ANA positive 1:160, hair loss but no real answer!

[Supers1976]

Hi I am a 32 yr old mother of 2 and I needs some advice, I have a swollen lower neck on the right side, I also have an enlarged tonsil on the right side.  My salivary gland also looks a bit swollen there too. My hair is thinning dramatically with an itchy stinging sensation at the roots, and I wake up feeling anxious but I don't know why, although it could be because I am worried, but I some times get this feeling even when I'm feeling good. I had blood test done an it indicated everything was normal including my thyroid, the only thing that came back abnormal was my ANA which were positive 1:160. The DR did a further test (ENA) and this came back slightly abnormal too, indicating I may have some unspecified Auto Immune issue. If I where a tight collar on my shirt I feel as if it's pressing down on my throat. Around my right ear it also feels tight. I have been previously been diagnosised with Sinus issues(X-ray showed my right side was full a few years ago) an a sludgy gallbladder(Functioning at 37% when it was bad a few years ago) but it hasn't bothered me much in the last few years until now. It is starting to give me small stitch like pains under my ribcage again.  My menstrual cycle in the last 4-5 months has also gone from  a regular 27day cycle down to a 20, 21,23 day cycles however the bleeding is about the same, I also get ocassionally constipated too. I am slightly worried, and I have made an appointment at a different DR for next week as the one I have now does not seemed to be wanting to pursue this any further unless I develop more symptoms(which I think is silly). Can you please give me some sort of help so when I see the new DR next week I can give them something to look at first.  I have a cousing that a few years ago had thyroid cancer also. Can you also have a thyroid issue even if the initial blood results comeback normal?  Are there further blood tests that can be done for a thyroid problem instead of a regular blood test?

[AireScottie]

Just in case your thyroid levels all come back normal, I'm going to throw in another idea.  With your ANA and positive SSA, you could have Sjogren's.  (Actually, I guess you could have Sjogren's in addition to a thyroid problem.)  Sjogren's all by itself can cause hair loss, massive salivary gland swelling, and even inflammation of the thyroid without your thyroid levels being outside the limits.  I have had all these problems with Sjogren's.  If you want to pursue Sjogren's, you can get a lip biopsy to absolutely confirm whether you have it.  With the positive SSA, it might be a good idea even if your thyroid tests are abnormal.

[chica57]

Supers1976 - I am so happy for you that you are finally getting answers.  I was just recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's at 52 yrs of age, but sadly have probably had it for MANY years.  Part of the problem with Hashimoto's is that it can wax/wane and the "usual" thyroid tests might not reveal the problem.  Right now, it sounds to me like you could either be in an active thyroiditis with Hashimoto's OR have Graves.  The antibody tests should give the answer.  I guess I finally became chronically hypothyroid in the last 2-3 years and have slowly been getting worse.  The mental (cognitive) symptoms and afternoon napping are what finally forced me to find a new doctor and push for testing.   Thankfully, I didn't have to push much.  It was the first thing she tested for.  Have been on Synthroid for a week and feel better already - and I'm only on the starting dose.  Thyroid disease is very treatable and you will be feeling better before long.

[jfelice27]

I have a question for you. I was recently dx with alopecia areata. I am 23 years old and only went to the dermatologist to get this checked out. i have no insurance and have not been blood tested yet for lupus, celiac or thyroid problems. I wanted to ask about your hairloss issue. Are you loosing hair in patches of baldness or is it just severly thinning? my dermatologist said that AA has no underlying causes but can go hand in hand with other auto immune disorders so i wonder if your hair loss has the same patchy pattern and if i necessarily need to be tested for those things. any information would be greatly appreciated!

[JenB12]

Hey Sally,

Your thyroid is enlarged and larger on one side, but my understanding is that being enlarged in itself is not really a problem. I's only a problem if there are nodules, and even then only if a fine needle biopsy of the nodule reveals cancer.  It could all be in my head but i feel as though my thyroid being slightly enlarged puts a little pressure on my throat but again, as long as there is not a massive goiter pressing on the airway, or any worrisome nodules, it's fine. In fact many if not most people with autoimmune thyroid diseases have enlarged thyroids. I think in graves it can double....

Anyhow, i'm glad you got another ultrasound, it was time for a repeat just as a precaution... particularly since you have a relative who had thyroid cancer. I'm glad that everything looks good in that department :)

I will be curious to see how your blood work comes out this time around. I hope your Doctor ordered up all the necessary tests to rule in or out both Graves and Hashimoto's.

I'll check back here Friday night :)

Jen

[Supers1976]

Hi Jen,

Well I had my ultrasound done and it showed that my right is still larger than my left, but is still considered "normal".  My right  has a volume of 8cc and the left is 5cc.  The right is only fractionally larger than it was 3yrs ago which it then measured 7.8cc.  

Was your ultrasound considered normal even though you have one side larger? And do you know what the cut off is for sizing before it is considered enlarged.  From what I  have just read somewhere on the net, my right is at the high end of normal.  And then somewhere else it said it was enlarged! So frustrating!

Anyway there were no nodules that could be detected so at least it's not looking like cancer or anything, which is a major relief!  I get my blood and ECG results this Friday so I will let you know what they say then.

Thanks for everything again!
Sal

[Supers1976]

Thanks Joni,

I am so amazed at all the help people like you are giving to me, I really felt a bit in the dark before.  I shall get my new Dr to fetch all my files form my old DR, because I shan't be going back to him that's for sure.  

I had my ultrasound done but it showed no nodules at all, just that my right side was larger than my left, left has a volume of 5cc and the right has a volume of 8cc.  It is only fractionally larger than my last Ultrasound 3 yrs , then my right measured 7.8cc.  IT said that my thyroid looks normal, but I wonder how normal it is to have one side larger than the other, and what's the cut-off size for being considered normal. From one sight I have read, my right is considered at the high end of normal, if not large!

However from what I have been reading there does not need to be any nodules or even an enlargement for that matter to have thyroid issues, so I am just hoping these blood results that I am waiting on to get back will have more answers for me.

I shall post them as soon as I get them, just hoping they have some answers for me.

Thanks for all your help, I truly appreciate it

Sincerely
Sally