Lupus numbers??

Hello,

When you found out you had Lupus what was your ANA?? And what were your first symptoms??

My ANA is 1:40 and my doc said he's positive I don't have lupus...my hair does shed and I get tired quicker... I don't know

[whisperit]

Hello Lfilim,

I first presented to a rheumatologist with shortness of breath and pains in my hands. My ANA was found to be positive to 1:1,280. I was then diagnosed with UCTD, with ?Sjogrens and Interstitial Lung Disease.

As you know, ANA titres alone don't necessarily tell us much about a diagnosis. The American College of Rheumatology website says:

"...a positive ANA reading alone does not indicate an autoimmune disease. The prevalence of ANAs in healthy individuals is about 3 - 15%. The production of these autoantibodies is strongly age-dependent, and increases to 10 - 37% in healthy persons over the age of 65. Even healthy people with viral infections can have a positive ANA, albeit for a short time.

Some medications...and some other conditions...can cause a positive ANA. The positive ANA reading simply tells your doctor to keep looking. "

I like the last sentence. If you feel unwell, keep pestering your doctor until you are satisfied! x

[katequintzel]

While I don't know the exact titer that sent me to get check out. But the last time I got my blood work done my ANA was 1:160 and homogenous.

[Hidden]

Mine was 1:360 speckled pattern but as the others have mentioned it's not completely dieb to ANA, for the first time my bloods have come back negative (although medication induced).

And when I was diagnosed they weren't sure for over a year, and then tried biopsy on a lesion on my knee, the rash had been there for about 3 months and was cleaning down, it came back negative. So they done another biopsy on a fresh rash on my head and came back firm positive for lupus. However my bloods taken the same day were showing low levels of activity, apparently they are never in sync. So it's why it's so important to just keep going, and just keep being tested in different ways so they have a massive picture to look at x

[bluebell99]

You can't really go by ANA alone, as previous replies have said.

You need to have some symptoms as well, things like fatigue, ulcers, rashes etc.

If you are pretty sure you have these then you could ask your GP for a rheumatology referral for a proper diagnosis.

My ANA was 1:160 and speckled rim and sometimes been higher, also negative. My first appointment with the rheumy was inconclusive, he would not be drawn into a definite diagnosis saying it was probably UCTD, or even "lupus like"

I did not have a firm diagnosis until I saw Dr D'Cruz at the Louise Coote Unit some years ago. He also diagnosed secondary Sjogrens, Raynauds and auto-immune hepatitis at the same time.

You may have a bit of a long road ahead of you.

I wish you luck.