Re: Confused about remission.

[Guest guest]

Hi ! It's ! HA! Actually, I am curious about that too. I am still

waiting on the bloodwork results.........but I was looking at my results from 3

1/2 months after the Rituxan treatment and there was a definite - I mean

definite reduction on the ESR - that means inflammation right? It concerns me

that this icky doc will say for sure that I don't have RA. I will call you

later. Just email me a time that is good for you ------ right now, I am off for

a cat nap!

Take care,

D.!

savannahhipchick <lfriedman5@...> wrote:

Hi,

How do you determine remission? Normal sed levels or crp levels? My RF is

seronegtive. So

does the doctor just try to take a patient off meds and see what happens?

ltdavis_jrdavis@...

---------------------------------

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

[Guest guest]

Hey D.

Lucky you can take a catnap! I have to to crafts all day with my daughter's

first grade

class. I am actually gald I was roommother this year because I don't think I

could do it

again. Short of a miracle that is.

Yes, the ESR shows inflammation, but is very non-specific. Any rheumatological

illnes cna

raise it as well as heart disease etc....

There are the tests more specific to scleroderma and lupus. I'm interested to

see how

those turned out for you. Call me tomorrow if you like, the kids are out of

school.

Till later,

> Hi,

>

> How do you determine remission? Normal sed levels or crp levels? My RF is

seronegtive.

So

> does the doctor just try to take a patient off meds and see what happens?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ltdavis_jrdavis@...

>

> ---------------------------------

> Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

>

>

[Guest guest]

OK....I am confused! Is the ESR test related to RA or scleroderma, etc? Both?

BEFORE the Rituxan, my ESR was 225; 2 1/2 months after the Rituxan, it was

1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, I have yet to get the most recent results so it

will be interesting. Since you are so knowledgable on tests, what do the

following stand for?

SedRate; CCP and anything else you can think of! The first two were

never listed on previous test results. I have only - for the most part - had CBC

w/Diff done. Last test showed the white & red bld count as a bit high; the

hematocrit slightly high & the RDW a bit high. This may have been caused by the

Rituxan. I don't know and I have failed to ask in the past...............Any

insight would be greatful! Thank you and I will call you sometime tomorrow

afternoon. I have an ortho surgeon appt in the morning and then I have to go to

the hospital to pre-register for out patient surgery next Tuesday morning. I

have another nodule on the bottom of my foot - right in my arch!!!! I had it

removed 2 years ago but it came back - twice the size and it hurts like hell!!!!

hehehehehehehe!!!! So, if it's OK with you, it will probably be sometime in the

afternoon when I call you!!

Thank you so much for being such a good & helpful friend!!!

savannahhipchick <lfriedman5@...> wrote:

Hey D.

Lucky you can take a catnap! I have to to crafts all day with my daughter's

first grade

class. I am actually gald I was roommother this year because I don't think I

could do it

again. Short of a miracle that is.

Yes, the ESR shows inflammation, but is very non-specific. Any rheumatological

illnes cna

raise it as well as heart disease etc....

There are the tests more specific to scleroderma and lupus. I'm interested to

see how

those turned out for you. Call me tomorrow if you like, the kids are out of

school.

Till later,

> Hi,

>

> How do you determine remission? Normal sed levels or crp levels? My RF is

seronegtive.

So

> does the doctor just try to take a patient off meds and see what happens?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ltdavis_jrdavis@...

>

> ---------------------------------

> Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

The crp and sed are just markers for inflammation. Neither is diagnostic for

Lupus or

Sclero in itself. Anti-ro, Anti-jo , scl-70, anti-centromere antibody, those

are what you

need to see and of course the ANA and the pattern of the ANA.

-hope I helped

> > Hi,

> >

> > How do you determine remission? Normal sed levels or crp levels? My RF is

seronegtive.

> So

> > does the doctor just try to take a patient off meds and see what happens?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ltdavis_jrdavis@

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> > Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks BUT now that I have my results back, do you happen to know what MCV & MCH

mean? I just emailed you directly about the SHITTY results I got faxed. The doc

is out of town and the nurse couldn't make any sense to the results. I just want

to PUNCH someone....and specifically that doctor! Yeah, I need to laugh AND if I

was a drinker, have myself a stiff one! HA!

savannahhipchick <lfriedman5@...> wrote: Hi,

The crp and sed are just markers for inflammation. Neither is diagnostic for

Lupus or

Sclero in itself. Anti-ro, Anti-jo , scl-70, anti-centromere antibody, those are

what you

need to see and of course the ANA and the pattern of the ANA.

-hope I helped

> > Hi,

> >

> > How do you determine remission? Normal sed levels or crp levels? My RF is

seronegtive.

> So

> > does the doctor just try to take a patient off meds and see what happens?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ltdavis_jrdavis@

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> > Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/rdw/glance.html

©x© Kami ©x©

Re: [ ] Re: Confused about remission.

Thanks BUT now that I have my results back, do you happen to know what MCV &

MCH mean? I just emailed you directly about the SHITTY results I got faxed. The

doc is out of town and the nurse couldn't make any sense to the results. I just

want to PUNCH someone....and specifically that doctor! Yeah, I need to laugh AND

if I was a drinker, have myself a stiff one! HA!

savannahhipchick <lfriedman5@...> wrote: Hi,

The crp and sed are just markers for inflammation. Neither is diagnostic for

Lupus or

Sclero in itself. Anti-ro, Anti-jo , scl-70, anti-centromere antibody, those

are what you

need to see and of course the ANA and the pattern of the ANA.

-hope I helped

> > Hi,

> >

> > How do you determine remission? Normal sed levels or crp levels? My RF is

seronegtive.

> So

> > does the doctor just try to take a patient off meds and see what happens?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ltdavis_jrdavis@

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> > Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

,

Remission is defined in various ways and by several measures, but for the

newly diagnosed in 2008, aiming for " no evidence of disease " is not

unrealistic. This would be determined not by simply looking at lab results

but by taking into account the clinical picture as well (e.g., the number of

swollen and tender joints and the degree of stiffness, fatigue, and pain).

For the majority of people with RA, remission is typically drug-induced and

maintained. The DMARDs may be scaled back, but complete withdrawal of all

medications will not usually be possible.

Not an MD

> [ ] Confused about remission.

>

> Hi,

>

> How do you determine remission? Normal sed levels or crp levels? My RF

is

> seronegtive. So

> does the doctor just try to take a patient off meds and see what happens?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Even though my RA is wonderfully controlled by Enbrel, my rheumy said

that he didn't call it remission, but rather doing very well. I don't

know when he uses the word remission, LOL.

Sue

On Thursday, February 14, 2008, at 06:14 PM, wrote:

>

> Remission is defined in various ways and by several measures, but for

> the

> newly diagnosed in 2008, aiming for " no evidence of disease " is not

> unrealistic. This would be determined not by simply looking at lab

> results

> but by taking into account the clinical picture as well (e.g., the

> number of

> swollen and tender joints and the degree of stiffness, fatigue, and

> pain).

>

> For the majority of people with RA, remission is typically

> drug-induced and

> maintained. The DMARDs may be scaled back, but complete withdrawal of

> all

> medications will not usually be possible.