Sero Positive RA

[Jillybean1983]

Hi everyone, quick question, I was diagnosed sero positive in 2013 and on 22.5mg Injectable MTX & Hydroxychloroquin, I have changed consultants recently and the new one has done a Nuclear full body bone scan (waiting for the report) but he did my bloods and said Rheumatoid Factor is negative?? I knew it could go from meg to pos but does that mean in now sero negative?? I’m very confused as I’ve never been told this before?? Will my treatment now change? Any advice welcome

[helixhelix]

I have heard of people having the RF factor turn negative after having been in remission. But was your anti-CCP negative or positive at diagnosis as can also be considered as sero-negative/posiitve.

Why was it re-tested? As once you’ve been diagnosed and put on a treatment path I didn’t think it had much clinical use at all. Amd why having a nuclear body scan? (Sorry I’m nosy...no need to answer if you don’t want to, but it’s a fairly full on test)

[Jillybean1983 in reply to helixhelix]

Anti CCP has always been negative, I’m not sure why actually I can only presume it’s because I changed consultants that’s he’s done a kind of overhaul of investigations, I’m wondering if he was seeing how many joints were affected as my CRP & ESR are always low, the highest it’s ever been is 11 🤷🏻‍♀️

The scan is fine, you don’t go in a tube like an MRI just 2 plates that go from feet to head or vice versa, they did hands, feet 5 mins after the injection and then I had to go back 4 hours later for the full scan. I lit up like a Xmas tree all apart from my shoulders, I was fully clothed no hospital gown, it’s like speckled til it’s starts tracing and gathers together where there is damage/inflammation, I’ll post results once I get them x

[Jillybean1983 in reply to Jillybean1983]

*speckled on a screen and then they start to accumulate i could watch it on a screen as it went over, I asked a few questions they were really informative, it’s all very relaxed!

[helixhelix in reply to Jillybean1983]

I meant full on in terms of the amount of radiation!

[Jillybean1983 in reply to helixhelix]

No apparently it’s less radiation than a standard X-ray I think

[helixhelix in reply to Jillybean1983]

Mmm.....I was told equivalent of 70 x-rays? Unless you mean a DEXA scan, which is negligible.

health.harvard.edu/cancer/r...

[Jillybean1983 in reply to helixhelix]

This is what I read “

Although the test relies on radioactive tracers to produce the images, these tracers produce very little radiation exposure — less than a CT scan”

[helixhelix in reply to Jillybean1983]

Well that’s good then!! I hope it produces useful results to guide your treatment.