What can these blood tests mean?

[Bunnee1934]

I've been diagnosed w/fibro for about 6 yrs.  My ANA always comes out 1:640.  My CRP is very high.  My ana titer pattern at first (6 yrs ago) was "nucleolar".  Since then it's been "speckled differential"  In additional to the pain, fatigue, IBS, etc that comes w/fibro, I also have hypothyroidism for which I take synthroid & my tests show that this is under control.  I have very dry skin, dry eyes and am now almost 61 yrs. of age.  For a while it was thought that I might have a form of scleroderma called CREST.  While I have been diagnosed w/Raynaud's, I have no other symptoms of this terrible disease (Thankfully!) and it has been ruled out.  Why does my blood show all these terrible things.  I'm learning to live day by day w/fibro but worry about all the other abnormalities.  Can anyone PLEASE give me a genuine medical opinion.  Thank you.....

[Bunnee1934]

Thank you so much for your caring answers.  I guess a lot of these "autoimmune" disorders are definetely overlapping as far as symptoms are concerned.  Maybe one day research will discover actual tests to definetly diagnose an individual's illness.  May you have a happy and most of all a healthy as possible New Year. Again, thanks....Bunnee1934

[patsy10]

I agree with PlateletGal.  I think your tests show inflammation and an autoimmune disorder/disorders.  These disorders are not cut and dry and are hard to diagnose sometimes.  My friend has dermatomyositis (diagnosed by a muscle biopsy).  She also has abnormal lab results similar to what you listed.  They have  not been able to diagnose exactly what disorders she has other than the myositis.  The treatment seems to be the same though.  She is on steroids and her doctors told her this is the treatment for all of these disorders.

It does not sound like you have primary FMS, but possibly secondary FMS related to an autoimmune disease.

[PlateletGal]

P.S. ~ The dry eyes could be overlapping symptoms of Sjogren's Syndrome. I know these symptoms are also very common in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. (I have dry eyes and dry skin). The dry skin should could also be due to Sjogren's.... but also an underactive thyroid (which I hate to tell you is also common in fibromyalgia patients).

I think all of these "autoimmune" diseases and "syndromes" are all the same stuff.... and that is why so many of us have overlapping symptoms. That is another reason why the pathogen theory makes sense to me... L-form bacteria multiplies and therefore, we get more symptoms and eventually... another diagnosis.

[PlateletGal]

Hi ! So it seems now that you have an autoimmune disease, along with inflammation. A nucleolar pattern, along with your positive ANA, can suggest scleroderma, CREST syndrome or polymyositis. A speckled pattern is suggestive of lupus, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), Sjogren's Syndrome and also slceroderma.

You may be interested in Dr. Garth Nicolson's research on mycoplama infections in CFS, fibromyalgia and people with autoimmune diseases. There are treatments for these infections and although treatment is long and can make your symptoms worse.... some of the success stories have been amazing. I'm on one of these pathogen killing treatments myself and continue to make progress.

You can find this information in our Health Pages (look to the upper right hand corner to your screen). Here is one of the links:

http://www.immed.org/illness/autoimmune_illness_research.html

Happy New Year.