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...

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trishcorsi 01/28/2013

I have just concluded some interesting research. Started asking around and found that 4 of my 5 paternal aunts had RA. They have all since passed but I am determined to spread the word within our large Irish Catholic family (I have 35 cousins) that this disease is hereditary and to be on the look out for some of the weird symptoms that I have had going back at least 10 years that fit right into a neat little package; RA. If it can help anyone of them to catch it early, rather than when RA Factor is 900, they can do a lot of preventative work to slow the progression. Forewarned is forearmed!

Christine26 01/30/2013

Good for you doing research. I am certain that it was also in my family with my aunt. They would say oh I have a touch of Rheumatism or arthritis, but back in the days no one went to the doctor. My mom developed it after I did and I have one son who has joint pain and has been seen by the Rheumatologist that I see and it has not been ruled in or out. He is 22.

bcatz 01/30/2013

Mine is also hereditary...and also my aunt has it. Mom's sister.

deleted_user 01/30/2013

I can't find one person in my family going all the way back to 1905 on either side that had r.a... guess I just got lucky

deleted_user 01/30/2013

I was adopted from India, with absolutely no access to my medical history. I have no clue if it is hereditary, but I also have Endometriosis which usually is, and so I am guessing this probably is too if I have it. I finally see a Rheumy for the first time tomorrow morning.

lynnedavidson3 01/31/2013

I have RA. My Aunt, (Dad's Sister) had Lupus. She died from it at age 29. I don't know of any other relatives that have these diseases.

littlemac 01/31/2013

My grandfather had RA and I know of one cousin that also had RA.

DianePav 01/31/2013

2 aunts on my mother's side

peppyest 01/31/2013

christine, same thing with me with an aunt.she called it "rheumatism" too...my brother was dx'd recently ,he's 61yrs.
i have another cousin who has it and a few other cousins with other auto immune diseases i.e. lupus etc.

and i agree that "forewarned is forearmed'.when i was dx'd at 49yo(while in the best shape of my life)my ra factor was very high.

deleted_user 02/01/2013

My brother has it and my mother has psoriasis. My mother developed it in her 30's, and I have had moments where I too thought I was developing it (hers came on after the stress of my parents divorce, I too was in the middle of a stressful divorce at the time). However we do not know where else in the family it could be; it just seems like us kids are the ones who have these issues; although my mother does not know her real father, so it could come down from that side.

deleted_user 02/02/2013

Hi, Thanks for the warning. I need to check my generation. Even though i don't have any sign but for sake of confirmation.

Leo

deleted_user 02/02/2013

my mom has RA. she was diagnosed around the same age as I was 44

RCross 02/02/2013

Auto-immune is in my family as well. Mother, grandmother and great aunts with either Lupus or RA...one with both. Grandfather also had RA. I have MS...and quite possibly RA, hence why I'm here. LOL!

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