Lab Results

[skbird]

OK, I have some questions and I'm hoping someone out there can help.

I had some lab tests done last week to check thyroid funtion and also an arthrisis panel. I got the results back yesterday and it seems I am fine in the thyroid (TSH of 1.35, normal T3 uptake, normal T4, normal Free Thyroxine Index) and for the arthritis panel I had low normal uric acid, no rheumatoid factor (just says <20 as my result and <20 being normal) and a normal sedimentaion rate (7, 0-20 is normal).

So cool, I thought. Then today I got another page of the lab result in the mail (thought that was it) and all it has on it is this:

ANA Screen - Positive ANA Screen, see ANA Titer Results

There are no Titer Results (probably should check my mail tomorrow...)

Searches for ANA Screen indicate it's for autoimmune antibodies and that they often have something to do with Lupus or Fibromyalgia. And that they relate to connective tissue issues.

Does anyone know anything about ANA screens? I'm going to talk with my doctor soon but thought I'd look into it now.

Thanks

Stephanie

[jenvan]

Stephanie-

Hey there! I myself don't know anything about the screenings, but perhaps this link will help you. I love this site--it explains all kinds of lab tests. I use it a lot. Here is the one for ANA...

Open Original Shared Link

[skbird]

Thanks for the link, Jen. I have looked at that site before but always forget to bookmark it.

I found a decent link about this test result: Open Original Shared Link

I'm not sure what it means for me. It likely indicates I have autoimmune stuff going on, something I already figured, but looks like it indicates conditions I'm not sure I have. The main one is lupus, then also other various arthritis conditions. But since my rheumatoid factor test was ok, it seems like that indicates I don't have those kinds of problems.

I do have joint stiffness and pain, especially after being glutened. But I have never had any of the skin problems mentioned in the articles on the web. It does say that it can take years to fully develop into a disorder so maybe I'm in the early stages of something.

That would be a bummer. Oh well, yet another reason for me to avoid gluten and another reason for me to avoid nightshades, I guess (was avoiding them anyway... added bonus!)

Anyone else out there have lupus stories to tell?

Stephanie

[jenvan]

Hmm, that's confusing! Hope you figure it all out... I was tested for lupus, that was pre-celiac disease, and it turned out okay.

Have to say, I thought of you the other day... I can't remember what I was looking at, but I saw something where potatoes were discussed as being part of the night shade family. I thought of you... didn't know potatoes were in the that family

[nikki-uk]

My husband was tested for Lupus and the rheumatoid factor,both were neg.The doctors then diagnosed Psoriatic Arthritis.This is like rheumatoid arthritis but with the skin condition psoriasis.

This was about 3 years before dx of coeliac.I was never truly happy with the diagnosis of pa as he only had a small patch of flaky itchy red skin on one knee.

Since going gluten-free that 'patch' on his knee has completely disappeared,?

Anyhow,you do not necessarily have to test positive for the rheumatoid factor to have it.There are many' types' of auto-immune arthritis.

I don't know about the ANA results,I don't think my husband was tested for that.

Hope you find some answers soon.

[skbird]

I got more of my results earlier today. I'm still confused.

ANA TITER = 1:320

Fluorescence Pattern = Nucleolar

High Range ANA Titer. Usually indicative of connective tissue disease. Complete ANA profile testing suggested.

Note: Nucleolar staining is suggestive of autoantibodies to 4-6S RNA.

Sounds like I'll be getting more testing done...

Stephanie

[jenvan]

Let us know when you find out...

PS--Don't you just hate how long it takes to get test results in ??!

[KaitiUSA]

Let us know when you find out...

PS--Don't you just hate how long it takes to get test results in ??!

I hate how long it takes for results but if something comes back positive or something they usually call you pretty quick

[skbird]

Hi Jen - yeah, I usually hate it but this time it was actually pretty fast! I just got labs done last Thurs and it's only a week later. I just sent an email to my doctor to ask more about this. I hope he has some thoughts...

Stephanie

[SueC]

Hi Stephanie,

I too have a high ANA. I am seeing a rheumatologist on Monday so will let you know what he says. Hopefully nothing..... I have read that it can be high with other inflammatory bowel diseases (ie chron's and colitis) so maybe if there is alot of damage from celiac....who knows but I will let you know what I find out.

Sue.

[anniej55]

Hi,

I guess you're in luck ... I am currently waiting results from lab work for lupus and/or ITP. I will let you know what was done, what the results were and whatever else the hematologist tells me. He is wonderful - sat down on the initial consultation and went over my previous blood work step by step, making sure I understood that it was all benign. I do have to say that a previous ANA test came back negative, but the "platelet assoc IGM AB" was strongly positive, which means "the IgG and/or IgM value is greatly elevated and indicates that immune mechanisms are involved in the thrombocytopenia". That last word? My WBC/RBC/Platelets are all low. On the other hand, I've been such a basket case with this whole thing that I am not remembering everything I'm told. Other then the word benign. Again - ITP is a blood/bleeding disorder. I honestly do not know what to hope I have .... and he said my thyroid was enlarged.

I feel like my 50,000 mile warranty is up and now I need to replace all the breaking parts. Yes, I turn 50 in December.

Anyways, I'll let you know what is going on. And when I get a copy of my lab results I'll try to translate them for you.

Ann

[skbird]

Wow, I hope your warranty isn't up! That's just not fun. Not like you can go out and buy a new one!

Sue - I hope you get some good info from the rheumatologist. I just called my doctor (emailed him yesterday, so far no response) and left a message to ask what I should do next, more tests, or what. I have googled this a bit on the internet and lupus comes up the most, but also scleroderma (because of the pattern of my titer). I don't have any skin problems though, so I don't know if that is apt. I have read that there are IBS problems with scleroderma and additionally, when I was diagnosed 10 years ago with Raynaud's I was told sometimes it's related to scleroderma but still, I don't think that's enough of a connection.

Also, fibromyalgia is a possibility but ... ???

Anyway, thank you all for your thoughts. I'll let you know what I learn, too.

Thanks!

Stephanie

[jenvan]

Stephanie--

wow... this is complex. Raynaud's -- i get that too, but i don't have any kind-of scleroderma issues either.

[skbird]

Well, I just got a call from my GP's nurse - I'm getting referred to a rheumatologist. I asked what my GP thought/said when he saw the test and she said he just said, "High ANA - we need to refer her to a rheumatologist." So that's that.

Now the waiting game commences.... From what I understand, because symptoms in connective tissue diseases can go into remission or not present all at the same time it can take many years to get a proper diagnosis. And I thought I'd waited long enough to find out I had problems with gluten! Sheesh!

Just teasing about being annoyed. I'll find out what's going on when I do, and not a second sooner!

About Raynauds - I was never textbook on that one either but the doc said either that or vasculitis (when your blood vessel(s) go into spasm). I had it a good deal of the time for about 4 years and I haven't really had it since then.

Do you ever wonder how you could have so many things wrong with you??? Sheesh again.

Still smiling...

Stephanie

[SueC]

I had my rheumy appt today and here is what he said about ANA antibodies.

If you don't have them then you probably don't need to worry about lupus,etc...

If you do have them it basically tells you nothing. ANA's can be high for alot of reasons, most very harmless. I did however get a full Lupus panel done but he said he would be surprised if it came back positive as I have no signs of Lupus. So don't worry too much about your ANA... It is probably nothing.

Sue

[anniej55]

I've also tested negative for Lupus - but I do have ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura). And, because my white blood count is off, I am now going to have a bone marrow biopsy to "rule out" Lymphoma. To say the least, I'm thinking Lupus may have been a much better diagnosis.

Ann

[skbird]

Do any of you have any kind of weird sensations in your hands/wrists? I get this a lot, and have had it fairly intensly for about a week now. It feels like, for example, there is something between the knuckle in my hand on my little finger that is pushing it away from the rest of my hand. It's not quite a painful feeling, just feels like there is pressure in it. Sometimes the feeling in my knuckles/wrists seems to extend to my elbows. Also most of the rest of my knuckles and parts of my wrists. Sometimes they itch, sometimes they hurt a little (like a burning kind of feeling) and most of the time they just feel like there's pressure there.

I also sometimes get a slighter version of this in my feet/toes. I guess that's part of why I am worried about this high ANA reading I got.

No call from the rheumatologist for an appointment yet so I guess I"ll just have to wait to find out what else is going on, if anything.

Stephanie

[skbird]

OK, I wanted to follow up here - I went to the rheumatologist last Friday and don't know much more, other than he thinks I have arthritis in my hands/feet, and pleurisy is causing my chest pain. He sent me for tests and I go back Aug 5 to find out what they all mean. In the meantime, here is a funny story of my frustrating day that day...

I'll start with: wearing a light colored skirt. What was I thinking? So I walk out to the car 30 mins before my appointment so I could run out to my parents house and feed their cat (they're out of town) before my appointment. Well, my car battery was dead because my husband had left the lights on the night before, and evidently, no one noticed. So I had to jumpstart it from our other car which I don't believe is currently street legal as the tail light was knocked out due to being rear-ended (it's our junker car, anyway). (In a white linen skirt - amazingly didn't get any dirt on it!)

So I drive out, feed the cats (without turning off the car, something that's harder to remember to do than you think) and went to my appointment with one minute to spare. I really like the doctor - he's probably not much older than me but because he's a man and is Indian in descent, seemed a little removed from me. Strong accent, good sense of humor, and knew all about Celiac and gluten as well. Sent me for more labs (8 vials of blood!!!) and x-rays of my hands and feet (my ankles have been acting up now). He didn't want to talk diagnosis now, but did mention he wanted to rule out lupus before prescribing me this drug to help with my joint symptoms as it's contraindicated for lupus. I'm to go back in three weeks.

So I leave, go to my car, which is DEAD again. Have to call the car insurance for road service - and I don't have a cell phone... I wait for 45 mins in the heat (105 degrees!) for the tow truck, whereupon the guy announces that while he can get it going, my battery is history. We negotiate, discuss, finally I get him to say it's ok for me to drive to my parents house and trade for one of their cars (he wanted me to wait for Mr. Mobile Car Battery to come make a delivery right there in the parking lot). Did I mention I'd originally planned on going to work today? Oh yeah, my skirt is still white...

I drive to my folks (second time today), call work, call my husband, who is not answering his phone, grab a banana (no food yet, bad for a hypo! it's 11:30am by now) and drive to the lab/x-ray. They can't do the x-ray, have to go to the other facility across town after 12:30. But I get the labs done, urine sample too (darn, just used the bathroom at my parents house... ), had the 8 vials taken, then drove home. Had some food. Called my husband and told him what a rough morning I was having. Called work and said I wasn't coming in - after getting x-rays after 12:30 (which took an hour and a half for some reason, so I got home at 2pm) and having an appointment at 4pm, what would I be there for, two hours, max?

Oh yeah, and I completely forgot the part about how I almost ran over a Jack Russel Terrior on my way to the doctor from my parents house - it walked right out in front of me and I had to swerve into the other lane to avoid him...

ANYWAY, there was my big day. Fun, huh? And my skirt didn't get dirty at all... Unbelieveable.

Stephanie

[Jnkmnky]

You can have variations in your ana for multiple reasons. It does not indicate a definite dx of anything. That is good news all by itself. You MAY indeed have a condition that is causing the ana results to be high...but you MAY not. Until you have clear proof of a real problem, consider all meds they may begin offering you. Medications cause a whole host of new issues and mask positive changes as well. Bring your diet down to the simplest level, and test that ana level again in a few months. Hopefully, this is a natural reaction to some food you're ingesting and not the result of an auto immune disease such as lupus or arthritis.

[skbird]

Oh yeah, I thought I'd post what I just got tested for:

CMP, ESR, CRP, Anti CCP antibodies, HBsAg, Anti HCV, Urine analysis

ANA, dsDNA, Sm, RNP, SSA/B, Scl-70

Anticardiolipin antibodies

PTT, DRVVT

C3, C4, CH50

Ack! Don't know what half of that is... Anyway, we'll see. I realize that a high ana on it's own isn't enough to determine anything. I really need answers, not more unknowns. I have been dying lately it seems with all my IBS stuff, hand and feet pain/stiffness, chest pain, migraines, and some annoying gland in my neck that swelled up about two weeks ago and is still affecting my throat/ear. I can't believe that after all the foods I have eliminated from my diet I am having what seems like more problems than ever before. Very frustrating to be hypoglycemic and not be able to grab a string cheese or handful of nuts when I need a snack. I feel like I'm at my wits end...

Oh, and good caution about meds. I have a very unfavorable opinion of meds in general so I will definitely be cautious there. Honestly, I don't care that much about joint pain, it isn't as bad as it is to have a bad IBS episode or migraine - those two things seem to take over my life. So I'm walking funny, whatever...

Stephanie

[jknnej]

What is pleurisy?

[skbird]

Pleurisy is when the pleura which is in your chest, either the lining of your lungs or heart (I can't remember) become inflammed and causes pain depending on position you are in, how you are moving, etc. About a week before my appointment I was making dinner with a friend when I had a flash of pain and it made me suck in my breath and she asked me to describe it. When I was done she said it sounded exactly like when she had pleurisy - she thought she was having a heart attack (which is something like how I always feel when I get it). Anyway, I didn't mention this to my doctor but just described it when I was there and he listened to my chest and back a lot and then wrote that down. Aparantly it can be diagnosed by a few different means and can happen with a lot of conditions, or for no aparant reason at all. It is in the symptom set of a few connective tissue disorders, which is why the rheumatologist was interested in this.

I have had this off and on my whole life but have been having it frequently for the past 3 months now and was worried it was some kind of angina. Supposedly it can be treated with OTC NSAIDs or in bad cases, steroids. It's not very consistent with me but lately I seem to be getting a lot of smaller attacks, depending on my position in a chair, but none of the really scary painful attacks.

Stephanie

[Guest jhmom]

Hi Stephanie,

In my opinion a positive ANA is something to check into because it means something is going on in your body and should not be dismissed, especially is you have ANY kind of joint pain, fatigue, pleurisy, etc.

The labs your doctor is running looks like a Lupus panel. I have lupus and was dx recently, after having problems for a long time. Lupus is very hard to dx, kind of like Celiac is because your labs can be negative but you can still have it. The doctors not only look at lab results but also a criteria list, if you have 4 of the 11 symptoms it is a possibility.

Fibro is dx by pressure points, there are 18 of them and they usually will dx if you have 11 or more. This is the only way to dx it as there are no blood test for firbo, not even a positive ANA.

Here are some links to check out:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

When you get your test results back, feel free to email me or send me a PM.

Take care

[skbird]

Thanks Stacie. I've gone and looked at your web site before. I like the spoon theory, can identify with it. I'm reading a book right now called "All in my Head" by Paula Kamen and she has the marble theory.

Anyway, my results are trickling in, my ANA screen is positive again, don't know the titre or pattern yet (but bet it's in my mailbox when I get home) so at least I know now it's not likely they made a mistake at the lab. The hepatitis stuff was negative and I have low Sed rate and low c-reactive protein so no measurable inflammation in those areas. I got glutened earlier this week and my hands flared up again but my ankles are not bugging me like last week. But I have been sleeping nearly 10 hours a night, and waking up wanting more. Plus this chest pain is getting to be more noticable, though not as intense. I noticed last night when I was lying on my right side (favorite position) that I started to feel the pain nearly constantly, though it wasn't horrible. I finally had to shift to my back and fall asleep that way. It's weird, these things have started cropping up over the last 2-3 months now.

I appreciate the email invite. When I get more info I may be sending you an email.

Take care!

Stephanie

[Guest jhmom]

Hi Stephanie,

I did not come up with the "spoon theory" a wonderful lady named Christine did. She has touched so many lives with her eloquent and encouraging words. So many people have a hard time explaining their illness to family and friends and this gives them a wonderful way to do so.

I do hope you get some answers soon and begin to feel better.

Take care