Sounds a lot like psoriatic arthritis to me. BTW people report having PsA without the skin involvement.

Me in a nut shell. I am seronegetaive and only really have swelling in my pinky on one hand. I am currently going through the worst flair so far and have almost no swelling, yet i can barley type this and had to stay home from work.

Thank you for the feedback. Everyday has been a struggle for past 3 weeks. Started Methotrexate 2 weeks ago along with prednisone, Besides the constant nausea, diarrhea, unbelieve able headache, My joints have flared worse than ever. Very limited movement in my hands.

I have seronegative RA - involving initially bilateral PIP joints in my two middle fingers. The pain and some swelling have over 3 years progressed to more PIP, and MCP and wrist and shoulders. I have really mild symptoms with no significant interference with daily activity or work, but I pressed for aggressive treatment to try to avoid joint deformity or other complications, because even seroneg RA can progress.
Synovitis is a difficult thing to grasp because sometimes the joint doesn't actually look swollen -- it has more to do with what your rheum feels when gently palpating the joints. It can also be seen on MRI. (You said MRI normal, but images show synovitis -- what images?) It can be seen also with ultrasound. If your rheum is feeling (or seeing) it in joints that aren't bothering you (and this has happened to me too), that is another sign that the inflammatory process is there and needs to be controlled. Kind of scary to think it is present when you don't even know it's there!
PsA can affect the DIP joints more, and can be present without or before the rash.
My rheum calls my problem seronegative symmetrical inflammatory arthritis....probably RA since no other features of another cause have shown up yet. Regardless I am on MTX and Humira.

Doodlebug 25, thank you for your reply and information. MRI of my hand ( which was visibly swollen at PIP only showe'd degenerative synovitis. However Nuclear scan showed synovitis in multiple joints throughout my body. Currently on Methotrexate and Prednisone.

That's interesting. I don't think a lot of people have had that done, but it can show activity in joints through the whole body. That you light up in joints that don't bother you just really shows how this disease starts doing it's evil work even before we have symptoms. This really should be a wake-up call to people to start aggressive treatment early. Unfortunately, sometime people don't get a diagnosis very quickly due to lab results or X-rays/MRIs or even exam findings, or because it takes a while to develop enough signs and symptoms to meet diagnostic criteria.

My middle finger PIP joints are huge and frequently painful - but nothing shows on MRI and my rheum usually finds synovitis by palpation in other joints that aren't feeling as bad for me, like your situation.

There is a huge delay in Diagnosing. Starting with the back log to even get in to a Rheum, then as you say amount and length of Sx to satisfy them enough to treat.
I appreciate how you advocate for yourself. I'm not very good at this, but this has taught me to be better.
The major elephant in the room though is long term damage, We all need to advocate for ourselves as none of us will escape with no damage.

Get an HLA-B27 test...If + it may point to PSA.

Thank you for the advice, HLA-B27 done and negetive.

Hellen,
This disease will teach you (really force you) to become an advocate. It may be getting questions answered or dealing with medications, pharmacies, and insurance claims.
Someone else on here always says to keep written records of everything you do, every phone call (and take names), and every visit, lab and radiology test, and so on.
You will get there.