Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I've not taken Dmards since Dec 2011. I felt like I was mostly in remission - a little swelling in a couple fingers, still cannot go out and exercise without pulling something or having a joint hurt the rest of that day.
My Rhuem. Doc ran bloodwork to see where I was this week.
Rhuem Factor is down to 14 - normal.
Sed rate - 17 normal.
C reactive Protein .2 normal
So, that plus the small amount 1-2 little joints has been called remission.
The kicker though - and the eternal reminder that it's RA and will always be RA and will come back one day is that my anti ccp is >500. I was pretty upset. I guess it still means that when the RA returns, it's going to be very aggressive.
Does this number (anti ccp) ever go back down? Or is it a permanent fixture? If I were on a DMARD, would it decline? I know I don't need the dmard, but I just want to know if it ever declines. (I've held the thought that for the time I'm not on Enbrel now, it's time I can be on it later since our bodies often develop immunity to DMARDS)
My kids are 10 and 12 - I am enjoying every single day with them because I know one day, I won't be this capable. (shoot, I'm still not the same as I used to be)
I know the reason the doctor ran it was because it hadn't been checked since initial diagnosis, meaning there might have been an error on that test. NOPE. It was accurate.
Has anyone had anti ccp decline a great deal?
My Rhuem. Doc ran bloodwork to see where I was this week.
Rhuem Factor is down to 14 - normal.
Sed rate - 17 normal.
C reactive Protein .2 normal
So, that plus the small amount 1-2 little joints has been called remission.
The kicker though - and the eternal reminder that it's RA and will always be RA and will come back one day is that my anti ccp is >500. I was pretty upset. I guess it still means that when the RA returns, it's going to be very aggressive.
Does this number (anti ccp) ever go back down? Or is it a permanent fixture? If I were on a DMARD, would it decline? I know I don't need the dmard, but I just want to know if it ever declines. (I've held the thought that for the time I'm not on Enbrel now, it's time I can be on it later since our bodies often develop immunity to DMARDS)
My kids are 10 and 12 - I am enjoying every single day with them because I know one day, I won't be this capable. (shoot, I'm still not the same as I used to be)
I know the reason the doctor ran it was because it hadn't been checked since initial diagnosis, meaning there might have been an error on that test. NOPE. It was accurate.
Has anyone had anti ccp decline a great deal?
Based on what I have read and chatted with friend that work in the research field - this "stuff" is just "too hard"
Too hard to guess what it will do next and since each of us is different lower numbers for you and high numbers for me may not be something that could even be correlated.
Be well
Bluedogs2
I didn't mention this, as you said, but I get hands and feet x-rayed annually with no changes.
I've read that anti-ccp can show up years and years before RA. Well, I already had RA symptoms big time, just disappeared after Enbrel use. I expect the increase may correlate with "pain yet to arrive"...and the return of flares.
I am trying to enjoy every minute.
Thank you so much for your replies! Best wishes.