ANA results and what to do next

[brittany136]

I am currently experiencing extreme fatigue that has gotten worse over the past four years. It has finally gotten to the point where I have to take a 3 hour nap every day and are having some memory and concentration issues. I had some blood tests done and my TSH came back a 1.30, vitamin D was 25 and I had an ANA test done that was positive with a titer of 1:160 and a speckled pattern. I also had a sleep study done and it showed no signs of sleep apnea. My doctor hasn't called me or anything about doing any more tests so I don't know what I should try next. What would you suggest?

[Jenn2003]

You sound like you've had quite a bit of experience with autoimmune illnesses, so I thought I'd see what you think of my blood tests:

I am 46 years old
My ANA is 1:1280 with a speckled pattern
I have low specific gravity less than 1.005
My ESR is only slightly elevated at 30

The rest of my tests are normal (including a full Lupus panel and Anti-CCP).

I have the following symptoms:
Extreme Fatigue
Hair Loss
Muscles in arms and legs feel weak (although Dr. says they don't appear weak when he has me push on his hands with them)
Spasms in the quads of my legs (almost continual little twitches in the left one)
Sometimes my ankles feel as if they are stuck (like they need to pop, but won't).  It will usually stop hurting, but sometimes takes an hour.

I also have IBS, GERD, Asthma, and Diabetes

I have lost the following organs:  Gallbladder and appendix, have an enlarged spleen (which they say is borderline splenomalgy), and my colon adhered to my side in my 20s and had to be cut free.

I have also had a tumor between my kidney and liver (which was removed because they feared it was cancerous, but thankfully was benign).

[karajo]

Hi and welcome to MedHelp.

The symptoms you listed do sound familar to lupus symptoms.  

Additional investigations for positive ANA:
1. antibodies to double stranded DNA: if possitive highly suggestive of SLE, related to disease activity.
2. antibodies to ENA:
3. rheumatoid factor: present in RA or Sjogren's syndrome.
4. cardiolipin antibody
5. C3 and C4: These are depressed in acive SLE and rise w/ disease remission.
6. alpha 1 antitrypsin, fibrinogen, haptoglobin, CRP: elevated in active connective tissue disease.  These will sometime be elevated in the presence of normal ESR.
7. immunoglobulin levels: tend to be elevated in inflammatory diseases

Other conditions w/ possitive ANA:
Bechet's disease
Felty's
Sjorgren's
RA
Lupus (SLE)
scleroderma
cancer (in low titers)
monoucleosis (I think - in low titers)

Welcome to the world of complicated antibodies.  

[rmirzage]

I am a 28 year old male and I have been experiencing similar symptoms.  For the last 17 years I have been having fatigue and weakness everyday all day.  I am constantly getting hot flashes all the time.  I get twitching muscles and my eyes are sensitive to light.  I get weakness in my knees and pain in my joints sometimes.  I have had many blood tests done and 2 mri's but no one can find anything wrong with me.  Just recently I went to a doctor who did an ANA test on me and found my antinuclear ab titer to be 1:160, which is positive.  My doctor then recommended me to a rheumatologist because she thought I had an autoimmune disorder.  I had about 15 vials of blood drawn for testing of different autoimmune disorders specifically sjorgens and lupus.  I am waiting on the results, but I have been going through similar symptoms, except that I also get hot flashes all the time.  I don't know what is wrong with me or you, but I would appreciate help from anyone who has an answer or suggestion.

[Joni686]

I disagree...If you ANA came back a speckled pattern it cannot be one of 100 different autoimmune disorders it can only be caused by the following antibodies: Smith (Sm), which is diagnostic of SLE (systemic lupus) ; nuclear RNP, which is seen in high titers in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and SLE; SS-A (Ro), which is seen in Sjogren's syndrome and SLE; and SS-B (La), which is seen in Sjogren's syndrome.

You need to see a Rheumatologist and have a work up done to really get answers.  Also, you can have a positive ANA and not have an autoimmune disorder but it can't be caused my allergies from everything I have learned in the years I've had lupus.  Your body is attacking itself because your immune system is confused and you T cells are running rampid.

God Bless...  Let me know how you are doing.
Joni

[BB8911]

If your ANA test came back positive then you need to find out for which antibodies.  Could be Hashimoto's Thyroid, Lupus, MS, Sjorgren's, RA, there are over 100 different autoimmune antiboidies.  Could be just allergies. You really need to go back and ask for further testing.  Hope this helps.

[BB8911]

If your ANA test came back positive then you need to find out for which antibodies.  Could be Hashimoto's Thyroid, Lupus, MS, Sjorgren's, RA, there are over 100 different autoimmune antiboidies.  Could be just allergies. You really need to go back and ask for further testing.  Hope this helps.