Positive RH factor

Did anyone else also have a positive RH factor? When they did my blood test (twice) once at the GP office and then at the Rheumies office, they both came back positive. When I saw the Rhuemie, I was also having a major psoriasis flare up on my hands, feet, and head, that combined with the tendonitis in my elbows, knees, and heels made him go with an initial diagnosis of PsA. After x-rays and an MRI, he changed it to PsA with ankylosing spondylitis. He said as far as treatment goes, RA and PsA are pretty much treated with the same drugs. He said that with a diagnosis of PsA, it would be easier to get the insurance company to cover the cost of treatment for the tendonitis.

Can you have both RA and PsA? Does my body really hate me that much? Hahaha

Yup, you can hace PsA and RA. You can also have a positive RH factor and not have RA. You can also have a negative RH factor and have RA. You can also not have psoriasis and have PsA. It's true, they are treated pretty much the same, they can have different ways of showing up (tendon issues are more common in PsA, fingers shifting position is more common in RA) but in the end, it's all autoimmune arthritis.

My Rheumy thinks I have both RA & PsA.
I have a negative RA , and very little psoriasis. She said they are treated almost exactly the same, with same meds.
Funny, I asked the same thing… but I don’t think that way anymore… what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger

I have PsA and also sometimes have positive RA factors. I asked the question, too, and my rheumatologist said absolutely you cannot have both RA and PsA; you have one or the other. I confess, I don't understand the logic of that. Why couldn't you have both? In fact, autoimmune diseases are so often co-morbid that it seems to make sense that RA and PsA absolutely could occur simultaneously. I didn't question her reasoning--she's the doctor. Didn't want to seem argumentative.

She also said both illnesses are treated with the same drugs, so the distinction about which one I have is not critical to my treatment plan. But, that said, she says I have more features of PsA.

Interesting question. I'd love to know more.

My RH Factor was positive too and I have pitting of the nails and psoriasis. My rheum told me that I had both and everything that I've read suggests that she was correct.