Seronegative RA
How to diagnose seronegative RA.
This is a tough one. I've had seronegative RA for over 30 years and it's insidious. Since you don't really show up on blood tests it takes a rheumatologist with with years of experience who can eliminate the other possibilities and use their expertise to diagnose you with seronegative RA. It's a diagnosis of exclusion, which means they basically have to rule out pretty much everything else, so it also takes time. I know it can be frustrating, but hang in there. In the meantime, we will be here to help however we can. You are not alone. Keep on keepin' on, DPM 
, I can't offer a better explanation than Daniel. It can be hard to diagnose RA, especially because even some specialists don't seem to be aware that it is a very real form of RA. I thought you might appreciate this information on seronegative RA, although it's not specifically about diagnosis -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/seronegative-ra-blood-tests-dont-tell-entire-story.
I hope this information is helpful for you!
Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.I have sero negative RA and Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis. The Psoriatic Arthritis was easily diagnosed based on appearance [distal joints were inflamed] plus a positive on the HLAB27 test. The RA sero negative was diagnosed on the basis of xrays and locations of inflamation. But I must add that I had one of the greatest rheumatologists in the US - Dr. William Shiel [now retired]. He was a big believer in not letting lab tests be the only basis of evidence. I sure do miss him. Damn, he was smart. 
thanks so much for sharing your experience here. It sounds like your doctor was such a huge help in getting your diagnoses. How important it can be to get to the bottom of things, looking beyond the lab tests. And, as you mention both PsA and AS, I just wanted to make sure you're aware of our sister sites, https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/ and https://ankylosingspondylitis.net/. Sending you gentle hugs. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
