RA

[sarah1967]

Hi all i went to see the rhemu Nurse today for a review, sadly it's 100% no more using Enbrel !! adverse side effects. Apparently my bloods are all over the place , RA active as am in a flare up. immune system to low. so have to stop ALL meds am only allowed to take painkillers !! So was given a steroid injection, And now have to wait for funding to try another biological drug.

However the nurse mentioned two types of arthruitus sero neagtive ? and positive i was wandering since coming home and refelecting on my visit what does it mean and whats the difference in negative and posative excuse my ignerrents but i thought RA was RA?

[helixhelix]

poor you, hope you get new drugs soon and flare isn't too bad. Once you've been diagnosed with RA it really doesn't make much difference whether it's sero negative or sero positive RA as there isn't a hard & fast difference between them to say whether one is better or worse. All they are are things in your blood that you either have or don't have. So the main one is a thing called the rheumatoid factor, and if you have it then there's an increased possibility that you'll get RA. But lots of people have it and never get RA, and lots of people get RA who don't have it! The other one is anti-CCP, and if you have it then it's much more likely that you'll get RA. Hope that helps. Polly

[sarah1967 in reply to helixhelix]

Hi after re reading your message i have another question sorry , What is the standard / normal rheumatoid factor figure / level should it be to be normal ? then at my next visit i will try to find out mine. thanks.

Sarah

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[sarah1967]

Hi Polly thanks for the reply the nurse seemed to imply am sero negative and therefore i have less choice of biological drugs 3 i believe where as if you are sero positive you have more of a choice ? is that right ? Am feeling alittle better after the steriod but my hands are so painful am finding it difficult to type at present.

Sarah

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[allanah]

My docs say RA negative is harder to treat ie get the inflammation Down, but RA positive is more likely to cause joint problems, all just on average of course. But even so Rheumy said the treatments r the same but he might think different drugs are better for my sero negative, anti ccp RA but if u take a look at my joints, the swelling, the loads of rheumatoid nodules it doesn't seem to make any difference What they call it!! Hope they find a drug that helps you soon and that the steroids kick in quickly for you Sarah.

[helixhelix]

I'm sero negative and I've never been told that it makes a difference re the drugs I can have...so interesting to know if others have been told this too?

[sarah1967]

thank you ladies its always good to hear others situations, have a lovely weekend

sarah

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[mille]

I am sero-positive and on rituximab but as far as i know they don't give it to sero-negative r/a. I was told sero-positive arthritis is usually more severe.

[helixhelix]

Anything below about 20 and you're considered as sero-negative. Above that is positive, and it can go into the hundreds.

[sarah1967]

0k great thanks for that am really beginning to get to grips with this all now thanks so much for your help .

Sarah

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