Yes, you can have lupus with a negative ANA test. A negative result just means that your lupus is in a period of remission. A positive ANA test is just an indicator that something rheumatological might be going on. A small percentage of healthy people have a positive ANA test. Just one of many reasons why lupus is so difficult to diagnose. It's a diagnosis more of exclusion (of other illnesses/diseases) than anything else.