What does this mean ?

[Pedz]

Rheumatoid factor  and CCP positive? 

Hi guys what does this mean I have googled it but all a bit technical this was in a letter from hospital about my condition 

Cheers

Pete 

[helixhelix]

What do you want to know?   These are two blood tests that look for a thing in your blood (an antibody) that tends to Indicate that you may or may not have a particular disease.  In themselves they don't really mean much, but are useful to doctors in making a diagnosis.  Have you been given a diagnosis from the hospital?

[Pedz in reply to helixhelix]

Hi thanks for the reply yes my diagnosis is rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid factor and CCP positive) just wondering what the CCP positive is all about 

Thanks 

Peter 

[helixhelix in reply to Pedz]

There is a theory that people who are antibody positive may have more active, aggressive and/or destructive disease.  And that sero-negative people tend to have "milder" RA.   However, the experiences of the people on this forum do not really back this theory up....

I'm anti-CCP positive and when I was first diagnosed I was terrified as it hit me hard and seemed to attack every joint in my body.  And I read all the learned articles about sero-positive disease which frightened me even more.  But I'm fine now, generally with no pain and very little damage.  I do need to take quite high doses of drugs to control it, but it is controlled and my life is now 95% normal. 

Other on here are sero-negative and having a much worse time than I am.  

So what counts is yours actual disease, not what statistics tell you you ought to have. 

Listen to your docs, look after yourself (eat, sleep and exercise wel) and you should be fine. 

[Pedz in reply to helixhelix]

hey thanks, I been getting a lot of hassle from work they want my clinic reports, 15 months of crap from work if they trying to ware me down its working fed up with having to explain myself over and over again, be sent for Medical after medical could scream.... I only want to go to work while I can