Fibromyalgia and elevated ANA

[karajo]

I have an ANA titer of 1:640 (homgeneous pattern).  
Does Fibromyalgia generally go along with an ANA this elevated?

My symptoms are:
extreme fatigue (exhaustion)
intolerant to cold
Raynauld's syndrome
severe headaches
severe nausea
dizzy spells
rapid heartrate
hair falling out
heavy feeling on my chest
shortness of breath
joint pain (knees, hips, ankes, feet, wrist and fingers)
pain across my shoulders into neck
pain in flank area (right & left)
numbness and tingling in feet
occasional diarrhea
red rash on cheeks

[PlateletGal]

The high ANA pattern is probably due to the Raynard's, although 29% of fibromyalgia patients do have a positive ANA titer (normally not that high).

You say you have a red rash on your cheeks... have your physicians ruled out lupus ?

[melo1224]

Well I'm sure you're searching the web, I found this site which appears to have some good information. Maybe research the drugs you're taking and make sure it's not drug induced. Otherwise, I would insist your doctor check you out further!!!

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ana/test.html

[karajo]

Thanks for you post.  The Rheumatologist looked at the area on my cheeks and said it was not a dicoid, so I asked her about malar.  She said I didn't have enough critiria to diagnosis me with Lupus.  I'm aware that it takes sometimes years for a diagnosis.  I've just been sick for a little over a year.  I appreciate your expert advise.  
God bless,
KaraJo

[karajo]

Thanks for your comment.
I have done plenty of research on the subject.  The only meds I'm on is Armour Thyroid and Vit. D.  I do takes tons of vitamins and herbs trying to get well.  But I've been sick with them and sicker without them.  Trust me, I'm almost dead w/o them.
Thanks for the internet site.  I'll check it out!!
God bless,
KaraJo

[jmbirds]

i have been dealing with alot of the samo symptoms and you may have seen my posts first off i would also recommend seeing a chiropractor and  make sure your spine is in proper aligment since you mention alot of nerve type pain  i would see an endocrinologist my ANA was elevated and they suspected artheritis or an auto immune AKA Hashimoto thyroiditis  i choked on bacon almost died and the ENT found the goitor soo i have all the sympptoms of hypo thyroid  and the first endo said your normal thyroid and i said how is that i am growing goitors  and feel so yucky  getting fat  freezing or sweating insomnia or the opposite so my new ENDO said i'm going to put your thyroid to sleep and its been 3 weeks and alot of my fibro and hypo symptoms are gone so the dr also did a VIT D 3 level and people with hypo symptoms like us have a very LOW d  i'm on 50 000 iu if your D is high it means hyper thryoid  soo i would ask your DR to do a VIT D test and ask to see an endocrinologist or try vit d3 at walmart  also i am drinking 100 % Pomegranet juice 4 oz daily  

[karajo]

Thanks for your suggestions.  I've been to a chiropractor for 3 months.  My insurance has paid for all they are going to pay for that treatment.  I am also low in Vit. D and am on 100,000 IU/week.  I'm on my third month of that.  

What does Pomegranet juice do for you?  I am really into natural supplements, but whatever I have has kicked me good.  I've been sick for over a year.  First it was my gallbladder that quit working, then they discovered hydronephrosis and and obstruction in my ureter.  Then the elevated ANA along with all of these crazy symptoms.  

What was your ANA level, and what was the pattern?

KaraJo

[postie]

I have had CFS for 10 years and my ANA is 640 with patterns of always speckled and homogeneous.  I have more CFS than I do fibro.  I have the fatigue which is severe.  I have secondary Raynauds related to my illness.  Because of low blood volume my feet turn color when I'm sitting.  But when I'm in the cold, my fingers don't turn blue and white.  I have the rash on my face, neck and chest.

Ever since I got CFS my ANA was always positive.  It used to always be either 160 or 320 and this year has went to 640.

The Rheumatologist thinks my rash is malar but don't have enough of lupus symptoms.  He said I do have a connective tissue disease.  My body attacks my white count so it's always low.

                                                     Postie

[PlateletGal]

Add me to the list of people with either CFS or fibro who have a positive ANA titer. Mine is also very high ---- 1:640 (speckled pattern).

[karajo]

Does your doctor think you might have lupus or a connective tisuue disease?

Postie, 10 years is a long time to have CFS.  I've read that CFS usually last only 5 years.  

PlatletGal, are you satified with the CFS diagnosis?  Do you think you really have lupus instead?

[jmbirds]

hi i cna't remember what numbers were but they were all way above the norm  i wanna say 800 ana ? but the first endo said those are just markers that i have the antibodies or pre cursers to some sort of artheritis and or an autoimmune  aks hashimoto thyroiditis
so i would again say  those with CFS or FM JUMP on the VIT D  and ask for synthyroid trial and after 3 days of synthryoid 50 mcg  and vit D i almost feel normal  now i would try taking digestive enzymes walmart has them look for amelyase lipase and protease  these enzymes are part of our filtering system liver gallbladder spleen pancreasis now pomegranit juice is another big antioxident  can't hurt to try  if your organs are not making the right amount of enzymes aka thyroid we need a booster to balance out the levels now i was just reading on webmed or medicinenet.com lots of hypo thyroid things and so take a peek can't hurt