Hi there. I am looking for some advice. I was diagnosed with thyroid problem last year and was put on thyroxine also was told that I had a

[dawsden]

Autoimmune disorder but nothing specific.My rheumatologist done bloods last July and as I am due to see my pain specialist tomorrow I dug out previous letters and notice that she states 'weakly positive rheumatoid factor and weakly positive ANA antibodies with positive lupus screen' Does this mean that I have a positive diagnosis for lupus? Any info would be much appreciated........I have a new GP and she is as much use as a chocolate fire guard.....thank you.

[Hidden]

Hello Dawsden - don't blame your GP. Lupus can be very hard to diagnose - and having it is a big deal (the drugs are horrid!) so it is a good thing to be cautious.

Weakly positive ANAs could mean all sorts of things - it could just mean you were unwell when they did the blood test. Many people have raised ANAs and no illness at all. The same with Rheumatoid Factor - you can have it, and not be ill. I am not sure what positive lupus screen means - and would need more information to say what that means (I would guess it referred to other antibodies and perhaps signs of inflammation live a raised plasma viscosity or maybe low levels of complement 3 and 4).

However, I really hope you don't have lupus. It's an unpleasant and insidious disease. You don't tell us anything about your symptoms - and if you are well I wouldn't worry about it. You mention a pain specialist, but don't say why you are seeing him/her... ?

Good luck with it all. You can always come back here when you have some new information. We might not know the answers, but we always try!

[dawsden]

Hi Maggie thank you for your reply. Yes I was hoping to ask my pain specialist this morning what the positive lupus screen means but got to the hospital waiting room to get a call from his secretary to say thay the clinic had to be cancelled because his ill so came away feeling quite deflated! My problems all started several years ago hen I snapped the ligament in my right hand following which I was diagnosed with rsd a very debilitating illness then against all odds 6 months later I snapped the ligament in the other hand and contracted rsd in that limb as well. Over the years this has caused me such pain, swelling and stiffness over my body. I attended a pain management course 3 years ago but my health has steadily deteriorated. I started to get extreme swellings in different limbs then 2 years ago I broke my ankle and badly displaced it which led to me being in a cast for the best part of a year because it would not heal which has become a common problem with me nothing ever heals. The same week I broke my ankle I woke up with tinnitus and hearing loss which has steadily got worse. Last year I was found to have a thyroid autoimmune disorder and was started on thyroxine Then following a referral to a rheumatologist I was diagnosed with RA and scans showed osteoarthitis in neck, shoulders, wrists, knees and ankles. Now in the last month or so I have all the symptoms of Sjorgrens syndrome dry mouth, eyes, sore lips, burning tongue and blocked saliva glands which along with my already diminishing immune system is stopping my mouth from healing after surgery a few months ago. Because of the swellings it was thought that I may have something called polygramic rheumatism and the rheumatologist put me on hydroxychloquine but I could not tolerate it. I am due to go back to the rheumatologist on the 14th March. I just seem to be going round and round in circles. I am under the pain consultant, tinnitus specialist, rheumatologist and the maxillo facial and they all seem to have there own seperate opinions but nine times out of ten they always differ!! I am in so much pain and feel absolutely exhausted despite eating a very healthy diet and exercising as much as its possible to. Sorry for going on but the list of ailments seem never ending!!