How about a 2nd opinion? The other issue is, did you communicate to your doc your pain and fatigue. I made that mistake for many years. Being the quiet, patient patient.

When I started begging for meds, my rheumy sat up and paid attention and put me on a biologic. What a difference it made to my world and my health. Hope you can figure this out.

Im wondering if us sero-neg people might not get joint damage and he figures your immune system is suffering so you should take a break. It defiantly doesn't mean your pain is less.

My rheumie almost did that with me, saying my joints looked good and all my pain was caused by the fibro. I was getting pneumonia alot. so I went off sulfasalizine but stayed on remicade. (so far) my liver emzines are getting high now. so will see.

Angela, I have explained to my rheumy about my pain. He is very good about increasing my tramadol if needed. I've realized I'm lucky enough to not have as severe pain as many of you on this site. I do have trouble walking sometimes because of pain but I can function pretty well. Maybe the lower levels of pain decrease your chance of joint damage.

Sandi. I wondered about the sero-negative also but I remember by rheumy telling me he's had patients that have had all normal blood work and serious deformities.

I was just wondering how he could tell I would not get joint damage. I haven't had x-rays since the first time last November. I thought all RA patients would eventually have joint damage. Maybe I'm wrong.

If your RA is controlled with your meds, Then thats what there hoping will stop any damage.

My rheumie always say me at my best, so when I swelled up, I called the office and they said, she want to see you right away, to see whats it looks like when Im swelling.

So, maybe call them when your in a flair, and get in asap

and also, it sounds like your fibro is flaring and causing pain, maybe you should see a pain management doc, that really helped me

It does seem a little odd. Most Rhuemy's are aware that you can have mild symptoms and still develop bone errosions.

Perhaps he means to take you off the meds just temporarily until your WBC comes back up. If you are going to see him again soon I wouldn't worry. Likely he will put you back on a DMARD the next time he sees you.

Its all about balancing your overall health against the damage the disease can do. I guess right now he thinks you are not high risk so you shouldn't be on high risk meds. Just make sure you get your blood work done regularily so he is notified of any changes.

I might get a second opinion.

Hi,
I have been in exactly your position. I had negative blood work initially (just an elevated ANA), normal xrays, but lots of joint pain, so doc put me on Plaquenil. Didn't help pain much but after 9 mos I started getting swelling in knuckles of hands and she switched me to MTX and said that it was seronegative RA at that point. After sev mos of no improvement, she added 1st Humira and then Enbrel. When I didn't seem to improve sev mos later, she took me off all meds and suggested I get a 2nd opinion.

I can tell you it was the best - and worst - move that could have been made. Worst: within 6 weeks the pain was escalated and swelling had spread to 8 more joints. I started getting deformities in my hands. By the time I got to rheumy # 2mthere was no doubt in anyone's mind that the diagnosis of seronegative RA was a correct one. Best: I got a new rheumy who is awesome.

I would strongly encourage you to seek another opinion. You deserve to have a doc who is confident in your diagnosis and treatment plan. Of course you don't want to take DMARDS if indeed you do not have seronegative RA, but if you do have it, you don't want to risk damage - in even a short period of time, by being off the DMARDs. In my case, while they didn't seem to be IMPROVING things, I was not progressively getting worse. So they were doing SOMETHING.

Have you ever been put on prednisone or other steroid? Just curious how you responded to that - if it's truly autoimmune inflammatory arthritis, you should feel better while on steroids. My new rheumy gave me a steroid shot in the office that day - gosh, I was the most pain-free I had been in 1 1/2 years.

I hope you get some answers soon and get to feeling better. Keep us posted on your treatment!
L.

I thought he was just having me take a break temporarily but I don't see him again for 3 1/2 months. He told me to take naproxen and see if that helps. I'm not sure what to look for. Do anti-inflam stop the pain or swelling or just help a bit. He didn't clarify and I was confused with him stopping meds I didn't ask questions.

I have taken both prednisone and methylprednisone and has less fatigue and stiffness but I didn't notice much relief from pain. I've never understood that. I thought everyone with autoimmune inflammatory arthritis has relief with pred.

Maybe he's doubting my dx. I'll try to get another opinion but rheumys are booked out 3-4 months here.

Sorry to hear you are having so many problems, but I don't blame you for being confused. I would be confused, too. I do take prednisone, and it does help with the pain...a LOT. It is actually the only thing that stops the pain of a flare...Tramadol helps, but when I flair it is like drinking water. I have to have prednisone. Hope this helps!

I take arava and a couple of my blood tests have come back with a low wbc. My rhuemy said this can sometimes happen with arava, and if it gets to low (not yet) i would have to stop taking it. I can assure you, though that even with a lower wbc my RA is active. my hands, wrists and feet have swelling and pain.

I am seronegative and I have bone erosions in my hands from RA. I think you might want to seek a second opinion.

For those that are seronegative, are all your blood tests negative? Sed rate and C reactive protein or just Rheumatoid factor?

I am thinking about a second opinion. I really like my rheumy but a few things he's said has contradicted things he's said previously and things other doctors have said. It has me confused.

I am seronegative. Also negative on the sed rate and negative on the CRP. Did your doc run an anti-CCP antibody test? It is a newer test that is more specific than the RF. Although if you are neg RF you may well be neg on the anti-CCP! (yup, I'm neg on the anti CCP also). EVERYTHING can be negative (blood test-wise)- and you can still have RA!! My rheumy told me that one of her most severe RA patients has never tested positive for RF.

I really would urge you to consider a seocnd opinion. I was so happy I did!