Re: RA Factor Negative Positive Negative

[Guest guest]

Count me in on getting info too! I really want to know if you can be positive

and then negative at another testing. I am going thru that right now. Nothing is

worse than someone telling you it is all in your head. Then the next week, every

joint in my hands and wrists are so swollen it looks like I am deformed but the

week before, they looked normal and of course that is when the doc " examined "

me. Makes me want to smack somebody

I, too have been told that I have fibro and I feel guilty because, again, I

too, have thought that was some kind of " catch all " when " they " couldn't figure

anything else out. I was so spectical. Now of course, so much is coming out

about fibro that it makes me feel horribly guilty that I ever had such thoughts!

Forgive me out there!!! There are so many people suffering with it ( ME TOO!!)

and it is finally being recognized as something REAL! Fibro is finally getting

real notice which should make all that suffer feel some sort of satisfaction.

~ Kami ~ <kamilleon@...> wrote:

What, if anything, does this mean? I have had 3 RA Factors done within

the past 3 months. November 21 (negative) November 27th (Positive) January 26

(negative).

The first and third tests were run at large, commercial labs. The middle one was

an IgG specific test run at my former rheumatologist's office during a case of

scleritis, which is an inflammatory eye disease.

I met with my new rheumatologist and she says that with no positive RA Factor,

no inflammation markers, and no active RA that I do not have rheumatoid

arthritis HOWEVER.... She has ordered an MRI on my hands, is sending me to hand

therapy, and is keeping me on the Plaquenil as a precaution against the

Scleritis. I definitely have Fibromyalgia, which I have known but HATE to admit

because I feel that it is a bullshit diagnosis. Sorry if that offends anyone...

it is the way I feel. I think that there are too many people being treated for

Fibromyalgia that have more serious diseases.

ANYWHO... I don't know what to think..... My family doctor wants me to continue

treatment with my former rheumatologist because he feels that I have some sort

of mixed connective tissue disease. I'm sooo confused right now I can't even

think straight.

So Queen of Research Miss ... What can you find out for me about

fluctuations of RA Factor? What about IgG testing? Can your RA factor change day

to day?

Sign me confuzzled in PA..... :-)

*~ Kami ~*

[Guest guest]

Great post !!

I know several individuals that have had FMS for years

and have never developed anything else, yet they

suffer just as much. Then I know individuals who have

gotten FMS/RA or I know individuals who were diagnosed

with Lupus and then diagnosed with RA. There is so

much information out there that the doctors are

learning on this condition. The hospital that I go to

for treatment teaches workshops on it, so that

individuals can learn coping and management skills.

I wish you luck on the false positive testing! I know

that some never develop the RF factor but have

elevated Sed Rates, Westgren, Anti CCP and other tests

and are diagnosed based on that and MRI and other

scans.

--- <ltdavis_jrdavis@...> wrote:

> Count me in on getting info too! I really want to

> know if you can be positive and then negative at

> another testing. I am going thru that right now.

> Nothing is worse than someone telling you it is all

> in your head. Then the next week, every joint in my

> hands and wrists are so swollen it looks like I am

> deformed but the week before, they looked normal and

> of course that is when the doc " examined " me. Makes

> me want to smack somebody

>

> I, too have been told that I have fibro and I

> feel guilty because, again, I too, have thought that

> was some kind of " catch all " when " they " couldn't

> figure anything else out. I was so spectical. Now

> of course, so much is coming out about fibro that it

> makes me feel horribly guilty that I ever had such

> thoughts! Forgive me out there!!! There are so many

> people suffering with it ( ME TOO!!) and it is

> finally being recognized as something REAL! Fibro

> is finally getting real notice which should make all

> that suffer feel some sort of satisfaction.

> ~ Kami ~ <kamilleon@...> wrote:

> What, if anything, does this mean? I have

> had 3 RA Factors done within the past 3 months.

> November 21 (negative) November 27th (Positive)

> January 26 (negative).

>

> The first and third tests were run at large,

> commercial labs. The middle one was an IgG specific

> test run at my former rheumatologist's office during

> a case of scleritis, which is an inflammatory eye

> disease.

>

> I met with my new rheumatologist and she says that

> with no positive RA Factor, no inflammation markers,

> and no active RA that I do not have rheumatoid

> arthritis HOWEVER.... She has ordered an MRI on my

> hands, is sending me to hand therapy, and is keeping

> me on the Plaquenil as a precaution against the

> Scleritis. I definitely have Fibromyalgia, which I

> have known but HATE to admit because I feel that it

> is a bullshit diagnosis. Sorry if that offends

> anyone... it is the way I feel. I think that there

> are too many people being treated for Fibromyalgia

> that have more serious diseases.

>

> ANYWHO... I don't know what to think..... My family

> doctor wants me to continue treatment with my former

> rheumatologist because he feels that I have some

> sort of mixed connective tissue disease. I'm sooo

> confused right now I can't even think straight.

>

> So Queen of Research Miss ... What can you find

> out for me about fluctuations of RA Factor? What

> about IgG testing? Can your RA factor change day to

> day?

>

> Sign me confuzzled in PA..... :-)

>

> *~ Kami ~*

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ltdavis_jrdavis@...

>

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

> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with

> Mobile. Try it now.

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs

[Guest guest]

I look at fibromyalgia more as a SYMPTOM of something greater.... When a doctor

says " You have Fibromylagia " that is like saying " Your muscles and joints hurt " .

No kidding! *I* could have told you that... Tell me WHY!!!!!!!! Tell me what

triggered it.... Was it the Mono I had in 1987? Was it the Lyme Disease in 2002?

Is it the mercury from my fillings? Why is the diagnosis simply a process of

elimination of other diseases?

Oh there is no doubt in my mind that based on the criteria of fibromyalgia that

I do indeed have it..... In fact, when formally diagnosed in 2001, I was

THANKFUL to have Fibro over the other disorders.... In fact, I was able to get

my fibro under control fairly quickly through antidepressants, Ultram ,and

Flexeril. Those things don't work now and have made me wonder.... IS THERE

SOMETHING MORE TO THIS? And then the confusion with the RA Factor.

I guess in one way, I have been very fortunate to have doctors that believe in

treating Fibromyalgia. I have heard horror stories from people back in 2001

about others being told " It's all in your head " . I have NEVER been told that. I

have always been very proactive in my care and I have never had a problem being

prescribed meds.

I am just FRUSTRATED here..... *pulling hair out*

*~ Kami ~*

Re: [ ] RA Factor Negative Positive Negative

Count me in on getting info too! I really want to know if you can be positive

and then negative at another testing. I am going thru that right now. Nothing is

worse than someone telling you it is all in your head. Then the next week, every

joint in my hands and wrists are so swollen it looks like I am deformed but the

week before, they looked normal and of course that is when the doc " examined "

me. Makes me want to smack somebody

I, too have been told that I have fibro and I feel guilty because, again, I

too, have thought that was some kind of " catch all " when " they " couldn't figure

anything else out. I was so spectical. Now of course, so much is coming out

about fibro that it makes me feel horribly guilty that I ever had such thoughts!

Forgive me out there!!! There are so many people suffering with it ( ME TOO!!)

and it is finally being recognized as something REAL! Fibro is finally getting

real notice which should make all that suffer feel some sort of satisfaction.

~ Kami ~ <kamilleon@...> wrote:

What, if anything, does this mean? I have had 3 RA Factors done within the

past 3 months. November 21 (negative) November 27th (Positive) January 26

(negative).

The first and third tests were run at large, commercial labs. The middle one

was an IgG specific test run at my former rheumatologist's office during a case

of scleritis, which is an inflammatory eye disease.

I met with my new rheumatologist and she says that with no positive RA Factor,

no inflammation markers, and no active RA that I do not have rheumatoid

arthritis HOWEVER.... She has ordered an MRI on my hands, is sending me to hand

therapy, and is keeping me on the Plaquenil as a precaution against the

Scleritis. I definitely have Fibromyalgia, which I have known but HATE to admit

because I feel that it is a bullshit diagnosis. Sorry if that offends anyone...

it is the way I feel. I think that there are too many people being treated for

Fibromyalgia that have more serious diseases.

ANYWHO... I don't know what to think..... My family doctor wants me to

continue treatment with my former rheumatologist because he feels that I have

some sort of mixed connective tissue disease. I'm sooo confused right now I

can't even think straight.

So Queen of Research Miss ... What can you find out for me about

fluctuations of RA Factor? What about IgG testing? Can your RA factor change day

to day?

Sign me confuzzled in PA..... :-)

*~ Kami ~*

[Guest guest]

> What, if anything, does this mean? I have had 3 RA Factors done

within the past 3 months. November 21 (negative) November 27th

(Positive) January 26 (negative).

>

> The first and third tests were run at large, commercial labs.

The middle one was an IgG specific test run at my former

rheumatologist's office during a case of scleritis, which is an

inflammatory eye disease.

>

> I met with my new rheumatologist and she says that with no

positive RA Factor, no inflammation markers, and no active RA that I

do not have rheumatoid arthritis HOWEVER.... She has ordered an MRI

on my hands, is sending me to hand therapy, and is keeping me on the

Plaquenil as a precaution against the Scleritis. I definitely have

Fibromyalgia, which I have known but HATE to admit because I feel

that it is a bullshit diagnosis. Sorry if that offends anyone... it

is the way I feel. I think that there are too many people being

treated for Fibromyalgia that have more serious diseases.

>

> ANYWHO... I don't know what to think..... My family doctor wants

me to continue treatment with my former rheumatologist because he

feels that I have some sort of mixed connective tissue disease. I'm

sooo confused right now I can't even think straight.

>

> So Queen of Research Miss ... What can you find out for me

about fluctuations of RA Factor? What about IgG testing? Can your RA

factor change day to day?

>

> Sign me confuzzled in PA..... :-)

>

> *~ Kami ~*

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kami,

First of all, it's important to keep in mind that: (1) rheumatoid factor

(RF) production (even IgG-RF) is not unique to RA and (2) RF positivity is

not required to make a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

No single lab test can rule RA in or out, so don't get too hung up on the

labs.

I'm not sure what specific tests for RF you had done (there are many), but

it could be that all three were different. At the very least, you probably

had two different tests (the first and third were probably for IgM-RF and

the second was for IgG-RF) and, possibly, three (because not every IgM-RF

test is the same). This is an apples to oranges situation, and comparing the

three to each other might not be the best idea.

Also, regarding the positive IgG RF test: how positive was it? What was the

cutoff for normal and what was your result?

RF can fluctuate, but if you have no clinical signs of active RA and are

simply hovering around the border between normal and abnormal, it's probably

nothing to get excited about. For example, if you had three identical tests

for IgM-RF, and normal is considered to be anything below 20 IU/ml, and your

results were 18 IU/ml, 21 IU/ml, and 17 IU/ml, those would be borderline

values. Your rheumatologist would probably characterize them as

" unremarkable. " On the other hand, if your values were all around 200 IU/ml,

the possibility that RA is at work would be much more seriously considered

and further investigation done.

Did you have any anti-CCP tests done?

With normal labs and without currently or historically having overt clinical

signs of RA (e.g., profound swelling, tenderness, and stiffness in joints

typically affected by RA), a rheumatologist is going to be thinking of other

possibilities to explain your symptoms.

How was your scleritis classified? You said before that it was unilateral.

What else can you tell me about it?

It's good that you'll be having an MRI of your hands done, because those

results could provide some valuable clues.

Not an MD

> [ ] RA Factor Negative Positive Negative

>

> What, if anything, does this mean? I have had 3 RA Factors done within the

past 3

> months. November 21 (negative) November 27th (Positive) January 26

(negative).

>

> The first and third tests were run at large, commercial labs. The middle

one was an

> IgG specific test run at my former rheumatologist's office during a case

of scleritis,

> which is an inflammatory eye disease.

>

> I met with my new rheumatologist and she says that with no positive RA

Factor, no

> inflammation markers, and no active RA that I do not have rheumatoid

arthritis

> HOWEVER.... She has ordered an MRI on my hands, is sending me to hand

therapy,

> and is keeping me on the Plaquenil as a precaution against the Scleritis.

I definitely

> have Fibromyalgia, which I have known but HATE to admit because I feel

that it is a

> bullshit diagnosis. Sorry if that offends anyone... it is the way I feel.

I think that there

> are too many people being treated for Fibromyalgia that have more serious

diseases.

>

> ANYWHO... I don't know what to think..... My family doctor wants me to

continue

> treatment with my former rheumatologist because he feels that I have some

sort of

> mixed connective tissue disease. I'm sooo confused right now I can't even

think

> straight.

>

> So Queen of Research Miss ... What can you find out for me about

fluctuations of

> RA Factor? What about IgG testing? Can your RA factor change day to day?

>

> Sign me confuzzled in PA..... :-)

>

>

>

>

> *~ Kami ~*

[Guest guest]

,

The next time you have that sort of swelling, take pictures and bring the

images with you to your next appointment.

Not an MD

> Re: [ ] RA Factor Negative Positive Negative

>

> Count me in on getting info too! I really want to know if you can be

positive and then

> negative at another testing. I am going thru that right now. Nothing is

worse than

> someone telling you it is all in your head. Then the next week, every

joint in my

> hands and wrists are so swollen it looks like I am deformed but the week

before, they

> looked normal and of course that is when the doc " examined " me. Makes me

want to

> smack somebody

>

> I, too have been told that I have fibro and I feel guilty because,

again, I too, have

> thought that was some kind of " catch all " when " they " couldn't figure

anything else

> out. I was so spectical. Now of course, so much is coming out about fibro

that it

> makes me feel horribly guilty that I ever had such thoughts! Forgive me

out there!!!

> There are so many people suffering with it ( ME TOO!!) and it is finally

being

> recognized as something REAL! Fibro is finally getting real notice which

should make

> all that suffer feel some sort of satisfaction.

[Guest guest]

That is a great idea and I will do that for sure. I do have another question for

you, is there a difference between a rheumatoligist (sp?) and and auto-immune

doctor?

Thanks - you're the best!!

D.

<Matsumura_Clan@...> wrote:

,

The next time you have that sort of swelling, take pictures and bring the

images with you to your next appointment.

Not an MD

> Re: [ ] RA Factor Negative Positive Negative

>

> Count me in on getting info too! I really want to know if you can be

positive and then

> negative at another testing. I am going thru that right now. Nothing is

worse than

> someone telling you it is all in your head. Then the next week, every

joint in my

> hands and wrists are so swollen it looks like I am deformed but the week

before, they

> looked normal and of course that is when the doc " examined " me. Makes me

want to

> smack somebody

>

> I, too have been told that I have fibro and I feel guilty because,

again, I too, have

> thought that was some kind of " catch all " when " they " couldn't figure

anything else

> out. I was so spectical. Now of course, so much is coming out about fibro

that it

> makes me feel horribly guilty that I ever had such thoughts! Forgive me

out there!!!

> There are so many people suffering with it ( ME TOO!!) and it is finally

being

> recognized as something REAL! Fibro is finally getting real notice which

should make

> all that suffer feel some sort of satisfaction.

ltdavis_jrdavis@...

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

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.