Rheumatoid Arthritis

[squatncrunch]

Hello, I recently had some blood work come back with a high Rheumatoid Factor and a strong positive for CCP Antibodies. I would like to now follow-up with a Rheumatologist in either Pattaya or BKK. Thank you.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Mr Google suggests: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789104-good-rheumatologist-in-bangkok-needed-for-sle-systemic-lupus-erythematodes/

Mac

[Sheryl]

I highly recommend this doctor, US-trained and US board certified

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Virat-Pinyopornpanit

[squatncrunch]

Thank you.

[squatncrunch]

I will have to wait a month to see a specialist. Is this considered urgent? I have no symptoms or any pain. Thank you.

[Sheryl]

If you are aysmoptomatic then no, it is not urgent.

I am at a loss to understand why these tests were done, though, if you have no clinical signs of arthritis and no musculoskeletal pain.

[squatncrunch]

@Sheryl, I went in complainng initially that I had started to feel like my hands were slightly swollen often and that they were getting tingley at times. Dr. ran the RA and other inflammatory tests and the RF came back as a 28 and CCP is >250. The other tests are fine as well as CBC. I have no pain and have never had the kind of swelling that people with RA suffer from. It is highly recommended I get scans done because there can be joint damage with no pain. It all seems so scary and the drug treatments frighten me beyond belief. I am making an appointment at Bumrungrad for early Aug. and pray somehow this all becomes less daunting.

[Sheryl]

Don't get ahead of yourself, these results alone are not conclusive for RA i.er. they can occur in other conditions (past or present - will stay elevated even if the condition was in the past) as well.

The diagnosis of RA and decision to treat it are based on multiple criteria, not just lab results.

Your situation definitely warrants seeing a really good rheumatologist able to make difficult differential analyses so worth waiting for Dr. Virat

[squatncrunch]

Thank you. I am.making the apppointment today. I wonder if having Dengue has anything to do with all this. I had it in 2012 and noticed my swelling started after that.