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...
As I have been going over what my Rheumy and I discussed at my visit on Wednesday I think he said something similar to the following :
If present in such a patient at a moderate to high level, it not only confirms the diagnosis but also may indicate that the patient is at increased risk for damage to the joints. (Low levels of this antibody are less significant.) In the past, doctors relied on another antibody, the rheumatoid factor (RF) to help confirm a diagnosis.
What do you all think about this test?
If present in such a patient at a moderate to high level, it not only confirms the diagnosis but also may indicate that the patient is at increased risk for damage to the joints. (Low levels of this antibody are less significant.) In the past, doctors relied on another antibody, the rheumatoid factor (RF) to help confirm a diagnosis.
What do you all think about this test?
I do look for new studies every once in a while to see if there is better news out there... and I did find one recently that showed that Orencia (which I'm on now) works even better for anti-CCP positive patients. Fingers crossed!
You should take everything I say with a grain salt because (A) I have a bad memory and (B) I'm not too swift with science.
That said, I think knowing my anti-CCP status helps me. It helps me to understand why I may be having trouble finding a drug that works after 9 months of trying. Why I don't have the miraculous remission on the TV commercials. Yet!
I asked my rheumy how seriously he took my anti-CCP results, and he just looked at me gravely and said, "Very." However... this means he does not hesitate to get me on even the most expensive drugs, and to not stick around with them if they're not working.
The other "advantage" of my anti-CCP test is that it helped confirm my diagnosis early and enabled me to get early aggressive treatment, which I believe I need because my disease certainly came on hard and fast. I also tested RF positive, but I don't have a lot of visible swelling, so I wonder if anyone would even believe my pain if it weren't for the CCP test. I feel a lot of compassion for people who are sero-negative and don't have other test results but clearly have the RA disease and are suffering.
So those are my thoughts on this subject... It would be great to hear some success stories from other people who have high anti-CCP results and have responded well to medications -- let us know!
: )
Tina
and was immediately started on an aggressive plan. I take 4 RA drugs (plaquenil, arava, minocycline and simponi) along with mobic for pain and swelling. I tell you I'm so close feeling "pre-RA" I can almost taste it! I have full mobility and can do just about anything I want. Just a little pain and stiffness like I did a big workout the day before. It's hard to believe that only a year ago I was almost bedridden!
And it's so true, we can't stress about things like this, because stress is bad for our immune systems!
: )
Still knowledge is power.
Blessed -- I did start out on MTX, had severe side effects (3 week migraines), had to go off. It was helping me so I wish I could have stayed on. As soon as I go off meds the disease comes back with a vengance. But hopefully the Orencia will really kick in for me. And now we know there are RA patients with high anti-CCP results who do well... I think it might just be harder to get there?
I just wanted to add more hope for you.
Hugs