J, many folks on here have seronegative RA.  Their bloodwork is negative for
it but the symptoms definitely say they have it.  You could be the same.
Was the doc you saw a Rheumatologist?
Gwen

Negative blood work does not mean you do not have RA. Go back to your doctor and
ask to be referred to a rheumatologist, insist on it. My test was negative too
but a rheumatologist had no problem with a diagnosis and I am on medication that
is helping to keep me relatively comfortable and hopefully prevent further
damage.

Good luck.
---
Joan

People do go into remission but it does not mean that this will not come
back at a later date.

I used to know the percentage of people with RA that test negative.  It is a
lot though.

That does read to be inflam.arth. and maybe RA.... It takes a Rheumatologist
to tell you for sure.   One thing that is for sure,,,,,, you need to let
your doctor know what your day is like,,,,  and expect help and if it means
another doctor,,, so be it.  To let this go on and on will only cause damage
to your body in lots of different ways.

Oh my,,, been there,,, done that as they say.   This has gone on wayyyyy to
long without the right kind of help.... GRrrrrr doctors sometimes,,,,,, they
say do no harm  but that does not say not to allow it...

Your doctor should know that plenty of people  test negative and still have
inflam.arth.

Get a refural to a RD OR change RDs

Yes,,,,,yes

Have I been living a lie thinking i've had RA yet may have something else
completely different?

NO,,,  but please understand that you no longer have to live this way and
help is just around the corner with the right doctos help.

Hi J,,,,, Welcome to ASA and you do belong here where people want to help
you live a better life.    Please continue to post here and ask
questions,,,, discuss what your doctor says and does,,,, what different
medicines do and don't do.
Harv

Lightswitch,
A couple of questions. How old were you when you got dxed with JRA?
Have you been under the care of an RD. If not may I ask why and if so
what treatments have you used?
I know a lot of folks with JRA and they have all had several joint
replacements by the time they are teens. It is typically a very serious
problem because it inteferes with normal growth.

Negative blood work for RA is fairly common. Please get to an RD if
your not already seeing one.

johnie

hey 'lightswitch'!!!

here are the primary differences [though there are a couple more like
Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis, just not as common]:

   * pauciarticular
     This is a common form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, involving
four or less joints. Large joints, such as the knees, are typically
affected. This type of disease most often affects girls younger than 8
years old.

   * polyarticular
     One-third to one-half of children with JRA are affected by this type
of the disease, which affects five or more joints. Polyarticular disease is
more serious and tends to affect the small joints, such as the hands and
feet, and often on both sides of the body.

   * systemic
     Systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (also called Still's disease)
is the most serious form of the disease, affecting joints and sometimes
internal organs including the heart, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

i'm a systemic/still's disease myself -one who never went into remission.

negative test? welcome to the club - many of us are negative and still have
it...

now, i hope that you don't, BUT!!!

to be told you don't have it based solely upon the test is inexperiance on
the part of your doctor -

get to a rheumatologist to have a more knowledgable look. do not pass go,
do not wait - the earlier this is settled as to diagnosis the sooner you
can have proper treatment if necessary.

the goal is to find out - and if so diag. get on the appropriate med to
limit your structural damage NOW - not to wait until something mre severe
occurs.

can it abate/remit? yes and for those that have gone into rem. there is a
good chance that they will stay so - but there just isn't any known test to
determine those that will flare again...

i know what you mean about the stretching and rocking motions - use a whole
bunch of them myself!
and yupper! some of them look silly don't they? but they WORK

but i am concerned about your knees - another reason to INSIST that you be
referred to a specialist.

i know that you don't feel good now, and you're rightly concerned. but let
me tell you - i was diag more than 50 years ago [yup - i'm that much older
than you -lolol] - long before most of the meds and treatments you have
available  today.

i can tell you that the options avail for treatment today means that with
proper care you have the HIGHEST likelihood of living a good and full life.

no, there is no cure yet - but that doesn't mean you can't get good
treatment - you are your own best advocate - don't put off educating
yourself about the specifics of which type or form and get as much info as
you can about what joints or organs are being impacted - that's your job as
a patient.

here is a bit more:

JRA is considered to be a multifactorial condition. Multifactorial
inheritance means that "many factors" are involved in causing a health
problem. The factors are usually both genetic and environmental, where a
combination of genes from both parents, in addition to unknown
environmental factors, produce the trait or condition. Often one gender
(either males or females) is affected more frequently than the other in
multifactorial traits. Multifactorial traits do recur in families because
they are partly caused by genes.

A group of genes on chromosome 6 codes for the HLA antigens play a major
role in susceptibility and resistance to disease. Specific HLA antigens
influence the development of many common disorders. Some of these
disorders, like JRA, are autoimmune related and inherited in a
multifactorial manner. When a child has the specific HLA antigen type
associated with the disease, he/she is thought to have an increased chance
to develop the disorder. The HLA antigen associated with JRA is called DR4.
Children with the DR4 HLA antigen are thought to have an increased chance
(or "genetic susceptibility") to develop JRA; however, it is important to
understand that a child without this antigen may also develop JRA. This
means HLA antigen testing is not diagnostic or accurate for prediction of
the condition. Females are affected with JRA more often than males.

and read here:
http://www.hawaii.edu/medicine/pediatrics/pedtext/s16c02.html
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/rheumatology/diagnose/jra.htm?vie
w=content

http://arthritis-research.com/content/7/1/R30
http://www.pedrheumonlinejournal.org/issues1/editorial.pdf
http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/ot/connect/JuvenileRheumatoidA/index.asp

remember- it's up to you to learn more and participate in the decisions to
be made!!!

be well

paul