I started having some really strange symptoms last year that seem to point in the direction of LUPUS. I have achy stiff joints and swelling sensations in my fingers. I also started noticing scaly dry patches of skin in my scalp and most recently my ear. I thought at one point I had Rheumatoid Arthritis but blood tests have proved a negative ANA result. I am tired alot and have also developed a large kidney cyst (6 cm) in my right kidney. I am scared that all my symptoms seem to suggest that I have some form of autoimmune disease but I am not sure which one it is. I will be seeing an Internal Medicine doctor in October when my medical insurance begins. Does any one know if you have a negative ANA result last year does that mean you don't have an autoimmune disease? In other words, can you have it and have negative test results??
Loading...
From the little bit of internet research I've recently done in getting a better understanding of autoimmune diseases while I'm being tested myself, I have come across that you can have a negative ANA test and still have an autoimmune disease. I think they are very tricky to detect and take routine testing. You shoud probably check again if it has been a year. However, don't rule out other possibilities as well. Theres a variety of illnesses, infections, and diseases that may cause similar symptoms, especially early on. So if you keep having negative ANA tests it may be best to seek an infectious disease doctor or have bloodwork/testing to check other areas as well.
As I have had a positive ANA test twice over a couple weeks where the second time it was even higher than the first, I am rather anxious myself. But I've even read that you can have a positive ANA without determining the cause, thus indicating there really isn't a disorder. So who knows. Seems to me once you have weird symptoms such as ours, or a positive ANA, it's a good idea to check regularly and keep an idea of what direction things are going in.
Best of luck to you!
As I have had a positive ANA test twice over a couple weeks where the second time it was even higher than the first, I am rather anxious myself. But I've even read that you can have a positive ANA without determining the cause, thus indicating there really isn't a disorder. So who knows. Seems to me once you have weird symptoms such as ours, or a positive ANA, it's a good idea to check regularly and keep an idea of what direction things are going in.
Best of luck to you!
Loading...
Hope this post can help...
GLUTEN!!!
Gluten causes skin sores and arthritis in my husband. No GI symptoms.
Some think that they can't be Gluten intolerant because they have no GI or stomach issues. Not true. My huband is gluten intolerant. He has NO stomach issues at all, but he has dermatitis hepitiformis. He gets these horribly painful sores on his knees, elbows, forehead. He was misdiagnosed by a dermatologist and 2 allergists. No one knew what it was. He was in such pain.
I finally found photos of his sores. He took them to his doc and told him he wanted his sores tested. It was gluten. As long as he stays away from gluten, he is fine. As soon as he accidentally eats gluten, he gets his sores back.
He had one bout of really bad arthritis in his elbows. He could hardly bend his arms. He had been eating artificial crabb in his salads. He had no idea there was wheat in it. .
We feel for all of tose that are also misdiagnosed. Gluten effects everyone diffferently. Try going off gluten for 3 weeks and see if you see a difference. I bet you will!
GLUTEN!!!
Gluten causes skin sores and arthritis in my husband. No GI symptoms.
Some think that they can't be Gluten intolerant because they have no GI or stomach issues. Not true. My huband is gluten intolerant. He has NO stomach issues at all, but he has dermatitis hepitiformis. He gets these horribly painful sores on his knees, elbows, forehead. He was misdiagnosed by a dermatologist and 2 allergists. No one knew what it was. He was in such pain.
I finally found photos of his sores. He took them to his doc and told him he wanted his sores tested. It was gluten. As long as he stays away from gluten, he is fine. As soon as he accidentally eats gluten, he gets his sores back.
He had one bout of really bad arthritis in his elbows. He could hardly bend his arms. He had been eating artificial crabb in his salads. He had no idea there was wheat in it. .
We feel for all of tose that are also misdiagnosed. Gluten effects everyone diffferently. Try going off gluten for 3 weeks and see if you see a difference. I bet you will!
Loading...
Hello Wisegirl,
Absolutely yes, there are a bereavement of autoimmune diseases that show up negative (called a sero-negative diagnosis) A book I found VERY helpful while in the very same situation as you are now, and I'm still not totally out of the woods with the definite diagnosis. This book is by Mary J. Shomon titled "Living Well With Autoimmune Diseases" 'what your doctor isn't telling you that you need to know'. It is filled with information, easy to understand, and a self-help section for coping with the additional stress this kind of situation may cause. Be SURE and see your doctor, preferably a Rheumatologist, in October. The earlier these diseases are caught the better your chances for "remission". Do you know the basics on Lupus? If not let me know and I may be able to help with some tips on keeping the flares down. Another thing, I have a theory, as well as many others, that when we are in a remission phase that the blood tests will show nothing out of the ordinary. When you are in a 'flared' state, the chances of your blood test showing the inflammatory response are much greater! I hope this helps! Let me know if so, and if you need extra advice or even just someone to vent to, because Lord knows that is one of the most helpful things during my time of questioning myself, the doctors and the lab.
Wishing You Wellness,
~*~Babs~*~
Loading...