ANA positive

[tikafabulous]

I was really impressed when my doctors medical assistant called me and told me that I had an ana positive test, but didnt really tell me what it was all about.  It was a friday, we have a three day weekend and the doctor didnt talk to me about what it means, or anything, so Im sitting here freaking out wondering what the heck is wrong with me...
thanks to my professional service from the doctor and staff.  She was just like...duuuuuuuh it could be lupus..(to someone in the background)...what was the other one...oh yeah artheritus...
Im thinking it was the same tard that took my blood who seemed to get her education out of crackerjack university....
so  anyone have any comments or knowledge  on this?  
I've done research on it, but your input is greatly appreciated.
Some of the sypmtoms I am having is profuse hair loss( half the staff didnt know what profuse meant...lovely hum) and dry skin, chills...fatigue and irritability.  I have had a problem with an overactive thyroid in the past but just got a thyroid test done a month ago and it was negative...hum..whats going on?

[MANmom]

I would be careful to read too much into it...do you take the birth control pill?  I am not prying, just givnig you information.  The birth control pill and several antibiotics can give a false positive ANA, keep checking it out, it may be a false positive.  Google false-positive ANA and you can read what other meds do it.

[LazyMoose]

ANA is pretty general as you know. You need specific thyroid antibody tests done.

The symptoms you describe sound hormone related. A TSH test is not sufficient in diagnosing - it can be in range with antibodies present in the beginning of the disease - yes, surprise! Read up on this. So you could have Graves or still possibly the early part of Hashimotos (it swings in the beginning - hypo / hyper, and finally settles for hypo.

Demand these Tests :  TSI -graves only, TPOab, TGab