What you are describing his not common for RA. textbook RA usually starts with small joints like hands an feet and is bilateral, meaning BOTH hands, both knees etc.

Sorry that tho I have had RA for approx 40 years, i have o idea what "CCP value" is.

I was wondering about the CCP value also. And strange that there are so many newbies, all starting on Plaquenil, when methotrexate is the usual starter nowadays.

I had palindromic arthritis when I started getting pain. The flares would move joints, and they were not parallel, but a flare stayed in a joint, causing extreme pain and not being able to use the joint for about 24 hours. Eventually the RA started to settle in all the joints, and although I was not correctly diagnosed for 2 years, eventually RA was the obvious conclusion.

Too bad for me, since Palindromic Arthritis does not cause joint deformities and it goes away completely in 50% of all people with it. I know another woman who started with Palindromic and it morphed into severe RA just like me.

If you have Palindromic, you do not need any kind of DMARD. Maybe just painkillers to tide you through till the pain lessens.

Anyway, it does not sound like RA, nor that you need meds for it. But that is between you and your doctor, of course. Just relating my experience!

Hi Millcomp,
I just posted a newbie intro and question myself. I was just diagnosed in August. My other tests were in the normal range except CCP. Mine was 1471. I have done some googling on that test and it seems like that is a specific test for antibodies related to RA. Sometimes those antibodies will show up even if typical RA symptoms haven't started yet.

My pain is more bilateral, but usually it will be painful on one side (one knee or elbow) and I'll feel it in the other side but it's barely painful there. You don't feel anything in the opposite joint?

I also recently posted for the first time - I have what may be seronegative RA, though I have had symptoms of Sjogrens as well. My CCP was normal (I forgot the number) as was my RF. My ESR and CRP were mildly increased when I first had symptoms.
My joint pain started in the exact same joint in both hands (PIP of the middle finger - LOL). And the pain and swelling has gradually "spread" to include many joints in my hands, and wrists - and almost exactly symmetrical down to each little joint. My pain is mild but can last for hours, and is more so at the end of day if I have been using my hands (which I do a lot). I have "stiffness" which is like tightness to me - and it lasts some days for most of the day.

I have some very minor pain. Mostly it is not symmetric but sometimes it is. Most of the time it comes and goes in minutes but sometimes it lasts all day. Most of the time it is a sharp pain. I get a tightness feeling also but the joints are not swollen nor are they red. My rheumy said that it is not normal RA signs but it might be some very early signs. Because of my high CCP she wanted to start me on the Plaquenil. What meds are you taking?

I was on prednisone for one year in total (with tapering off), and methotrexate and humira for 2 years. I recently decided to stop everything since I was not much better on them, and since my symptoms were considered atypical - and my rheumy agreed to let me stop - to see if my pain worsened.
My symptoms did not worsen, though right now they are picking up a little after a nice summer without a lot of problems. I have developed some symptoms of Sjogren's and looking into that.
I agree that aggressive treatment is really important to reduce the risk of damage. For me we're just not sure what I have.