Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

As some if really lovely people know, I'm 21 years old and about 10 months ago started developing a whole lot of my new symptoms. My GP said "it's definitely some sort of autoimmune inflammatory arthritis". I was put on a month course of prednisone because they weren't sure when I was going to be getting to see the rheumatologist. I felt so much better on the prednisone. My first rheumatology appointment was 1 week after coming off the prednisone. My joints hadn't (and still haven't) returned to what they were like pre-prednisone.

My blood tests haven't shown much. I had one elevated ESR and three weakly elevated ANAs. My CRP, anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor have always been normal.

My next appointment is tomorrow and I'm as nervous as hell. She isn't a nice doctor. She ran a whole heap of blood tests at my first appointment and everything so far has come back negative again.

I just don't understand why I have swollen sore joints and other symptoms that fit in with something, but my blood tests won't cooperate.

Is anyone in a similar boat? Or were able to get a diagnosis without much showing in the blood tests?

I just don't want to go back to having to deal with this on my own, I have this feeling I'm going to be discharged tomorrow =[

Hi paper. When i was diagnosed at 4, my case was pretty much bookcase. It took several months to get diagnosed because i was going to the wrong drs. But once i got the right one, diagnose was fast. I was too young to remeber which ones, but most blood markers where high, except the rheumatoid factor. I was negative on that one for a while, even though i had a very active, aggressive RA. A positive rheumatoid factor is sign of some AI going on (not necessarily RA), but a negative doesn't rule it out. In fact many here are or have been negative.

I can usually measure how active my RA is with ANAs and ESR, they go up and down accordingly. CRP sometimes is a good indicator but sometimes just differs from the other two. Anti-CCP was a diagnose tool that was not abailable in my time of diagnose. I used to have anti-dna done too, but that kept changing, from negative to positive. I also get C3 y C4 complements done for possible (unlikely) lupus diagnose.

Many people here had normal tests labs for a while before things fully developed.

Try to not be too anxious for the app, maybe write down thoughts and Qs to have then orderly in your head? So you can talk from the facts, and not so much from emotions. I have found difficult drs work better for me if i focus on facts. The main fact is you are having something abnormal, you have pain, you are taking pred (people without an issue don't) and your joints have presented changes. I doubt she wil discharged, it would not be professional. This is all in your body, not in your head! It can be hard to find an answer for a while, but both dr and you have to persevere. It is not at all unusual that dx is hard to come by and takes a while. She has to be used to that in her practice, and so needs to find out what is going on with you. Hugs and good luck in the app!

Alot of people have the same problems. I am seronegative. Nothing shows up in the blood work, but the dr can see my swollen joints and feel the heat radiating off of them. If you are discharged find a new doctor. It is hard enough having to deal with this, but when you have a dr that you don't like and who doesn't understand then it makes it worse. Good Luck

Thanks for your replies.

I had my second appointment this morning. I think my GP made a complaint about how she treated me the first time because the nurse sat in at my appointment. She told me so many different things, she said she thought that first my problems were caused because of emotional problems, then from an infection, a mechanical problem, then from something she couldn't explain and then she said it was an autoimmune response. She made no conclusions and said that I just have to wait and see what eventuates. So that's just great! My joints aren't swollen at the moment, or aren't swollen very often. She said she thinks the Prednisone is still in my system. I'm seeing her in a month. She was a bit more sympathetic than last time, she said "sometimes it's harder to have no diagnosis than have a diagnosis of something horrible"... yeah you got that right! She said she's going to order a bone scan in a month.. It sucks!

LOL time difference got me all messed up, I just sent you a good luck for your appointment today hug LOL I'm glad she was a little better. I know it sucks, the waiting and not knowing, trust me I was there, for a really long time! If they dx you with the wrong thing it coule be worse for you in the long run, I know that doesn't make you feel better but hopefully they will figure out what's going on soon.

Keep your chin up hun, we are always here for you *hugs*

Lol no worries, thanks for thinking of me. It wasn't what I was wanting from the appointment. I just wish she'd start to make some sort of conclusion. It's so frustrating she makes these comments and then says something different. I actually cried.. The nurse had no emotion and the rheumatologist show some signs that she was human, but not many. I had to see a new GP today because my old GP was away. The new GP said he thought I had an underlying autoimmune disease but the latest joint problems were triggered by an infection... I DON'T HAVE AN INFECTION! I DID NOT HAVE AN INFECTION WHEN THIS STARTED.

Thank you, I really appreciate you and everyone else on here. I would have lost the plot already if it wasn't for the support.