Has anyone else had every blood test remain negative?
RA and all blood tests negative
I’ve had RA diagnosis for 8 months.. classic symptoms..still all of lab tests are NEGATIVE. .positive ultrasound of joints and fluid in joints.. symptoms have have gotten so bad I’m considering quitting work which I really can’t afford to do.. started Humira.. only helps for about a week.. anyone else have every blood test remain negative including CRP and Anti-CCP?
Hey k4rand! While you wait for community members to chime in, I encourage you to check out this similar Q&A here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/q-and-a/normal-blood-tests/ Some of the answers seem to relate to your question! In addition, these articles may provide some insight: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/seronegative-ra-blood-tests-dont-tell-entire-story/ and https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/delayed-diagnosis/ I hope this helps! Thanks for being here with us. Warmly, Alesandra (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
Thank you for the link..😀
Hi k4rand. On top of the excellent information from Alesandra, I thought you might find this story of interest. My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), was diagnosed almost 40 years ago at the age of two. She had joint replacements as soon as he was old enough and has used a wheelchair since her late teens. At the time of her diagnosis they didn't even do the rheumatoid factor test. Last year, when doing other blood work, her doctor did the test just out of curiosity and, lo and behold, she is sero-negative. So, even one of the worst RA cases doctors have seen can test negative. Note: Kelly's CRP is routinely quite elevated, but normal CRP does not preclude RA. Hope you find some answers soon and please know that this community is here for you. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
Thank you Richard.. the more I’m learning about Sero-negative RA, the more common I’m finding that you can have negative labs.. just frustrated that they haven’t been able to get symptoms under control yet. Feeling hopeful..thank you again for the info.
Yes, you are not alone. All my tests were negative, but my symptoms showed. Have they done a Vectra DA test on you? That was the only test that showed RA for me. When I had my first knee replacement for osteoarthritis, the surgeon was surprised to find RA damage on the opposite side of the knee from the osteo.
Hope this helps. Keep in mind that it may take time to find the right medication for your RA.
MS
