Info about sero negative arthritis please

woodbine
woodbine Member Posts: 140
edited 10. Apr 2011, 04:42 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hello,
A few weeks ago I posted about having pain all over the place (I have multi-joint OA) and a very unsympathetic GP, and you all gave me loads of sympathy, and encouragement to go back to the GP. I've now been back, and saw an excellent locum who I've seen before, and who seems to know much more about OA than the usual GP :smile: He confirmed that I've got a type of OA called nodal OA, which is apparently actually somewhere between OA and RA in its effects. He said that the problem is that it doesn't tend to show up in blood tests. He said that rheumatologists only tend to see people with sero-positive results, so although he felt I might benefit from seeing a rheumy, he said that unless the blood test I'm having on Tuesday comes back positive, I may not be able to do so.

Does this sound familiar to any one - and does anyone know if it's what's meant by sero-negative arthritis? If so, does anyone have any suggestions? I've been told that I can insist on being reffered to the hospital, and was wondering if any of you have been in a similar situation, and know if it's worth insisting. MY OA is in my back, knees, hands and neck, and my elbows are starting to hurt too, so I'm getting a bit desparate to do something!
Any suggestions gratefully received - and thanks for all your sympathy in the past :smile:
Naomi

Comments

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,026
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Naomi

    I think a lot of us on here have sero-negative, but if we have enough symptoms we do see rheumatologists too.

    Wonder if there are any other tests they could do to check on your bones and see if the evidence is more OA or inflamtory??? Some have had bone scans and some MRIs.

    Did the doc help you wil anything else pain relif or physio/hydrotherapy etc??

    Glad you have found him and hope you will go back while he is there to sort yourself out a plan of action. Maybe he means you could be referred to an orthopedic surgen??

    Love

    Toni xx
  • jilly
    jilly Member Posts: 503
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Naomi, I have sero-negative arthritis, which has taken me 3 years to get a diagnoses but I dont have Nodal Arthritis .
    My doctor sent me to the Rhumey 3 years ago , he looked at me and stuck his fingers in me all over and said no thats OA and sent me away.

    I have been ill for 3 years not knowing what is wrong but I did know there was something more than the OA which i had had for 15 years + ,so i know how horrible it is knowing there is something wrong but not knowing what it is .
    Anyway I asked for a second opinion and my new doctor sent me to anougher Rhumey , he xrayed my hands and feet and aranged a ultrasound of my hands and feet , this time they came back showing inflamation in both hands and feet . I also had bloods done which showed a raised ESR , so the two together mean i have sero-negative athritis ,but I havent got the RA marker you have with sero-positive .

    I was also confused has to why its not RA if you are sero-negative bloods . I was told that it is RA but milder and it may change over to sero-positive in the future.

    Hope i have been a little helpful , I hope your bloods come back with a marker then you will be able to sort it out ...............jillyx

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