Does negative ANA mean maybe not PMR?

[Dydee]

Good news! My blood test results came back and while my thyroid is totally out of wack my ANA came back negative. I asked the naturopath what that meant since PMR is an autoimmune issue. Her answer was pretty much that PMR works outside the box and test results don't apply to it. So wondering how that can be? Thank heavens a change in prescription should get my thyroid issue back on track and hoping that MAY have a little to do with my pain level??? Still on 10 mg Pred. but only at 50% pain relief with funny burning sensation in all hand tissue. Also thinking I may have bursitis in hip from sitting so much as that side is now way worse.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

This is the explanation I put on your other comment saying the same:

ANA can be positive or negative either way and it is rarely raised in PMR though it can be.

rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Pat...

webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/wha...

racgp.org.au/afp/2013/octob...

are decent explanations that might help you understand,

And it doesn't mean you don't have an autoimmune disorder just because it is negative - PMR is autoimmune for a start.

Thyroid issues are one of the rule outs for a PMR diagnosis. Being on pred also suppresses TSH and makes results look strange.

[Dydee in reply to PMRpro]

That is great to know about thyroid. TSH was down to .29 after a high result last time. Thank heavens that is easier to control.

I am a bit confused though about Pred., reduction of dosage, and timing. So, my 10 mg that I've been on since tapering off from the 10 pack of Pred (40 mg x 4 days, 30 mg x 3 days, 20 mg x 2 days, 10 mg x 1 day and there after) at the beginning of diagnosis 6ish weeks ago is barely controlling the inflammation. Is it necessary at this point to try to taper or should I stay on it a bit longer until pain is more livable? My doc wants me to cut dosage in half, now. Seems that most folks are on their beginning dosage for weeks or months before trying to taper. I realize that we are all different, but if 10 mg is barely doing anything it doesn't seem like the right time to cut back. Sometimes I would like to take an extra 5 mg or so. LOL I take it pretty easy, just doing little things between rests, LOL. My husband has been great at picking up some of the slack.

I've also gone off gluten and eating low carb in hopes that will help. I take Vit. D, Turmeric, ginseng, Vit. C, and other natural supplements that are supposed to help with inflammation.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Dydee]

Your doctor needs to get on top of the inflammation first. And you don't do that with a short taper like that. You need at least a month on at least 15mg to get things under control and only then do you taper slowly to find the lowest effective dose for you. At this stage that is likely to be more than 10mg - it doesn't mean you won't get lower, Just not yet.

This is a far more reasonable approach:

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

And as for halving the dose now - time to find a new intelligent doctor who can admit when they don't know what they are doing.

[Dydee in reply to PMRpro]

Sorry, when I posted the first question it disappeared and I wasn't sure I had hit reply or some other key accidentally. LOL My laptop doesn't always follow my directions. LOL Thank you for the information though. Such a crooked path we have to follow to a final resolution to this ailment that follow only one rule, Prednisone works.