Posted 6/28/2018 9:09 AM (GMT -5)
If you mean you had an Rheumatoid Factor (RF) antibody test and it was negative, then yes.
I made my PCP test me for RA and Sjogren's syndrome in 2016 after the unilateral joint stiffness in my fingers and extreme dry eyes and dry mouth got ridiculously worse. I had antibodies present, but they were below the range, so it was negative. I did not know I had Lyme/co then.
I also have stiffness in the wrists, ankles, feet, sometimes elbows. Those were all unilateral until I got further along in treatment. Now I feel more stiffness or pain in some areas than others.
I associate those symptoms more with bartonella than with Lyme.
What kind of bartonella treatment have you done? What current treatment are you doing?
You should also be aware that some experts believe CIRS from current or past mold exposure and/or Lyme toxins (post treatment) cause the same symptoms as chronic Lyme and will continue indefinitely until CIRS is successfully treated with removal from and ongoing avoidance of toxin exposure along with a sequential application of the Shoemaker protocol.
After 7 years of treatment and ongoing symptoms, you might want to seriously look into that possibility with a Shoemaker certified practitioner. It's not a DIY protocol.