Guest guest Posted March 10, 2000 Report Share Posted March 10, 2000 , I can't imagine waking up in the morning and not having the stiffness. You must be ecstatic about it. I find my stiffness in my feet isn't as bad in the morning but I have stiff knees now, but not terribly bad, just stiff enough that you are a bit unsteady for about ten steps. Is the liver function test the blood test you get? The only liver testing my doctor does is if you are on Metho and you get the bloodwork done regularly. This disease really gets your attention, doesn't it! I am looking forward to the day when I can throw my nsaids away too. Good luck with the RF. Bev > > My Dr called today and said to not freak out over my liver function test > only two numbers were out of normal range and only slightly, he said > we'd retest in 3 months. I'm still going to go back to the intermitent > dose esp since I'm doing so well. I was thinking since the Minocin is > just to stop the bugs from reproducing and it does suppress the immune > system maybe once your sed and crp are down and pain and stiffness gone > it's better to be on the lower dose so your immune system can kill off > the bugs. I generally can work up a rational for whatever I decide to > do. > > Bev asked about remission I don't take any NSAIDs and have no morning > stiffness or pain a sed of 4 and crp of less than .5, but my RA factor > is still 1:8 so I don't think I'm in remission. I want to see that RA > factor go to normal, I don't think I'll ever get complacent about this > disease or take my recovery for granted. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > DON'T HATE YOUR RATE! > Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds! Get rates as low as > 0.0% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR and no hidden fees. > Apply NOW! > 1/2120/0/_/532797/_/952658689/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2000 Report Share Posted March 10, 2000 : I am new to all this RA business and still learning. Here is my question: --What does a RA factor of 1:8 mean? I've been tested by two different labs. One lab said my RA factor is 41 and the normal range was 10 and under. The other lab said my RA factor is 126, but at this lab normal range was under 80. These tests were within a few weeks of each other. --Also, how important is the " amount " of RA factor? My doc. says " it doesn't matter what the number is, if it is positive, it is positive. " However, it makes sense to me that lower is better. (My sed rate is also low...at 2. I have only the mildest of RA symptoms, but do have the positive RA and ANA.) --Also, I am curious as to what your " intermittent " dose of Minocin is. I am taking 50 mg. every day, but this was prescribed by a doc. who really doesn't know much about AP. I'm taking no NAISDs. I wonder if I should be going up in dosage at some point, or down, or what. Again, I've only found out about all this RA possibility in the last 2 months, but it has really gotten my attention and I am wholeheartedly for the AP. I appreciate all the information everyone has shared. Thanks, for your response or anyone else's 2 cents worth. Pam rheumatic labs-dosage-remission > From: arjay <arjay@...> > > My Dr called today and said to not freak out over my liver function test > only two numbers were out of normal range and only slightly, he said > we'd retest in 3 months. I'm still going to go back to the intermitent > dose esp since I'm doing so well. I was thinking since the Minocin is > just to stop the bugs from reproducing and it does suppress the immune > system maybe once your sed and crp are down and pain and stiffness gone > it's better to be on the lower dose so your immune system can kill off > the bugs. I generally can work up a rational for whatever I decide to > do. > > Bev asked about remission I don't take any NSAIDs and have no morning > stiffness or pain a sed of 4 and crp of less than .5, but my RA factor > is still 1:8 so I don't think I'm in remission. I want to see that RA > factor go to normal, I don't think I'll ever get complacent about this > disease or take my recovery for granted. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > DON'T HATE YOUR RATE! > Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds! Get rates as low as > 0.0% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR and no hidden fees. > Apply NOW! > 1/2120/0/_/532797/_/952658689/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2000 Report Share Posted March 10, 2000 Bev I am ecstatic I will never take my joints for granted again. Sometimes in the morning in bed I just move my body around to see how flexible and good it feels. I hope you and everyone esle gets where I am. I will forever be grateful to Dr Brown and The Arthritis Breakthrough if I hadn't stumbled on that book I'd be on mtx right now. My Dr likes to do a Hepatic Function Test a couple times a year, since I got a couple slightly off readings we'll do it more often. Briarwood wrote: > > , > I can't imagine waking up in the morning and not having the stiffness. You > must be ecstatic about it. I find my stiffness in my feet isn't as bad in > the morning but I have stiff knees now, but not terribly bad, just stiff > enough that you are a bit unsteady for about ten steps. Is the liver > function test the blood test you get? The only liver testing my doctor > does is if you are on Metho and you get the bloodwork done regularly. This > disease really gets your attention, doesn't it! I am looking forward to > the day when I can throw my nsaids away too. > Good luck with the RF. > > Bev > > > > > My Dr called today and said to not freak out over my liver function test > > only two numbers were out of normal range and only slightly, he said > > we'd retest in 3 months. I'm still going to go back to the intermitent > > dose esp since I'm doing so well. I was thinking since the Minocin is > > just to stop the bugs from reproducing and it does suppress the immune > > system maybe once your sed and crp are down and pain and stiffness gone > > it's better to be on the lower dose so your immune system can kill off > > the bugs. I generally can work up a rational for whatever I decide to > > do. > > > > Bev asked about remission I don't take any NSAIDs and have no morning > > stiffness or pain a sed of 4 and crp of less than .5, but my RA factor > > is still 1:8 so I don't think I'm in remission. I want to see that RA > > factor go to normal, I don't think I'll ever get complacent about this > > disease or take my recovery for granted. > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > DON'T HATE YOUR RATE! > > Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds! Get rates as low as > > 0.0% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR and no hidden fees. > > Apply NOW! > > 1/2120/0/_/532797/_/952658689/ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2000 Report Share Posted March 10, 2000 Pam you are going to do so well on AP. According the The Road Back people starting AP very early in RA can expect dramatic results. I'v had my RF done at different labs and I think 1:8 is equivalent to about 300. From everything I've been able to find out it's not the best indicator of disease activity that the C-Reactive Protien is a better gauge. On dosage most of the test use 100mg minocin twice a day, Dr Brown used 100mg twice a day MWF and that is the dose I've returned to. I also take 1200mg Cleocin on Tuesday. As a group we've come up definitely undecided. I started on the MWF and then last fall when to daily because whether it matters alot or not I wanted my RF lower and I just felt like I might need more. Now I think I'm so much better I need less. Good Luck with tghe treatment. Zendt wrote: > > : I am new to all this RA business and still learning. Here is my > question: > > --What does a RA factor of 1:8 mean? I've been tested by two different labs. > One lab said my RA factor is 41 and the normal range was 10 and under. The > other lab said my RA factor is 126, but at this lab normal range was under > 80. These tests were within a few weeks of each other. > > --Also, how important is the " amount " of RA factor? My doc. says " it doesn't > matter what the number is, if it is positive, it is positive. " However, it > makes sense to me that lower is better. (My sed rate is also low...at 2. I > have only the mildest of RA symptoms, but do have the positive RA and ANA.) > > --Also, I am curious as to what your " intermittent " dose of Minocin is. I am > taking 50 mg. every day, but this was prescribed by a doc. who really > doesn't know much about AP. I'm taking no NAISDs. I wonder if I should be > going up in dosage at some point, or down, or what. > > Again, I've only found out about all this RA possibility in the last 2 > months, but it has really gotten my attention and I am wholeheartedly for > the AP. I appreciate all the information everyone has shared. > > Thanks, for your response or anyone else's 2 cents worth. > > Pam > > rheumatic labs-dosage-remission > > > From: arjay <arjay@...> > > > > My Dr called today and said to not freak out over my liver function test > > only two numbers were out of normal range and only slightly, he said > > we'd retest in 3 months. I'm still going to go back to the intermitent > > dose esp since I'm doing so well. I was thinking since the Minocin is > > just to stop the bugs from reproducing and it does suppress the immune > > system maybe once your sed and crp are down and pain and stiffness gone > > it's better to be on the lower dose so your immune system can kill off > > the bugs. I generally can work up a rational for whatever I decide to > > do. > > > > Bev asked about remission I don't take any NSAIDs and have no morning > > stiffness or pain a sed of 4 and crp of less than .5, but my RA factor > > is still 1:8 so I don't think I'm in remission. I want to see that RA > > factor go to normal, I don't think I'll ever get complacent about this > > disease or take my recovery for granted. > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > DON'T HATE YOUR RATE! > > Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds! Get rates as low as > > 0.0% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR and no hidden fees. > > Apply NOW! > > 1/2120/0/_/532797/_/952658689/ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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