Misdiagnosed for RA?

Registered: 08/15/10
Posts: 131

	08/19/10	#1

I was diagnosed with RA when I got out in 1986. I have been getting 40% SC for that.Last fall I was diagnosed with Hep C and the VA doctors told me that I don’t have RA.None of the doctors have indicated that it could have been Hep C that was mis-diagnosed as RA. I found this from a doctor on the internet: “Rheumatoid factor is not specific to RA and can be positive in normal individuals and patients with hepatitis C” Has anyone run into this before? Is there enough medical evidence out there to pursue this? Thanks…

NOD

Manager
Registered: 11/22/08
Posts: 652

	08/19/10	#2

Interesting point. I have an elevated RA factor and the M.D.s concluded it was fibromyalgia. It would explain all the aches and pains I and a lot of other C positive Vets suffer. How do you want to “pursue” it? RA secondary to HCV? If you are already rated for it and have recently been dxed as in remission, its only a matter of time before VA reduces or revokes your rating for it. And revoke it they will, Mr. Squid. VA takes great pleasure in reducing ratings- often doing it improperly without due notice and sans legal standing to do so.

squid_with_dragon

Registered: 08/15/10
Posts: 131

08/19/10

There is no cure for RA. Once you have it, you have it for life. Even when it is in remission, a person should still check positive for RA (from what little I know from just being a patient). When it comes out of remission joints can be damaged. RA can also damage different organs in the body since the immune system goes out of wack when the body attacks normal joints.But I am learning that Hep C affects the joints as well. Also Hep C tosses the immune system for a loop. I am not too impressed with the VAMC lab results. They lost one test already and I had to wait a month before a redo.I could either try to show that I likely had Hep C but it was mis-diagnosed as RA. Or, I could show multiple treatments for RA when it came out of remission during the last 25 years. I had many different blood tests over the years but I don’t know if liver enzymes were ever part of those tests.

It sounds like it may be better to show a 25 year treatment history for RA to keep that rating for SC. Then try to show “most likely” for Hep C because of Munjis and the EMG tests I had in Japan?