Saw Dr today for official lab results | Arthritis Information

I saw the doctor today that ordered all the lab work for arthritis. He said I am borderline, slightly elevated Rheumatoid factor and he's refering me to a rheumatologist at Ohio State University. I should be hearing from them. He said I'm probably at the beginning stages of rheumatoid arthritis and he wants me to get treatment started right away before it gets worse and the doctor he's refering me to is a specialist that has dealt with people at the beginning stages of it. Thank you all for you advice. What type of treatments do they do and what can this arthritis do to the body? My doctor ordered a bunch of other blood work today also to check my thyroid, check for anemia and my liver.
Katina

It's good you're getting early help Katina....also good your not getting the run around while they decide if you do or do not have RA. Some of these doctors wait far too long to decide to call it RA.

Years ago I started out with Predisone, Sulfersalizine and Naperson (or some antinflamitory...can't remember which one) Over the years I added more and more; changed several times and eventually "worked up" to stronger DMARDS like MTX and now Humira as well. For me that worked really well. It delayed the stronger, more toxic medications until they were absolutly nessesary while at the same time slowing the progression. Hopefully you will be able to manage on a simular treatment plan. Not everyone can manage on milder DMARDS such as sulfersalizine; but in my opinion the longer you can delay the stronger ones the better off you'll be.

Thanks to a positive treatment plan I have very little joint errosions; although I do have some. My RA has progressed....and I now also have OA; but the prognosis is promising. Don't panic. You'll still be able to have a very good life. Try to stay positive....and stick around here. Your friends here will become some of your best.

Hang in there.

Lovie

Excellent that your doctor is referring you to rheumatologist. He's right - the earlier you get into treatment the greater your chances of halting further damage to your joints. RA is a progressive disease. Generally speaking, there's no going back and making things normal once the damage is done.

You asked several questions that would take volumes and volumes to write answers to. I believe that being proactive in your treatment plan ensures a better success rate. Now in order to be proactive you need to learn all you can about the disease, its process, its treatment, drugs....list is endless. My suggestion is to "google" the term "rheumatoid arthritis" and select and read the links that appear to be by reputable universities, med schools, and bona-fide arthritis organizations. YOu might also want to google "knee anatomy" [or whatever joint is bothering you now] so that you have a basic understanding of the components of that joint. Odds are you won't understand all you read - not to worry because in time you will.

Still, let me give you a couple answers:

Bloodwork: Once a diagnosis for RA is made, it's still important to do regular bloodwork to check on the body's vital systems. Now they'll want a "baseline" - after that they'll be checking to monitor several things, but probably mainly your liver. You see, many of the more common drugs used in the treatment of arthritis do cause some wear and tear on the liver. By monitoring your liver function values they can always tell if you're handling the meds well or whether they need to make a change in drugs.
Treatments: They vary depending on the extent of your arthritis, your tolerance for medications, and your lifestyle, among other things. In the early stages the least potent oral drugs are used. If the arthritis is not halted more potent drugs are used, and so forth. Sometimes the drugs are in injection form. And there are some that are given intravenously a few times a year. It varies.
Damage Arthritis Causes: The list is varied and endless and is highly individual. Over time, two people with RA almost never have identical clinical histories. RA is an inflammatory erosive synovitis [Huh?] so this means that inflammation [typically your immune system flaring up] can cause the lining of a joint to wear down. In some forms of arthritis this could mean further erosion to the bone. Again, highly individual.

I have two types of arthrits and was diagnosed with both about twelve years ago. Put off going to the doctor [stupid me!] until it really bothered me and affected daily living. Still, I was started on NSAIDS. After a year or so, when the disease was progressing at a faster rate than the NSAIDS, they added Methotrexate ["MTX"] to my drug arsenal. I had a rough time with it in the beginning, but back then they didn't know that folic acid would keep the nausea at bay. I started with low dose MTX and over the years I've only had to go as high as 12.5 mg of MTX a week, which is not that much by some standards. I've never been off the drugs in all twelve years except for three months when I was working overseas and ran out of meds because I was there longer than expected. And wouldn't you know it? All that remission time was lost - I flared up badly, though they got it under control in about 6 months. Surgery? My left knee ironically is the monster joint and I've had two synovectomies [simple outpatient arthroscopic surgery], the last one just a couple weeks ago. Easy recovery.

The most important tenet of successful disease management is a highly qualified rheumatologist. Don't settle for less.

To get you started on your quest for kowledge, here is a link that should provide you with some basic answers:

http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/rahandout.htm

Katina, good luck with your appointment with the rheumatologist and do keep us posted.

Lee