I had to post my story of RA, it could very well bring some light into someone's unknown suffering. Six months after the death of my five month old daughter, I started having severe joint pain and crippling fatigue. My doctor ordered blood work and a week later diagnoised me with Rheumatoid Arthritis. My R factor was 138. My doctor started aggressive treatment. Through the years, I went from one rheumy to another. Gold, 16 years of Methotrexate with Humera, then Embrel and finally Remicade. All these meds, all this time, I had NO possitive results. I have taken every anti-inflammatory drug made, nothing. My fatigue and joint pain escalated. Years of hand x-rays showed no change in my joints? I've been told I was just depressed, it must be hormones, I need 4 months of physical therapy, I am imagining things, I need to move somewhere else but mostly, shrugged shoulders from Doctors that just don't care. Retesting and retesting and retesting. I had given up. Then last year, when I had the flu, I saw the local country Doctor. I gave him my usual speach and he listened. More blood work, then the follow up appointment. Well guess what? I have Hepatitis C! I also discovered that Hep C MIMICS Rheumatoid Arthritis right down to the blood test and R factor! I was stunned and I also stopped taking ALL medication. 16 years of poisoning my liver! I actually feel much better. Now all I have to deal with is the Hepatitis(which I've had for at least 25 years). How could this happen! What a long misserable road I've been on. I truly hope that this post might help at least one person. Luck and Love to everyone.
Gosgirl

Thanks! I'm searching like mad to deal with my husband's newly discovered R-factor at 73.8, along with high triglycerides, LDL, etc. He's on Pravachol and in the last six months, all his numbers there have shot up. I never felt that they were treating it right and now I know.
Thanks for the help!

You know, my rheum ordered a hep c test with all the initial bloodwork. I thought it was strange at the time, but it makes sense now.

I'm not dx yet but am testing very high pos RA but they also took a hep c blood test

I'm not dx yet but am testing very high pos RA but they also took a hep c blood test
Please let us know the results. This is very interesting that I'm hearing this from these people. Gives me hope for my husband.
Thanks!
Judy