Or I never had RA?
Had my second visit with my rheumatologist today. My blood tests were normal, except for RF (~480) and anti-CCP (200+). Those are the two tests that, together, are normally used as indicators of RA. (My RF was over 2000 in May.) But the doctor goes by physical signs and says the tests mean nothing without evidence of RA, such as swelling and heat, not necessarily pain. My x-rays showed a lot of degenerative arthritis, especially in my lower back. I have been off the mtx for a month. He expected a flare if the RA was there. I have another appointment in four months and I am to let him know if a flare does occur.
Oh, no, I'm certainly not complaining ---- I am so very glad to be off the medicine!
Have any of you heard of someone who had RA and "recovered" from it? Or someone who was highly seropositive and in pure agony for months, but got better and it wasn't RA?
Just a little confused, is all......
Yes - I personally know 3 people who have recovered from RA and are considered in remission.
Somewhere many moons ago, I read that in some people, RA can fizzle out over time. Makes me wonder if it is truly RA or maybe a reactive arthritis. My Rd told me that if a person goes into remission, it usuallyhappens within the first 6 months!!! How long did you have it for Cat? regards Jane.
Still waiting for the " Fizzle " after 20 yearsRA is so strange. I had a very severe onset of the disease, and was in horrible pain for the first several months after I was diagnosed. My doctor prescribed Plaquenil, and 4 months later I went into a remission that lasted 8 years. I had absolutely no outward symptoms of RA during that period, and no inflammation markers in my bloodtests, though I still tested positive for RA factor. Then, all my symptoms reappeared suddenly, worse than ever. Humira has put me into another remission, but, it's scary to think that the disease can come back like that at any time.
I hate RA. It's too tricky.I agree with wanttobeRAfree! Just about the time that I think maybe I really don't have RA everything starts to hurt! Still trying to get off the Medrol - my skin tears like onionskin paper (if anyone remembers that!) and has purple blotches all over. Doc has me on a routine to reduce slowly, but when we've tried this before I get to 4 mg and have a flare. He doesn't want to start me on any other meds because of other problems I'm having. He said maybe the Remicade infusion but even that he want to hold off on until the gastro doc finishes testing. This is not fun. If you are having a remission or recovery or whatever, just cheer and say thanks, Cat, and hope it lasts forever![QUOTE=wanttobeRAfree]I hate RA. It's too tricky.[/QUOTE]
HA! Maybe that should be listed as the #1 symptom of the disease! From now on, if anyone asks me what RA is like, I'm gonna say, "I've learned a lot about RA, but the only fact I know
for sure is that it's TRICKY.
janiefx1 --- That's interesting, because it was within 6 months that the severe flares went away. But I stayed on the mtx for another 3 1/2 years! (But I was being seen by a nurse practitioner all that time.) I think it took the RD......and a diagnosis of interstitial lung disease that could be mtx-related......to question whether I even needed the drug.
I mostly don't understand my hands, though. The type of constant pain in my hands and wrists is totally unlike what I have elsewhere (back, hips, knees). And I still drop nearly everything I'm holding.
Hearing that the evil, tricky devil can come back is disheartening. But, with or without RA (or its symptoms), I guess we ALL just take it one day at a time, huh?
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com