I've had minor joint pain since Feb 09 when I tested positive for RF (score was 33). It was just tested again and it was normal at 7. All my other labs have always been normal. I did start Plaquenil in October and am curious to see if that alone could cause the RF factor to drop? I've never had any swelling, stiffness, or redness.
Thoughts?
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My apologies for getting to your post so late - I've been off work with an injury and that always come back this week, moving fairly slowly.
To be honest, I don't know the ins and outs of specific blood test like RA factor, but we have a terrific post on lab results that may give you more information. It is my impression that RA factor doesn't decrease with treatment, but your doctor would be a much better source of information on this than I am.
However, RA factor in and of itself is not necessarily a confirming test of RA - approximately 20% of people living with the disease are seronegative, which means there RA factor is normal. Many doctors unfortunately rely only on blood test to make a diagnosis, whereas others rely more on clinical symptoms, medical history, physical exam, etc. - in your case, it sounds as if the diagnosis was made based partly on your clinical symptoms, with the blood says used to confirm the diagnosis. The good news is that it sounds as if you have a mild case. The question is, has your joint pain subsided after you started Plaquenil, in which case, you're clearly being held by the drug.
Which is a very long way of saying check it out when you to rheumatologist.