Very Confused about a test result! HELP please!!

[mimigp]

If I have a very high positive ANA levels, what does that mean?  I keep getting worse and all I get is "your depressed".

[Tuckamore]

I am sorry that you are without medical insurance. It's a sad fact that you are not alone. Have you checked with your state to determine what if any assistance they can offer you?

I am glad that you have a great counselor(s). It's important we have support, especially when we have Chronic Pain.

Keep is touch.... we're here to listen. I wish you well and hope you'll find some answers.

Peace,
~Tuck

[mimigp]

Thank you for Replying.  Yes, sometimes I am depressed because of the pain.  I was diagnosed with Fibro in 2002 after my 1st husband died but I keep getting worse.  Some days I can't do things that I used to do and gets quite frustrating.  Other days I am forced to deal with the pain and act like I am fine.  I have seen lots of specialists but the charity hospital that I go to has had to downsize and cut departments (which happens to be all of my specialists) so I am left without any doctors to figure out what is wrong with me.  Other than them telling me I am depressed they tell me that no tests are necssary because they can get expensive.  My last CT scan showed I had lesions on my brain, but he said that was normal.  He didn't want to do anymore tests.  There is a family history of MS and Lupus along with RA and Raynaud's.  Hopefully I will find a way to get some health insurance, but as of right now being in school is about all I can do, I can't work and do school.  Thank God, I have the availablity of some great counselors at school to help me with the depression.  They have come in handy.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Mimi,

The ANA or Antinuclear Antibody screens for various autoimmune diseases, but not only autoimmune diseases. Further testing is required before a correct diagnosis can be made. Often an ANA is used in conjunction with other blood tests for inflammation such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and/or C-reactive protein (CRP). These combination of tests will provide a better diagnostic look for the presence of inflammation.

You may be depressed... but without going into detail, depression often goes hand in hand with a pain syndrome. So please don't let your medical provider dismiss your physical symptoms simply because you may have some symptoms of depression.  Be assertive and insist on answers.

An ANA can also be false positive on rare occasions. It happens. RA patients often have a positive ANA..... but there are certainly more possibilities.Again insist on a thorough investigation into your symptoms and this positive ANA.

Have you consulted a Rheumatologist? They not only specilaize in athritic conditions but all or most inflamatory processes.... which the positive ANA may suggest.

Hang in sweetie. You are not alone in pain or depression. I hope you'll keep in touch and be active in our community. We are here for you. We do get it! I'll look forward to your updates and hearing from you again soon.

Best of Luck to You,
~Tuck