Positive ANA 1:640...

I'm not exactly sure if I even have lupus or not but I mean it really seems like I do. I won't go into much detail on everything I've been through but I've basically been getting progressively sicker in the past 4 months and finally decided to go to a doctor! After everything I mentioned to her, she mentioned lupus as a possiblity. I didn't know much about lupus and never even considered it. My doctor ran a bunch of tests, one of them being the ANA. As far as the other tests go, nothing major just iron defiency. The ana did come back positive (1:640 with speckled pattern and 1:640 homogeno pattern) Anyway, my doctor had me do some more blood tests and I'm hoping the results will be back in tomorrow. I'm so miserable I have so many symptoms and problems that have totally disrupted my life! It seems like theres something new almost everyday and I don't always have the same problems/symptoms every day. But its always something EVERY day. I have fatigue, terrible muscle pain everywhere (both calves, arms, neck) nausea, very severe shortness of breath, and numbness/tingiling in my arms hands and back. The pain and weakness in my muscles are so bad that I get charley horses in my calves sometimes just from walking down the stairs in my house!! I also wake up every morning very stiff and achy. I'm only 26 years old and it's just so ridicoulous. Anyway, to those who do have lupus and have already been diagnosed with it, is there any way you could let me know your opinion on my symptoms and ANA results? Thanks.

[catdvm]

Sorry to hear you are having problems.  I know that can be frustrating especially when you worry about the cause.  
Lupus can be a very hard diagnosis to confirm and each person can be affected differently.  The ANA is just a screen test.  A negative means most likely not lupus.  A positive just means it is one of a number of possible diseases.  The problem is they are a fair percentage of healthy individuals with no diseases whatsoever that have an positive ANA.  Once your ANA is positive there are further blood tests than can be run to try to narrow down if it is indeed lupus.  Not sure if these are the tests your doctor is running.  
To me with long term joint pain and muscle pain it is always good to pursue if it could be lupus as knowledge lets you treat things before they get really bad.  
I am still waiting for my confirmatory tests to come back too.  My ANA is >1:1280.  
The rheumatologist is convinced that even if this is not lupus that I am at least pre-lupus since my ANA is so high.  Main symptoms for me has been muscle pain - started as extreme pain upper left chest to point thought I was having heart pain.  Have also had pain in lower back and general aching in arms and leg muscle.  Long term I have had elbow pain but fortunately only problem when I lean on it.  Hope you get some answers.  Keep posting questions as they come up.  Lupus Foundation has a website with some basic information.  

[tasha1972]

I am feeling like im losindg my mind my body hurts all the time i had a ana test and it came back 1640 and im like what does that mean and i was told i had lupus im still in aww about the whole thing what next i have been sick for  A WHILE and now u say i have lupus so does this mean my life is gona change for ever and i want ever feel good again. Can someone plz help me on this one i know nothing about lupus at all

[Joni686]

What tests did the doctor do besides the ANA and what are your symptoms?  i have lupus and I am glad to help you understand what might be going on.  Send me a personal message if you want.  I will check back tomorrow.
Joni