Negative Rheumatoid Factor Test

Hey Smarty

I was diagnosed with RA two years ago yet I have negative bloods, they did a series of X-rays to determine what was going on and they showed bone degradation so my diagnosis was based on this, I had inflammation show in my blood but no RA factor.

If the X-rays show anything then you will be put on the same medication as someone with positive bloods, 20% of RA patients never have RA factor in their blood.

It took 3 different doctors before I was referred so stick to your guns, we know our bodies and we know when something isn't right. A GP is not specially trained in RA or OA they can't diagnose this.

It's so good to hear others having problems with a RA diagnosis. I have finger  and finger joint pain history related to my thyroid condition and extra curvature of the spine. However I've had joint pain and swelling to hands for 4 months. All my RA results have come back negative and all xrays to hands wrists and hips show is slight degeneration to hips (apparently expected for my age 41).

Been back to GP again today with photos of my swollen hand. I also have swelling to my ankles and feet all of which are painful and in the last month my knees have become painful and walking bare foot is sore on the balls of my feet as they are swollen too. I was told I didn't have enough swelling to justify seeing specialist again and my ankles and feet symptoms were ignored and I felt it wasn't worth telling him about my knees too.

im so frustrated! I have an 'very active autoimmune gene' according to the specialist and he said he would see me again if nec, but GP didn't see it that way. i just want a reason for this daily joint swelling and pain, and for the extreme tiredness.

This is interesting and very helpful for me. I was diagnosed in 2006 with Lupus and a year later RA through an ultrasound. I had been told that my ANA was positive and was how I was diagnosed with Lupus. I had a huge issue occur with my rheumatologist office so I requested for my primary care doctor to refer me to another rheumatologist. My doctors office could not find any blood work that showed my having a positive rhuematoid factor so they tested me last week to send the blood work to the new rheumatologist. Found out today that the test result show that I am negative. Then I called my old rhuematologist office back and have been told that they can't find where there were any such blood work ordered in 2006 when I was diagnosed! ?? This is so scary, I would be happy if the wZy I felt matched up to the negative results.

As I posted in a thread that I started, all my tests for RA and lupus came back negative the week before last, but my primary care doctor has decided to go ahead and refer me to a rheumatologist because she can't figure out what else it could be that is causing my symptoms. I do also have symptoms that match fibromyalgia and restless leg so wondering what the rheumatologist is going to say since I have negative tests.

All I know is I have real pain so something has to be causing it. It's not just all in my head.

Yes. I have 3 sisters who have tested positive for RA and my tests have all come back negative. I was diagnosed in 2012 with RA cuz my symptoms all pointed to it. I have some fingers that slant and have joint damage. I have pain in both knees, elbows, wrists and hands. My new RA doctor said he doesn't believe I have RA but have Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis and a rare disease called Chondrocalcinosis. I just saw a Pain Mgmt Doctor and he says he believes I don't have Fibromyalgia. I'm so confused!! I believe I have Seronegative RA. My RA Doctor put me on 300 mg Gabapentin for Fibromyalgia pain and it has helped a lot. I don't wake up every morning with a lot of stiffness and pain. It has helped me to sleep through the night without pain. I was on all the normal drugs for RA and nothing helped the severe pain I was in. I'm also on Hydrocodone daily too for the pain. That's all the drugs I'm on. So, as you can see, I'm very confused.

I was diagnosed with ra at the age of 17 with an x-ray. So my pcp did a blood test for ra and it came back negative I kind of left alonecause I thought it was a misdiagnosis but you have given me hope to keep pushing the issue it doesn't happen often but often enough and painful enough to keep me from going to work.

I have severe pain in hands, Rhuematoid begining! I feel some improvement with nutrution changes, as unsulferated blackstrap molassas and organic peanut butter on a eggo "waffle once daily!!! Omega three fish oil capsule..........for the immune system "source" if is! I am stiff at joints still in pain! watch what I eat! I pray for mercy!!! early findings! Im moving towards a bone "suspicious journey" woes of the body!!!

Hi I just had my blood results back all ok .all my joints are swelling my legs and hand goes blue the pain really bad some days can't get any shoes on bottom of my feet are sore ankles and arm are always swollen. Can any one help me with answers .

Hi smarty..ive just came bk from doctors nearly two years 5 doctors later no positive results finally have referral to the hosp .. i feel like an hypocondriact 33 yrs old no fam and one friend.. ive been thobbed off with sciactica .. but the doctor reckons its that why im stiff with pain all over joints they all deformed especially my knee.. ive flu like symptoms.. im a single mum of 4 and im beat i dont know how i can cope with this pain.. i said too doc ive been knocked abt for 14 yrs why would i want put up with this .. my doctors have shouted at me for wasting time.. then told its wear n tear but cant decide whats wrong with my knee the cap turns in and swollen .. i feel so ugly and embarrased .. im stiff most of the time i feel like an old women.. im not bad looking but fear i will always be on my not get a second look .. walking with a limp .. i cant take it anymore.. im scared ill see rheumatoligist tjey wont have time n treat me like a hypo.. really dont know anymore

Have any of you had the CCP AB test? This is pretty specific to RA and I know many can test negative for both RF and CCP and still have it. Just wondered if any of those who are RF negative have had this test? I'm positive on both fronts so with that and my symptoms I was pretty easy to diagnose. I feel bad for those who test negative. Life isn't just black/white - there are many gray areas that drs need to see. Best to you all on this journey.

My husband had severe knee pain for a year. We know he had a torn cartilage in his knee, plus Lyme disease. But when the pain was migrating to other joints, we went to his primary physician, who ran blood tests and put in a referral to a rheumatologist (we had to wait 3 months to see him, though. They are pretty well booked up in Minnesota). His labs were all negative, this was RF, CRP, sed rate. When we saw the rheumatologist, he took 3 xrays of each hand and foot. When he squeezed my husband's knuckles on his hands, DH nearly hit the roof with pain. He put him on a 6 day burst of prednisone, which totally helped. He then diagnosed him with RA. At this point, exactly 1 year later, he is on Prednisone 5 mg daily, 20 mg Methotrexate once a week, Plaquenil, Folic Acid, Azulfidine and now for the past 9 weeks he's been taking shots of Humira every other week. He's doing better, not totally good, but he's getting around sometimes without a cane. We're told that there are several new blood tests for RA but they are very expensive. Not everyone has a positive blood test, but you can still have RA.

I'm so very sorry for everyone's pain. Being passed off to other Dr.s is frustrating. I was a nurse 15 years ago, specializing in Pediatrics and Neonatal Intesive Care.

So my knowledge of what's going on with me has been limited.

I've been diagnosed with OA, OP and Fibromyalgia. In the last year I've had numbness up the back of my head and severe headaches.

Was sent to a Orthopedic specialist where we found out I've 2 bulging discs in my cervical very., neck and 3 in my thoracic spine, middle.

Went back 3 weeks later because my hands are so swollen, mainly fingers at middle joints. Can't grip. Also, previous injuries as a child are inflamed. Knee, ankles and elbow.

Had RA test and it came back negative with sed rate at 100!! Normal sed rate for women is 0-29. My grandmother, mother, aunts, sister and nephew have RA.

I see my GP Monday. I just need answers and pain resolved.

I was in a car accident in 2002 and that resulted with 1 ruptured disc and 2 bulging in my lumbar spine. So I've had every injection, IDET, RFL and surgery..nothing solved the pain.

Hoping for pain relief and praying for all of you.

Sincerely,

49 with 89 ur old body