You need to see a better rheumotologist. One way to find one who is actually well-versed in Lupus and other auto-immune disorders is to visit
www.lupus.org. Look for the local chapter in your area, then talk to them and see which rheumies are on their advisory board. These are the Drs that are interested in helping patients with these illnesses.
Lupus is NOT diagnosed by blood tests. It is a tricky illness that does not have any one single defining factor, that is why it is so hard to diagnose. Even if a rheumy is not sure it's lupus, they often try a treatment and can learn more about
what disease you do have by the reaction you have. Most Drs know that the newest literature says to diagnose lupus by checking to see if the patient has any 4 of the 11 symptoms of Lupus.
1. Malar rash – a rash over the cheeks and nose, often in the shape of a butterfly
2. Discoid rash – a rash that appears as red, raised, disk-shaped patches
3. Photosensitivity – a reaction to sun or light that causes a skin rash to appear or get worse
4. Oral ulcers – sores appearing in the mouth
5. Arthritis – joint pain and swelling of two or more joints in which the bones around the joints do not become destroyed
6. Serositis – inflammation of the lining around the lungs (pleuritis) or inflammation of the lining around the heart that causes chest pain which is worse with deep breathing (pericarditis)
7. Kidney disorder – persistent protein or cellular casts in the urine
8. Neurological disorder – seizures or psychosis
9. Blood disorder – anemia (low red blood cell count), leuk
openia (low white blood cell count), lymph
openia (low level of specific white blood cells), or thrombocyt
openia (low platelet count)
10. Immunologic disorder – abnormal anti-double-stranded DNA or anti-Sm, positive antiphospholipid antibodies
11. Abnormal antinuclear antibody (ANA)
I hope your next Dr has more sense about
him/her!