seropositive rheumatoid arthritis -- very early, no pain

kevinmhayes

Hello. I was just diagnosed with RA. all my numbers look normal except my CCP Antibody IgG is > 500 (where they same normal range is < 16). my arthritis pain is VERY low. when I get a cold it get a small flare up but other than that, I am able to play racquetball for a least 2 hours 6 days a week and can do regular activities (job, wife, kids, evening school, etc..).

My doctor just told me that I have a 90% chance of my RA coming to serious pain in 8 to 14 years and he is wanting to start me on 400 mg of plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) and methotrexate (2.5 mg) four tablets a week. is anyone else doing regimine like this? Do you all know of other sites for people with my similar issues??

[Deleted User]

Hi kevinmhayes
Welcome to the forum,it is great you have found us.Everyone on the forum has Arthritis in one way or another so are sympathetic and helpful to each other.It is a friendly site and all you have to do is choose a forum and get talking.
All the best Christine :sun:

frogmorton

Hi Kevin and welcome to the forums from me too

Sorry to hear you diagnosis. If you aren't suffering much ATM I can understand how you must feel looking at taking medication, but you must have had a reason to go to the doctor. I mean it must be affecting you enough to have gone there.

Those drugs are intended to prevent the disease flaring up and causing damage to your joints. MTX and hydroxy' are a very common combination for RA. I am glad they have caught it early for you.

have you had time to read this?

https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/do-i-have-arthritis/a-z-of-types/65-rheumatoid-arthritis

Continuing exercising is an excellent idea. Most of us do what we can within our own limits.

I hope your new medications keep your RA under control for many years to come.

If you wanted to talk to someone our helpline is available weekdays 0808 800 4050

Best of luck

Toni xx

dreamdaisy

Hi, it's nice to meet you and I hope we can help with information and support. RA is an auto-immune inflammatory condition which means your body is attacking itself. To reduce disease activity (and yours is low) it is normal to take meds such as methotrexate and hydroxy, they are known as DMARDs (disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) and, based on my experience and observations over the past twenty years, I think the sooner one is diagnosed and begins the treatment the better outcome will be.

Your doctor is sensibly starting you on a low dose of both and that may well be enough to slow the progression of the disease. Any form of arthritis is degenerative and progressive but the rate at which that happens is unique to the individual and their reaction to the meds. None of us know what the future holds (which is maybe just as well); I am now twenty years in (fifteen on meds) and my life is very different to how I would like it to be but, as I've had auto-immune troubles since birth it's never been that good anyway! It's very good indeed that your RA is not troubling you too much at the moment and the meds will hopefully make that last a great deal longer. I wish you well. DD