. My symptoms came on very suddently as well, about a week or two after I was exposed to parvovirus from my grandson who had Fifth's Disease. That's why the rheumatologist thinks the parvo caused the RA symptoms to start. If I no longer had high parvo readings, I think she would act more aggressively treating me for RA, but since I still do have the parvo infection, she is holding off for another short period. The high ibuprofen dosage is helping me a lot, though I have to take Prevacid and also take it with a full stomach to counteract the effect of that much ibuprofen on my stomach. Don't want to get ulcers too! I am scared of the meds, have read a lot about them and they are no picnic with side effects and allergic reactions, etc. However, if in February I still have symptoms, she will probably put me on MTX. Thank you so much for your response, I'm glad I found this board.
To HipHop (Cathy): If you mean C-Reactive Protein when you say "CRP," that is obviously normal, since the range is 0-4.9 and my reading is 1.6. Again, my sed rate is also within the mid-range of normal, the only elevated readings are the RA and parvo readings.
Thank you all for responding, you guys are great!
Carolean; I don't deny what your doctor says....everything you read will tell you that as well but in my case; and I imagine in others as well mine has progessed over time. It makes sense doesn't it? The longer you live with it the more damage you get? I think so anyway. Why they claim the damage only occurs early on is beyond me. I know they say that....but I have a difficult time believing it; especially considering my history.
I was officially dx'ed about 12 years ago. My most recent x-rays were about 2 months ago. They do show increased errosions....but my doctor and I both agree that it's minimal all things considered. I feel lucky to have been on DMARDS all these years and to have at least slowed the progression.
My x-rays showed errosions all along though and I'm seronegative...so go figure. This entire disease is confusing!! I'm not sure I'm ever going to fully understand it.
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Carolean
Glad that you joined our group...
I hope you enjoy your stay here.
Toni
Toni, thank you for your big BIG welcome!!!
Lovie, I'm with you about confusion. So many things I read completely negate other supposed facts, depending, I guess, on who's writing it. I feel I have to go with my rheumatologist's suggestions, I think she's somewhat hesitant to put me on DMARDS right away because the "elderly" (I'm 67) have a worse time with allergic reactions and side effects, since our immune systems are already weakening (again, from what I read, she didn't say that).
I also have to tell you, my sister had a positive RF reading (don't think it was very high) and RA symptoms in her hands over 15 years ago, went to a rheumatologist, and refused the meds because of the side effects. In other words, she was never treated. Today she has a lopsided thumb on one hand, but she never progressed beyond that. She has other problems, like spinal stenosis which totally collapsed a huge part of her spine (she lost over four inches in height in six months) but that is from osteoporosis, not from RA.
I don't understand how you could be seronegative and have no RF abnormalities in your blood and yet still have RA, but I know that it happens. So all in all, it's one mysterious affliction, that's for sure.
Again, thanks for your response, I am taking it all to heart. You folks who have been living with this for years probably know more than all the doctors combined. (And, as you probably know, doctors don't really listen.)