Negative! Negative! Negative!

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone! I have a specific concern and I would love to hear

your input. I am actually a nurse, but I speciallize in Neonatology.

So I have no more knowledge than any of you about RA. I do know my

mother and her father both had RA. I have pain in every single joint

in my body. My hands ache. My fingers " lock up " . I toss and turn

each night to try to find a comfortable position and I wake up stiff

and unable to move in the morning. I am only 34 and it takes me hours

to get going in the morning. I am a single mom. After about two hours

of working I hurt so much! I take the pain pills my doctor prescribes

me. I am swollen all over. I have pitting edema in my legs and

generallized swelling everywhere else. Now, my doctor keeps sending me

to get my blood drawn for RA. Always negative! Not only is my

Rheumatoid Factor negative, but so is my ANA and my sed rate! She is

checking out other causes while I keep on taking pain pills and Lasix

and higher doses of antidepressants. Has anyone else ever had negative

EVERYTHING and did have RA? I realize that there is such a thing as RF

negative RA. But my doctor says that my ANA and sed rate should have

been elavated. I'm frusterated and really want a diagnosis!

Thank you,