Rheumatoid Factor Higher

[hollyanna]

My recent blood tests show a higher RF than I have ever had. It was 10.59 in 2009, 76.2 in Nov. 2010 and today it is 87.4. Will the abx treatment eventually make this RF go back to normal? I’m not even sure what the Rheumatoid Factor is – especially in relation to SED and C-Reaction – both of which have normalized now that I am off methotrexate for 2 months.

By the way, I just passed my 3 month mark of abx and am feeling better – I’d give my quality of life rating a 50% now – much improved from the 20-30% from 3 months ago.

[Maz]

@hollyanna wrote:

My recent blood tests show a higher RF than I have ever had. It was 10.59 in 2009, 76.2 in Nov. 2010 and today it is 87.4. Will the abx treatment eventually make this RF go back to normal? I’m not even sure what the Rheumatoid Factor is – especially in relation to SED and C-Reaction – both of which have normalized now that I am off methotrexate for 2 months.

By the way, I just passed my 3 month mark of abx and am feeling better – I’d give my quality of life rating a 50% now – much improved from the 20-30% from 3 months ago.

Hi Hollyanna,

What you’re describing is very par for the course with AP. The paradoxical early worsening with RA (herxing in symptoms and labs) is actually what is looked for by experienced AP physicians and is a sign that the therapy is working. If you click on my Progress Thread in my sig line, you will see a chart of my labs that shows the spiking of numbers in the first 3 months and the gradual falling of these.

You know something? Even doctors can’t say with any certainty what RF means! It’s an antibody and it’s commonly seen in folk with RA, but it can be elevated in healthy people, can be present as we age, can signify infections and is there in other conditions,too! If it’s any comfort, an RF in the 80s isn’t too high and should start to come down in the coming months/year. There are some here who have had RFs well up in the high hundreds. 😉 It’s fantastic that your CRP and SED are now normalised. These two are markers for inflammation, which is what causes all the probs in RA….so keep doing what you are doing….you’re right on track!

This website is very handy for looking up the meaning of labs: http://www.labtestsonline.org Here is the explanation for CRP and you can also look up SED rate using their search box:

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/crp/test.html

Congrats getting off your methotrexate! Sometimes labs/symptoms will worsen for a while after coming off these, because the immune system is waking up and the abx are better able to do their job, too. 🙂

Great going! Don’t worry too much if your days are a bit back and fwds….this is par for the course, too. Flares can and still do occur while on AP…it’s just that these should be getting fewer, shorter in duration and less intense over time till they burn out completely. Brown’s goal was to slowly re-train immune function.

All the best to you!

[lynnie_sydney]

Hollyanna – this is not unusual. Sometimes on this treatment, symptoms improve first and bloodwork later. Sometimes it’s the other way around. And labs do often, indeed, “herx” also. Below is an extract from my testimonial. Lynnie

A couple of weeks later, I went back to my G.P. feeling wonderful and very excited. Then I got the results of my blood tests. My Rheumatoid Factor had increased, up from 511 to 692! My CRP and ESR were both still in normal range (as they had always been), but I now had a positive ANA result which was speckled. I came down with a crash. What was going on?? As soon as I got home, I posted on the Road Back Board asking for some help. As before, I was soothed by some wonderfully calming responses. It is quite common for blood work to become worse at the beginning of AP, my ANA was nothing to be concerned about. It was all almost certainly part of the Herx. I now felt good – and was told feeling good was what I should concentrate on for the time being. The rest would come later. I was so relieved. I hadn’t realised the blood work would herx along with the rest of me. 5 months later, I went back to my GP for another round of blood work and another prescription for minocycline. This time, I was truly ecstatic. My ESR and CRP had fallen to even lower levels. And my Rheumatoid Factor had plummeted to 311 – falling by 381 points in just 5 months. Finally, my blood work was following the way I felt, which was wonderful!

https://www.roadback.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/community.display/display_id/490.html

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[hollyanna]

Thanks so much, Lynnie and Maz. I spoke with my dr. via phone last night and he was not concerned with the RF. He was pleased with the lower numbers on SED and CReaction but his favorite part is that I feel better. I like him very much. But not as much as I like you guys. I love you guys. 😀

[Author]

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