Diagnosed...but not officially

Hey mewhoshops2,

I'm so sorry you're going through such a hard time! I'll do my best to hit all the important points.

I was diagnosed with RA about 18 years ago. I have "seronegative RA," which means that standard blood tests do not indicate anything unusual. Here's an article about seronegative RA: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/seronegative-ra-blood-tests-dont-tell-entire-story/. So yes, a person could indeed have RA in spite of what their RF level is. A number of factors, including x-rays, ultrasounds, physical exams, and more sophisticated blood tests, can be used by a rheumatologist to determine if an RA diagnosis is appropriate. I write about my experience with "normal" labs and then having the Vectra test (which indicated moderate RA disease activity) in this article: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/testing-testing-1-2-3/

The fatigue you describe sounds very familiar to me. Yes, people with RA can have days where they feel functional - even when they feel good - and then other days where they feel fatigued to the point of feeling drugged as you describe. Here's an article I wrote about my experience with fatigue, in case you find it helpful: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/tired-of-tired/

As far as what you can do about RA symptoms without insurance, that's a tricky one. Unfortunately, some of the most effective RA treatments are incredibly expensive, and are unaffordable to almost everyone without insurance. The medicine that you have tried is an NSAID (read more about NSAIDs here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/nsaids/). NSAIDs can be helpful in reducing some symptoms after they occur, but some people experience no benefit from them. The more advanced medications, known as biologics, can actually prevent symptoms from occurring in the first place or reduce their frequency and/or severity.

There are some people who have found that dietary changes make a big difference in their symptoms, but other people find they don't help. RA is not a "one size fits all" disease, and there is nothing, pharmaceutical or otherwise, that is effective for every person with the disease. With medications, there is often trial and error involved in finding an effective treatment, and this is certainly the case with non-medical options.

So with that being said, here are some articles about non-medical options that some people have found to be of some help:
Natural remedies and supplements: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/natural-remedies/
Alternative therapies: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/alternatives-therapies/
Diet: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/diet-and-nutrition/

One of our contributors, Lisa Emrich, just wrote an article about programs for financial assistance, so you may want to explore the options listed: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/finding-help-to-afford-your-ra-medications/.

I wish you all the best and welcome you to continue reaching out with questions any time you feel inclined. If I didn't address anything you're wondering about, please let me know.

Gentle hugs,
Tamara

Hey mewhoshops2,

I am so sorry you're dealing with so much! Tamara shared some great articles so I won't do the same but I just wanted to tell you I also have "sero-negative" Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was diagnosed eight years ago and my blood work has remained normal through its entirety. My Vectra test came back negative as well but it's a very expensive test even with insurance sometimes.

It's unfortunately very difficult to get a lot of the medications that work well without insurance but if you ask a primary care physician (possibly at a free clinic near your home) they should direct you to organizations that help with financial aid or other methods to receive the diagnosis/medications. I cannot give you any specifics as these vary from region to region.

For me, personally, I found that some dietary changes helped but not a whole lot. I drink a lot of green tea (a natural anti-inflammatory to some) and cut out butter and potatoes (huge symptom triggers for me). This was through some trial and error and keeping track of my symptoms (https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/keeping-tabs/).

Fatigue is also a symptom that a lot of our community members are frustrated with. It's actually something we have a lot of trouble controlling! https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/infographic/strategies-dealing-ra-fatigue/2/ There are some tips for managing fatigue here.

As Tamara said, you are always welcome to come here if/when you have questions or need support. If you are comfortable, we would love to hear how you are doing! ~Monica (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)

I also find that icing and/or heat helps.

Thanks so much for everyone's response! I knew I had posted this somewhere but couldn't find it lol.

Wow you have given me a lot to think about. I'll definitely read all of these articles because I need all of the help understanding this disease as I can get.

Thank you for your encouragement too. I've been feeling pretty down about this. I know half of the battle is understanding it. I also have osteoarthritis so all of this time had been certain that this pain is from that... And perhaps it still is, but the more I read about RA the more convinced I become that that's what this is.