Can you test negative and still have auto immune disease?

[deebrown30]

I have been tested for numerous things and all have came back normal....I am wondering can you have auto immune disease and still have an auto immune problem?  My doctor feels strongly that I have an auto immune disease but we have been unable to find anything in my blood work.  I have severe vertigo, leg weakness, muscle spasms, history of Uveitis, extreme fatigue, and now a weird rash on my stomach.  Thanks for your help!

[deebrown30]

what are some of your symptoms if you do not mind sharing?

[FurballsMom]

I don't have any of the markers either, but I am dealing with autoimmune issues.

[LivePainFree]

WHAT specific changes need to be made for the body to heal?

[want2bik1]

Autoimmune disease result in the body attacking it's own cells.  The body attacks these cells because it is doing what it is suppose to do.  These cells have toxins in them and the body is designed to rid itself of toxins.  There are many toxins in our enviroment so inorder for us to get better we need to identify the toxins we are expose to and get them out of our bodies.  Each of us have a different enviroment so what we are expose to is different.  We can read as much as can and try and elliminate as many of these as we can.  Common toxins responsible for these problems are mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminium, artificle sweetners, hydrogenated oils, transfats, pesticides, virusis, ...etc..  Once the body accumulates more of these toxins than it can deal with we get sick.  They have many names for these diseases but it all amounts to the fact that the body has an overload of toxins.

Some people are lucky and there genetics allow them to deal with these toxins better than others.  It may take you 20 years, 30 years , 40 years or whatever length of time before you get enough of this bad stuff in your body to make you sick.  Once your get to a certain level of these toxins that your body can no longer deal with you get sick.  When this happens you have to start getting this stuff out of your body.  The bodies mechnism for dealing with this is the food we eat.  The raw fruits and vegetables allow the body to detoxify itself naturally.  If you have spent 40 years putting this stuff in your body you should not expect to get it out in a week.  Think it takes a change of life style.  The only way to find out if it works is to try it to see if you feel better.  The paleo diet has shown good results in treating these diseases.  A faster way of dealing with the problem is getting a book on Natural Supplements you can take to speed up the process.  If you look at it logically if you keep doing what you always did you will get what you always got.  You must make changes to see a different result.  Everyone is entitle to good health and it is about what we choose to put in our bodies.    

[deebrown30]

I thank you so much from your insight on this.  If I have Lymes I have had it for many years.  I am def going to get tested...

[Lori707]

I have been sick for over 2 yrs while being hospitalized twice. Seen many doctors. I had Lymes disease about 24 yrs ago and had the typical bulls eye rash. I used to live near Lymes,Ct. Half my block had Lymes. I was treated with 2 weeks of tetricycline orally. I felt much better. Then about 2-3 yrs later I came down with Lymes again but this time I didn't have that rash. I received IV antibiotic therapy every day for 3 weeks. Then again I felt fine. Fast forward: I now live in another state for many years. I started to not feel well 2 1/14yrs ago. I had that same feeling as when I had Lymes so I asked my doctor is he would test me for Lymes. He said NO. (besides being my internest,he subspecializes in Infectious Disease). I was getting worse, neurological and arthritic problems. I went through different neurologists while taking all types of tests,rhuematologists,endocronologists, gastrointerologists,etc. I begged ALL of these doctors for a Lymes test but they all said NO. I did test positive for autoimmune RA Factor(rheumtoid arthritis) so two docs diagnosed me with RA and two said I don't but they can't put their finger on it. About 3 weeks ago I took my husband along to my visit with my rheumatologist and cried to PLEASE give me a Lymes test. Finally he said OKAY!  I received, not a call, but a note in the mail from him stating that my Lymes test came out POSTIVE!!! Was he too ashamed to call me? I took that note and a copy of my blood work to my infectious disease doctor and put it on his desk as he was sitting down and I reminded him that for over 2yrs I've been begging for a simple test. It seems that either I was under treated for many years or the Lymes went into remission and came out. Now I have a Picc Line inserted in my arm that goes to the heart which is where they put the IV through. I have to have this done everyday. It also seems that I have Chronic Lymes and stage 3 of it.

I have read that the Elisa is only 65% sinsitive. I took the Western Blot. But both can come out with a false negative. I'm sure I had Lymes because of the bulls eye rash and was backed up by the county health department.

I would say be an advocate for yourself and do anything you can to get tested for Lymes. If it comes out negative, repeat it in a few weeks. If the second one comes back negative, repeat in a few weeks again.

Also, I've read that Lymes can trigger autoimmune disease or can mimic it. I've been having a terrible time getting my Vit.D normalized. My count was 8.5 and got osteoporosis and last year lost up to 10.2% of my bone mass. I now take Boniva. I was on 50,000IU weekly for months along with an additional 2800 Vit.D3 daily and I'm still low. My endo doc took me off the 50,000 D2 because she said I wasn't absorbing it as well as the Vit.D3. Now I take 5,000IU daily and am due for another blood test next month. ALSO..she's quite sure I have Hashimoto thyroid. I've read that many Lymes patients get Hashimoto.

Wishing all of you the best of health!