Blood work says no RA
Dr says blood work says no arthritis. But sergion removed boan from shoulder said due to arthritis. Has anyone ever had blood work say no but symptoms says yes?
Hi,
! There is a real form of RA called seronegative RA. It's when a person experiences RA symptoms, but the bloodwork doesn't show active RA. You can read more about it here -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/seronegative-ra-blood-tests-dont-tell-entire-story and here -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/seronegative-ra-evidence.
I would definitely talk to your physician about this, especially if you are doubting your diagnosis (or lack thereof).
Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.
Please tell us what kind of doctor said it wasn't arthritis.
If it's a board certified rheumatologist, and s/he didn't mention sero-negative RA in the same office visit......then you need to find another board certified rheumatologist. If it was a family doctor or other specialty......well, now you know why it's important to have a specialist on your team.I, myself, have seronegative RA. None of my blood work every said I had RA in the last 30+ years. In addition there is also OA, which is a form of arthritis not caused by the immune system. So to answer your question, yes, it could certainly still be RA. Let us know how it goes. Keep on keepin' on, DPM BTW - I'm sero-negative RA with bloodwork spanning 30 years or more, at least once every 6 months, sometimes more frequently. Not one abnormal result.
I also have OA. Did the surgeon say it was caused by OA or RA? Big difference., has a great point that there is a difference between OA and RA. One of our community advocates shared her experience with OA (https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/osteoarthritis-complications) that can shed light, too. - Reggie, RheumatoidArthritis.net team member
