ANA 1:160 with no diagnosis.

Hi all,

I have been suffering from a whole range of symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, muscle weakness, hair loss, weight loss, loss of appetite and nausea. I have had all sorts of scans, tests ect, and the only thing that came up was a positive ANA of 1:160. Now I went to a Rheumy and told her about my 7 month symptoms/ ANA result and chronic nausea but she said that nausea is not related to auto immune disease and besides, my ANA result was quite low. Basically I was no better off than before my appointment!

I am convinced that I could have an auto immune disease due to my symptoms. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting a diagnosis? Should I get another blood test in 3 months? 6 months?

Does anyone else suffer from constant nausea? I have tried several anti nausea medications with no relief.

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

[karajo]

Hi and welcome to MedHelp.
I might could help you.  Yes, yes, nausea can be a symptom of an autoimmune disorder.  The reason is, (say Lupus) can affect any organ in the whole entire body.  The soft tissue in the intestines are commonly affected.  It can cause problems w/ irritable bowel.  As well as stomach problems.

I would suggest that you have the ANA ran again in a couple to 6 months and spend time in the sun prior to your test.  (15min of sun exposure should do it)  What this does is, if you have lupus it will cause the ANA to spike, thus causing the dr. to take notice.

There are 11 criteria for a lupus dx.  You must have at least 4 of the 11 to recieve a dx.

They are:
1. malar rash over cheeks (butterfly rash)
2. discoid rash, red raised patches
3. photosensitivity - reaction to sunlight, resulting in skin rash
4. oral and nose ulcers
5. arthritis
6. serositis - inflamation (inflammation) of the lining of the lung or heart
7. reanl disorder - excessive protein in urine and/or cellular casts
8. neurologic disorder - seizures, or psychosis
9. anemia or low white blood count or lymphopenia or low platelet count
10. positive ANA
11. positive anti-DNA or anti-Sm, or antiphospholipid antibody or false pos. syphilis test

Other symptoms are:
fever
abdominal pain
chest pain
shortness of breath
blood in urine
hair falling out
fatigue
muscle pain and weakness
dizziness
poor memory
headaches
poor circulation in fingers and toes
tingling in extremities
diarrhea
bloating
nausea
weight loss
abdominal pain
blurred vision
depression
palpitations
raynauds (where fingers turn white when cold)
intollerance to cold
sore throat
...to name a few

Keep in mind that fibromyalgia, CFS, MS and lymes disease also have similar symptoms.  

[pookalish]

Thanks Karajo for your answers. I guess time will tell. Going for another blood test every few months.