I have had pain in various joints since May. I went to my doctor for lab results today, he said I have a positive Rheumatiod Factor and positive ANA. He didn't give me a diagnosis said it is autoimmune. What could this mean
9/14/09 7:52pm
The blood test may indicate that you have rheumatoid arthritis or some other autoimmune disease, but it's impossible to tell for people like us who aren't doctors. I'm assuming that he's giving you a referral to a rheumatologist? If not, go back and ask for one. You may also want to check out our area about the basics of RA to see if anything sounds familiar. If it does, don't panic. RA can add some extra challenges to your life, but these days, the prognosis is very different these days than it used to be.
9/10/09 2:42pm
I too have a positive RF (320) normal is 20 and a Positive ANA. I have an autoimmune disease called SLE (lupus). I have periods of flares and periods of remission. When I am in remission, my ANA is negative, but the RA has always been positive. I was diagnoised when I was 24 and have been living with it since.
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By Tee— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 09/09/09
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