question on RA tests

[Guest guest]

I am questioning whether I really do have RA or not. I know I have

osteoarthritis in my knees and have for many years. My knees and my small

joint on my pinky finger are where I have the worst pain. These can both

probably be attributed to osteoarthritis. My rheumatologist, however, says I

also have rheumatoid arthritis and has me on Medrol (which does help),

although a small dose, methotrexate 4 per day, which doesn't seem to do

anything at all, and I have now had 3 IV infusions of Remecade, which

doesn't seem to be doing anything either, although I do know the Remecade

can take quite a while to work.

OK, so I asked the office why she says I have RA if my pain is from

osteoarthritis. They say my labs show RA. So, I went back over my labs.

Here are the results:

7/06 Rheumatoid Factor 12 (range <14) Normal

IGM Anti-CCP neg

11/06 Rheum. Factor 14 (range <14)High-right on the cutoff)

IGG Anti-CCP neg

7/07 Rheum. Factor 13 (range <14) Normal

IGG Anti-CCP neg

So, according to these, IF I have RA, I am right on the borderline, right?

Or is this range incorrect?

I have no problem taking these meds if I really need them, but they don't do

anything for my pain (which supposedly is osteoarthritis), so why am I

risking the side-effects of these drugs? I just want to know for sure that

I am doing the right thing by taking the MTX and Remecade.

Oh, my rheumatologist says that because the Medrol does work, that shows

that it IS rheumatoid arthritis. Has anyone heard of this before? Does that

mean the Medrol would NOT work if it was only osteoarthritis, because I

admit that the Medrol does help. She says that as the Remecade starts to

work, I can come off the Medrol. But if the Medrol is helping my pain

(osteoarthritis) and the Remecade doesn't help osteoarthritis, then how is

the Remecade that going to help my pain so that I can go off the Medrol?

It all just doesn't add up to me. What is it that I am not seeing?

Chrissie