still no joy.

[emma58]

2nd time at rhemy and still they dont know whats wrong bloods came back ok, so now more and more blood test , scans and im sure he said ultrasound ??!!!that would really shock me !!! am surprised i have any blood left and i use to hate needles but not anymore. well hope everyone is ok and doing well. xxx

[helixhelix]

Hi there. Yes sometimes things don't show up in the blood tests very well, so ultrasound is used to see if there's inflammation in your joints. It's the same type of ultrasound that's used to do scans on pregnant women - but for a completely different purpose! I'm sorry that it's taking so many tests for people to find out what's wrong with you, but it does sound as if hey're treating it seriously. Hope it's not too long before you get some treatment that works for you. Polly.

[emma58]

thank you polly am sure i will get there 1 dayxx

[Hidden]

It could be that you dont show the rheumatoid factor in your blood. 20% of people dont and are called seronegative me included.. they normally ultra sound hands, though sometimes feet to check for inflammation to help with diagnosis, I had mine done to help diagnosis.. it is quite interesting to watch on the machine used. mine showed up inflammation as bright flashes

[susanh]

Hi there

Bloody cold would sum up how I feel at the moment. Bloods don't always show up much. If my rummy nurse went by my bloods my RA would be normal dispite the swelling and pain. At the beginning it is such a battery of test you don't know weather you are comming or going but it all takes time

You will get there I am 4 years on and they are still doing tests on me!!! Although with the blood tests ans the injections I feel like a cartoon character - best not drink a glass of water

take care it will get less flustrating hang in there

[Hidden]

Hang in there Emma and take photos whenever you have anything visibly swollen to show the rheumy. Hopefully the inflammation, if there is some, will show up on ultrasound. I've never had that done - don't think it's used up here for that purpose but it sounds quite an efficient way of diagnosing sero-negative RA to me. TTx

[Beth58]

Hi Emma, don't pay to much attention to what your ESR/CRP, mine never give much information about the amount of arthritis pain/inflammation but CRP does show when my kidneys are struggling (I also have kidney disease so monitor this quite closely).

As for getting answers don't give up hope, it took a very, very long time and a hospital stay for a hip replacement before I got the answers I needed and surprisingly it was the surgeon who diagnosed A.S (Ankylosing Spondylitis) in my spinal/hip xrays (it was a long time ago and diagnosis is much easier these days).

Stay positive you will get the answers you need and hopefully they've already got you on the medications you need to prevent damage to joints.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

Beth xx