Although you have a few common symptoms of scleroderma, you certainly don’t have enough as your rheumatologist indicated, to have a diagnosis of scleroderma. That said, you also have some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, fatigue, joint pain, etc. but probably not enough for that diagnosis either.
This smacks to me as another case of chronic bacterial infection(s) that results in a variety of symptoms that are not unique to any diagnosis. Also, when mixed symptoms are present and a diagnosis cannot be made, the only thing that eventually comes up is the presence of chronic infections.
You should be checked for Lyme Disease, Mycoplasma species, Chlamydia pneumoniae, etc. because these are the most likely culprits.
It could be that something is still stimulating your ANA, but that it is not severe enough to cause you any obvious symptoms. For example, you could have a mild chronic infection that causes release of nuclear material from a few infected cells--resulting in stimulation of a secondary ANA response (from memory immune cells). Unless this reaches the point where symptoms appear, most physicians would probably tell you to just keep watch over your condition in order to intervene only if it worsens and causes symptoms that need to be addressed.
Hi.Dr..I am chinese female, 21 years old.. About two years ago,I made a blood donation, and i was told that the blood screen showed my ANA is positive, with a speckled pattern..Without any symptoms of autoimmune disease, i was then told to seek for treatment if any of the symptoms occur...two years after that, i go to redo my test,,only after four months i go to check for the result after the test being done..and my ANA still positive, but the pattern change to homogenous..The doctor conducted a ESR test, and the count is very low, about 6..Thus. the doc ask me not toworry..But this has been hard for me. I was quite troubled and stress over my ANA test result..I wonder whether i can change my ana back to negative? is there any way ?
Hi, I read your question and this could also be Lupus or Sjogrens. It's diffinetely some mix connective tissue disorder. I have these disease and my ANA was like yours. If your SCL70 was negative then probably it's not Scleroderma alto that really doesn't mean anything either. My mother had Scleroderma for 15 years and she always tested negative, GO FIGURE??? These are all my symptoms and these are my diagnosis. But I'm not a doctor so I really shouldn't diagnose anybody, just telling you my experience. Hope you get something difinate.