Re: RA AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSSIS

[Guest guest]

I presume the number you refer to is the rheumatoid factor, also known by several other names. It is a number that may be high in people with RA but can also be high from a number of other causes. Also people can have RA but also a normal rheumatoid factor. The "normal" range varies from lab to lab but yours is not very high for most labs. Mine was 1922 so that was a pretty good indication that I may have RA. However, it takes other things also to confirm RA. It is not easy to diagnose RA so part of the diagnosis process is to rule out anything else that could cause the symptoms. MS can have many of the symptoms of RA so you may have a single disease (or you could have both because both are autoimmune diseases). The key thing to answer your question is that your blood work does not really mean much toward diagnosing RA. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: Deborah

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 5:40 AM

Subject: RA AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSSIS

HI, I HAVE MS AND POSSIBLE RA. MY BLOOD TEST CAME BACK WITH THE NUMER 48.4. OF COURSE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. I HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO A RHEUMATAGIST. CAN SOME ONE EXPLAIN THIS NUMBER TO ME. DNH43

[Guest guest]

Sounds like a high sed rate to me. Here is a glossary of terms and tests along with normal rates. If normal sed rate is 20 and yours is 48, something big is going on. You are in my thoughts, Deborah

[Guest guest]

http://www.stillsdisease.org/arthrits_panel.htm