Hi,
It’s my first time posting on here. I’ve had a multitude of symptoms that I’ve been trying to find an answer for ☹️
My main symptom is fatigue, feels like I’m coming down with something all the time and if I do get a cold or something it wipes me out.
I had a Antinuclear test done privately and it’s come back positive at 1:80, is it like I have autoimmune disease of some sort ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated x
i have positive a.n.a. too. i have fibromyalgia and sjogrens.
Hello Amber83
The ANA test only shows whether you are producing auto-antibodies at the time of testing. It is possible for people to produce these antibodies even if they have no disease process going on - for example, some people seem to produce a transitory positive ANA as a result of taking certain meds, or with an infection.
In general, the more strongly positive the result, the more likely that some autoimmune disorder is behind it. A titre of 1:80 is on the low side - many clinicians would call it "borderline positive".
So on its own, your result is not diagnostic of anything - but it is useful information to take to your GP. In light of your other problems, it might well be a good idea to press for a repeat ANA - together with other blood tests - at the very least. The LUK leaflet on symptoms and diagnosis might help too x
lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u...
Thank you whisperit, I’m apprehensive about going to my doctor and telling them I had this test completed. Especially as it’s borderline. I’ve been to and from the doctors a lot. I’ve had other basic blood tests through my gp and as far as I know they came back okay. Would basic blood tests show anything that may support a positive ANA in diagnosis? Maybe I should leave it and retest myself in a month or so? Sorry I’m just going crazy with feeling so terrible all the time x
No reason why you should have to deal with this on your own. Your GP should be an ally, not a barrier. Do have a read through the LUK material (they include more info on blood tests) and ask your GP how they account for your symptoms and what plan they have to resolve them. x
If the ANA is positive, the lab will do further tests to find out what kind of antibodies are present: these can take 3-4 weeks as a culture has to be grown..
'dsDNA antibodies are strongly suggestive of SLE' - comment on my lab report.
If your ANA has a homogenous pattern, it points to SLE.
The routine bloods GPs order may not show anything untoward - mine never have, except marginal anaemia and insufficient Vitamin D3 (which GPs disregarded- no knowledge of autoimmunity).
There are guidelines for some of the autoimmune diseases - fatigue is a symptom of them all - you could maybe ask your GP to do the ones he/she can order in the SLE guideline (table 6)*
Be strong and don't let it go! Be well xxx
PS you'll see from the table that positive ANA is only needed once
You sound a lot like me when I was diagnosed with lupus. I had a positive ANA, but it took five years for me to get diagnosed with lupus. I had extreme fatigue, I was having joint pain in both elbows, both wrist, both shoulders & and both ankles often on sometimes at the same time. Lots of times during the night, I would wake up in pain.
I would have a low-grade fever 99.2 99.6, and just feel awful, like I had the flu, and I would be down for 7 to 10 days like the flu too. But it would not be a flu and I would not have respiratory problems, it was just my body would not move and I had a low-grade fever.
Finally my doctor did the ANA test, and so she sent me to the rheumatologist. Keep this in mind, 97% of Lupus people have a positive ANA. But a lot of people in the general population have a positive ANA due to genetics, and they do not have lupus. So that is not a confirmed way to diagnose a Lupus patient, it takes other symptoms like the ones I mentioned above plus others.
Find a great rheumatologist, write down your symptoms when you have them what days you have them the weather what you may have eaten what you may have done differently, so that you can bring it to your doctor to discuss the entire past month or two in detail. Here is the website from Lupus LFA to help you.
lupus.org/resources/lab-tes...
Plus Lupus.org/resources has many questions and answers that you may be able to use in your possible lupus diagnosis. I wish you well, and carry-on as we all do every day. Some good days, some bad days but we know a better day is coming on the days that we are down.
We are lupus thrivers, but we are proactive in treating our Lupus and the many different symptoms that we all have from day today, and month to month and year to year. 💜
ANA POSITIVE
Does Multiple Positive ANA Tests Usually Mean Autoimmune Disease?
What is this ? ❄️
