Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hello everyone,

I have a question about RA.  I have joint pain from Crohn's disease quite often even when my gut is okay.  I have been tested 2 times in the past for RA and the results were negtive.  Can you have negative tests then eventually a positive one?  My common joints that have been a problem in the past were my right and left ankles and my right knee.  I also have carpal tunnel in my left wrist ( am right handed and work as a veterinarian assistant).  I had to have surgery for my CD and was doing well, I was getting remicade mainly for my joint pain assoc with the CD.  Since my surgery I have not had remicade I was doing well up until a cpl weeks ago.  My left ankle started to ache.  It swelled up (which is common for me) but the pain was different.  The pain I have is like when you move your elbow and it "locks" and to make it mobile agiain you have to "crack" it.  It hurts when I point or flex my foot and each position mskes it hurt in a different area on the ankle.  Then yesterday my left knee swelled up but the pain in that joint is my "typical" pain.  Also yesterday my right hip hurts.  I am very short and tend to sit "indian style" extending my leg in this position hurts tremendously.  When I walk I limp and I feel that I look like a gorilla when I walk.  The pain is on the inner portion near the groin, since my surgeries I have been on TDI so I havent dont much sincve February.  I noticed the hip pain when I awoke yesterday and I had difficulty getting into a comfortable position to sleep in last night.

I use to see one here in RI actually I have gone to 2 different ones here one kept saying I had this that and the other and tested me for everything under the sun and all was neg. She also insisted I get tested for gonorrhea (even though that was impossible). The last RA dr I saw was when I was living in california back in 2004 since her office was the remicade office. My new GI suggests I see an Ra dr again so I called the other one I use to see out here and since it had been over 3 years since I saw him I am considered a new patient and there are no opeings until OCT. His receptionist suggested having my GI call and maybe he could get me in sooner. My right wrist has joined in the pain and it hurts to open my prescription bottles with that hand as well. The outer part of my left wrist is also painful but that is only if something leans against it no bruise or anything there. I hope my GI can get me in sooner I tried another office as well for a Dr I heard about from another, still hard to get an appt.