Is it likely I have RA?
Hello I am a 28 year old male 5'10 165lbs exercise 3-4 times a week. I don't have any family history of rheumatoid arthritis, however I have had pain in various joints for the past ten years. I also have dry eye and mouth. The joints I have pain in are my knees, spine, and big toe. I also have pain/stiffness in my Achilles tendon. b
I took a few blood tests ESR came back well within normal range, rheumatoid factor and ANA both came back as negative as well. Joints usually feel good but once in a while will get intense pain. I have only had one X-ray done and it was for something unrelated it said there were mild degenerative changes in the spine but no comment from the Dr on that. Anyways to diagnose if I have RA do I need to do an x-ray for each individual joint or is there a full body alternative? Thank you for the advice in advance
Hey CDantes! Thanks for reaching out. I am sorry you are dealing with this right now! For your safety, we cannot give medical advice online but we can link a few articles that might be helpful to you.
Many people have "seronegative RA" which is a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis with normal bloodwork. I am one of those! https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/seronegative-ra-blood-tests-dont-tell-entire-story/
Also, people with RA sometimes get Sjogren's since RA is a systematic disease and affects different organs. https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/medical-conditions-occurring-along-with-ra/secondary-sjogrens-syndrome/
The symptoms resource (at the top of this page) is a great way to start. Many autoimmunes have similar symptoms so it is very important you continue to speak to your physician about any and all symptoms you're experiencing. Please reach out if you have anymore questions.
All the best, Monica (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
