Karen - I saw my rheumatologist on Monday for my three month visit. Since my Mom and daughter both have RA, my doc periodically runs an RA Factor on me. It always comes back negative. However, I have some of the same symptoms in my feet that my Mom and DD have. My sed rate is also always high.

Monday, the doctor said that you can have a negative RA factor and still have RA. I thought of you because we have talked about how we have a lot of the same symptoms.

Didn't know if you knew that. I had thought that it meant that I escaped the RA gene (although I would rather have gotten it myself than have given it to DD).

By Kaye on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 08:15 am:

Not Karen....but I recently heard that there are no cases on record with people with Altzimer's who also have RA. So that is mildly good news if it is true

By Kittycat_26 on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 08:40 am:

Holly, My mom and sister are just like you. Both have tested negative for the RA factor but have symptoms and resond to the medicine for RA well.

My sister started when she was just 20 years old and is currently on Methatrexate and Enbril. Doing rather well now though flare ups have happened over the past 10 years for her.

My mom had it bad when we were teenagers but seems to have been in "remission" for the past almost 20 years.

Good luck to you and your DD.

By Karen~admin on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 09:47 am:

Thanks for the info, Hol. I've never been on meds for RA. I can't remember what my sed rate was when I was tested. It's actually been several years since they've run tests for that. My doc told me I presented *classic* RA because of the both-sided joint pain & stiffness, fatigue, fevers with flu like symptoms, anemia, loss of appetite. It comes and goes though. I also have the previous positive EB, which can apparently cause a lot of those same symtoms later in life.

I *have* had all these Xrays and bone scans and bone density scans, which confirmed OA in my hands, neck/shoulders, back and hips. I will mention this to my doc when I see him in Sept. Thanks again.

By Cat on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 12:06 pm:

I'm hoping I escaped the RA gene. My mom has it (among other things--she's a puzzle waiting to fall apart!). I don't know if anyone else in the family had it or not. My mom's only sibling died in 1985 and I don't know about the rest of the extended family or grandparents. I'm waiting for all my mom's problems to start showing up in me, because most of them are genetic.

By Hol on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 03:31 pm:

I have never taken RA drugs, either, but my daughter takes Embrel. She used to take Remicade. It has halted the deformities in her feet and hands.

I have age related OA from my Dad's side, but I also am starting to get crooked and painful toes in the same pattern as my Mom. My hands are also getting stiffer, so I don't enjoy knitting as much anymore, and my handwriting isn't as neat as it used to be. I get the body aches and the debilitating fatigue that comes and goes.

I, too, had Epstien-Barr following a bout with mono in 1997.

That's encouraging news about the Alzhiemer's at least.

By Heaventree on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 04:09 pm:

How common is it for RA to run in families? Geez one more thing to worry about.

My maternal grandfather had Type 1 Diabetes and my Father has Alopecia Areata (AA) and RA.

So far I've only inherited the AA although I have quite an extreme case. Oh and I have eczema as well which I think is considered an Autoimmune.

Aren't all these Autoimmune diseases fun? I guess I'm lucky I have one that is not debilitating or life threatening.

By Karen~admin on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 04:36 pm:

"How common is it for RA to run in families?"

That depends on which doctor you ask or which medical journal you read. Most things I have read, and most doctors I have spoken with say it *does* have a hereditary component, but then there are those who say not.

I think my grandmother had it, though it was never discussed much. I just remember the joint pain she had on both sides, and how her hands and feet were disfigured, her knees were terribly swollen, and she could hardly move.

It's something I do worry about though. I had Xrays a year ago that showed *moderate to severe* degeneration of my hip joints and my doctor told me I would likely end up with hip replacements in 10 years. Lovely. NOT

I do wonder though, Hol, as you posted above, I read today that a percentage of people who actually do have RA test negative. I've been told mine is OA..........so I guess there's an upside to that after all. LOL

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 05:25 pm:

Karen, don't feel so negatively about hip replacements. First, they have improved wonderfully in the past 10-15 years. Second, even 15-20 years ago, they were great. I remember, back in the early 1980s, when the pastor of one of the churches I worked with - a man in his early 50s - had hip replacement for both hips. He was playing tennis 3 months later, something he hadn't been able to do for almost 20 years. And, unlike knee replacements, as I understand it hip replacements don't need to be re-done every so many years, and last a long, long time.

By Crystal915 on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 07:24 pm:

Karen, my MIL just had a hip replacement about 18 months ago, she has severe RA, and isn't even 50 yet. It's such a horrible disease, she was DXed in her 20s, and is nearly crippled by it now.

By Hol on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 11:47 pm:

I have always believed that RA IS inherited, even if it is a recessive gene. Yes, all those things mentioned ARE autoimmune. They run rampant in my family, mostly on my Mom's side. Her brother had Type II diabetes, as did their Dad. My Mom has RA, hypothyroidism, Raynaud's Syndrome and asthma. I have asthma, Hashimoto's disease (which is where the thyroid attacks itself), pernicious anemia, and maybe RA, though, so far, I've been DX'd as OA. My daughter has asthma, RA, Raynaud's, Sjogren's Syndrome, and since she had the baby, they are watching her for hypothyroidism.

My OA is age related, and very strong on my Dad's side. You can have OA and RA at the same time. The largest number of RA patients are women.

A wonderful resource for information is the Arthritis Foundation. They have a website, and I also send them a contribution every year, and get a nice magazine called "Arthritis Today". It is very informative. You can also buy it at the newstand. They use the contribtions toward research.

Yes, Heaven, AA is also autoimmune. Your body attacks your hair follicles.

By Karen~admin on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 07:57 am:

Ginny, logically, I *know* that. My MIL had each hip replaced in the 3-4 year period before she passed away. It's just not something I want to have to consider doing. LOL I made a vow after the last back surgery that no one was cutting on any major body parts of mine again.

By Hol on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 01:04 am:

Karen - how sad that your MIL went through all that, and then didn't get a chance to enjoy the results. Life is so unfair sometimes.