Hello, I am new here, I have jumped over from Psych Central as I feel NeuroTalk may help me with some health issues.

Back before Christmas I had some blood tests done to do with my blood pressure and I happened to mention how much my joints ache especially in the morning.

Well, I thought I'd ring the doc about it today and she looked through my blood results and said that she didn't want to worry me but... the rheumatoid factor was there/up. She's prescribed me some meloxicam (anti- inflammatory drug) for a month's trial and I had to go and have another blood test today to see what is going on. I have to go see the doc again next week to discuss the blood tests.

In a way I'm glad I finally have a name for what is a matter with me and get some pain relief which is soooo needed!

I have done some research on the net now but would love to hear from anyone here. Thank you.

The rH factor testing is not too accurate.

So I would think so other testing could be done as well.
I've known some people with positive rH results who had no
obvious pain. (but the whole family tested positive and one one member had the arthritis.).

more info here:
http://www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoi...or/article.htm

There can also be drug induced lupus, that gives joint pain.
I'm just getting over an attack of that myself. Typically the ANA is not elevated with lupus. But there may be some skin discoloration/rash. I have it on my forearms, but not the face where it typically can be. So if you are on any RX drugs?
Here is a link with a list of them so far. But this list is subject to changing, as drugs are discovered to cause this presently.
http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/weba...=377&zoneid=17