Hello, I am new. My doctor thought for sure I had RA. However all my test are all negative. My hands are painful and swollen. I have fibromyalgia but the pain in my hands and feet joints are a new symptom. Is it possible to still have RA with negative results?
Jaycee Bateman
J
Welcome jaycee! Yes you can be negative on results and still have RA. I was in the same boat, had fibro and just notices a different type of pain. Lots of info here!
Thank you!
Yes its called seronegative RA
A BIG YES!!!!
Yes I do: 0( but it makes us even more special: 0) lol xx
Could be other autoimmune diseases as well. There's lupus and scleroderma and mctd that all present with similar symptoms. As well as Lyme.
Erithema nodoso
And vasculitus
You definitely can have seronegative RA. I'm in the same boat!
Yep!
YES! See another dr.!
20% of those with RA are seronegative
yes, every dr. Should know that.
Seropositive
Rheumatoid arthritis patients who are classified as seropositive have the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCPs) in their blood test results. These are also referred to as anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs). These are the antibodies that attack the body and produce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
I googled this to explain where I'm at
I have seronegative RA, confirmed by MRI. My Rheummie said its common.
What do they see on the MRI?
I have zero negative RA
I think it is.
Yes
He said that it is possible... But yet he also said he did the most sensitive test? What else should I ask to be done?
I am seronegative but have RA
Yes it is. My rheumy said it is very possible
Yes!!
Yes Seronegetive RA
I'm seronegative RA also
Get it.... Do want your body wants and take it ..... Pain is our trouble so do what works my knees/shoulders occasionally suffers but now .... Gluten and sugar free ..... Keep it diet controlled .... Now whether controlled UK I'm trying to win! Gl x
Yes!!
Thank you everyone!! Next stop the rheumatologist!!
Yes, it is possible. I was in your boat for at least five years, sure I had RA But RF and ANA negative. 20% of RA patients are 'sero-negative'. Your dr may not know about a study which shows that hard to diagnose cases can be diagnosed more quickly through a nuclear imaging scan. Sounds full on but it isn't as bad as you'd think and the diagnosis made it a very worthwhile test for me. Overnight I went from 'fat and lazy and exaggerating pain' category to 'suffering extreme pain due to RA related inflammation' category. Be prepared though that, as the scan shows inflammatory damage (RA) as opposed to degenerative changes (osteo arthritis) it can identify areas of damage you weren't aware you had. For me the RA seemed to affect my hands and feet but there was only barely visible deformity to my feet and a very subtle thickening at my wrists - what came up in the scans is the most profound damage is actually in my shoulders and wrists. I now understand that what I had thought was fatigue causing an absolute need to lie down (I literally can't hold my head up after four or so hours 'on the go') was actually due to the RA in my shoulders. Reminds me of how, with asthma, if it gets really bad you end up with a very sore lower back. This is because the muscles around the top of you torso become so exhausted you end up leaning forward and using back muscles to breath.. The body is a mysterious animal.
i worked out a trick for that. I sit on the couch and hang my head down then done have to lift my arms up... Try it, takes the weight of gravity out of the equation. Another thing I'm doing is having things for making tea/coffee etc set out on a low table in the kitchen. Means I can pour things if they are lower becausep, again, it's the weight which I can't manage. Also, we are planning to move soon and instead of getting a standard fridge we have found these bar fridges which we are getting three of and mounting them up so they sit at exactly the right level for me which is basically so most things are at the level of between my armpits and hips. Was my partners idea as he sees how much I struggle with things that are stored too high in our current fridge. So, yeah, I'm modifying whatever I can to be in that 'armpit to hip' zone..
I fess up, I take tramadol. I kinda depend on it so much that it would take me months to stop taking it and then I'd be a wreck from the pain...
Yes!!!
Yes you can.. There is seronegative ra. I have it. The dr needs to do different blood tests and xrays of the effected joints.
Thank you so much for asking this question and all of the great answers!!! I too, am in seronegative!