mononucleosis as a teen 20 year old and positive ANA as a woman in her mid 40's

Liz,

Have you learned the anything about this yet? I have the same problem! I had severe mono in high school. I am now 39 and have positive ANA. The Lupus and the rheumatoid tests were negative. So I have been searching the internet to see if I can confirm this. I saw your posting and would like to know what you have learned.

mom24boys

OMG....So glad I ran across this...please respond and let me know what came of this?! Please! I had severe mono my senior year in high school...39 now....been having pain in my left calf muscle for about 3 months, told I had tendonitis?? Ortho did blood work and ANA and HLA positive???? Have to see rheumatologist now...weird thing is when I read about thyroid problems...I can relate..BUT what happened to you all? Jodi

Hi. I am 36 and have had a positive ANA since I was 28 (it usually tests 1:160 or 1:320). I have NO symptoms of autoimmune disorders to date (the dr in 2002 originally ordered the ANA test because I had hives, and they haven't returned) and have been through tons of other blood tests, but they're all negative too. I had mono at age 22 and it was a pretty bad case. I don't have any proof, but after having this for so long with no symptoms I am wondering if my ANA continues to be positive because of the mono.

Hmmm....ran across this because my 11-year-old had very nasty case of mono and is now testing positive for ANA 1:160; she's now under the care of a pediatric rheumatologist who said that she's seen this level of ANA as a result of infection and is not convinced that it's lupus yet. She is running more bloodwork which is pending. My family also has a strong tendency toward autoimmune disease, to include rheumatoid arthritis, Graves disease, Hashimotos disease, and alopecia. My daughter's also is still having symptoms such as neck and back pain...so we're hoping that this is a transient inflammatory response to infection and not a chronic disease. Very scary.

The original posting is from 2007--I am also in my early 40's, and now have a positive ANA with a titer of 1:320- I have thought this was the case since I had mono when I was 20. It is just too much of a coincidence that my sister in law (who gave mono to my then boyfriend, who gave it to me) also has been walking around saying she has Lupus. I do have some skin reactions to sunlight, and I have other allergies, but I am glad I found others that are thinking the same thing as me about this ANA test.

I think I had Mono about 6 months ago. I now have a high Ana 1:320 and now have Sjorgrens and possible Lupus. I also have ringing in the ears and fullness and had to have surgery to take out the inflammation in the ear. There are Lymph nodes in the ear and I think the autoimmune disease is attacking it. I also have antibodies attacking my thyroid. My lymph nodes in neck are always painful. The Prednisone I am taking is helping but I am afraid what will happen after I finish it. I am taking mega doses of vitamins to battle it. Go on the website Elizabeth Noble and it's a wholistictherapycentre. I ordered this book online and am following the regimen of vitamins. I am feeling a little better but it's only been a week.

I also had severe mono in high school for almost 2 years. About 7 years later while in my mid 20's, I began feeling really tired again, and then had pain, tingling and swelling in my extremities. No one thought to test me for mono, as you are not supposed to get it again. They did find I had a postive ANA of 1:160 though, so I was put through all sorts of autoimmune tests that came up with nothing. They told me I had fibromyalgia for which I went to acupuncture for and took herbs. The ANA went down to 1:80 and then to 0 and I started feeling better over a period of 3 years. About 10 years later, now in my mid 30's, I began to feel really tired again, and started getting swelling in my hands again. i went back to the doctor and they decided to run a mono test, and another ANA. The ANA was 1:60, and my mono test was positive, showing an active infection! They sent me to a rheumatologist to rule out anything more serious, whcih he did, and he concluded that I probably also had an active infection in my 20's but no one tested me for mono, as it is 1 in a million to get again as an active infection. Do not mistake that with having the virus in your system, as it will always show in your system- it has to be at a certain level to be an active infection. Anyhow, fast forward another 10+ years, now I'm in my mid to upper 40's. I do not have the tiredness, but al sorts of joint pain. They again tested my ANA, and once again it is elevated to 1:80, so I am going to now go see a rheumatologist again. It is probably best to always have a positive ANA retested as there can be false positive, and then a bit later, to make sure the titer is going down. if it is going up, they had told me that was a bad sign.

Hmmm....this is an interesting thread! I was tested for ANA last year after several years of feeling run down, anxious, stressed, achey, fatigued, problems with attaining a deep breath with pain around my ribs, hip pain, cold hands & feet  & many vague & varied symptoms. All my other blood results were normal, including a non elevated CRP  & an ESR of just 2. However, I was told that my ANA had returned a result of 'weakly positive' with speckled pattern. ( I was in such a state of anxiety at this time I never asked for specific titer & I'm afraid I've not got the courage to put myself through more health anxiety again right now, as I am managing much better & my well being is much improved,so I don't want to wreck things with worry - which is hopefully unnecessary anyway?) Several of the GP's at my practice reviewed these results and I was told that it had been concurred with the laboratories who tested that the 'results were not significant'. I did have a follow up appointment with a dermatologist (about possible Raynaud's from cold hands & feet), shortly after my results & again she allayed my fears quite a lot. But occasionally, I do wonder why I have positive ANA & it does worry me...but now I'm thinking it could be due to past history of mononucleosis???? I had a nasty case of this aged 18years & then I had a flare up again when I was about 24years. This second flare up was confirmed by mono blood test & my GP at the time said it was the 1st time he'd seen an active recurrence, but assured me it was nothing more sinister (as I had been worrying about). I think, reading the stories above, I will take reassurance that the ANA is often positive in persons with past history of Glandular Fever?? Certainly, I always feel that it had a detriment on my health, & I never fully recovered my former energy & well being after that 1st bout. I even believe now that I have suffered CFS, ME , Fibromyalgia for years??? But I'm too scared of putting myself through tests & visits to the Drs.!

 

Not sure why you would be afraid to have anymore tests or have your ANA re-tested? Anyhow, the rheumatologist told me a slightly elevated ANA is not cause for concern, and usually does not mean there is any autoimmune problem, but you could simply be fighting some infection or minor virus that is temporary. There are also false positives. You say you are stressed and anxious, and stress and anxiety can also cause fatigue and weird symptoms, as can poor circulation. You should make a point to regularly exercise, at least walk, and that will boost your energy. Are you sleeping okay? if not, maybe you need some medication?  You might want to try acupuncture which can boost your immune system and make some of the pain go away, as well as rela you. This is what I did years ago, and it totally worked, and I decided to go again this coming week. good luck!

Wow, very interesting thread indeed. I too had severe mono in college, when I was about 20. In 2006 at age 40 (18 months after my first (only) child was born) I developed severe Raynauds and almost lost a finger. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with Scleroderma. Both of parents were diagnosed with other autoimmune diseases within months. It really makes me wonder, I'm going to discuss this with my doctors at my next appointment. Thanks for all the great info!

I posted as a 'guest' two weeks ago & have returned to read Robinin's reply & the additional experience of 'another guest' above! I forgot to mention in my original post that I am a 44 year old female (43 when test was performed just a month short of my 44th birthday). Thank you Robinin for your reassurance, I am too reluctant to delve too deep into anything more...I get so anxious, & I am trusting the Drs that it is nothing significant! In the meantime, I have returned to better well being by resuming regular brisk walking, which I always used to find therapeutic in times of stress but which I did abandon along with lots of things when I became severely anxious & depressed. I have found the internet health info both terrifying (.....even worrying about HIV amongst all the other sinister stuff, & questioning the results of tests affecting the validity of other tests?) & also reassuring when I read real life experiences on threads such as these and realise there are many others worrying over similiar issues. 'Guest' above - please

update with your Dr's opinion on mono & it's impact on ana & autoimmune in later life?

I am also ANA positive, 1:160, with no symptoms, also had a bad case of mono when I was 16.

The only reason I know I'm positive is because I've been trying to get pregnant for 2 y without success. I am now on corticisteroids to lower ANA levels.

My question is... have you had a positive ANA and still get pregnant?

Hi, I have tested positive for ANA, I have Raynauds but have not tested positive for Lupus or any other autoimmune problems. I also had mono when I was 18, and I have been trying to conceive for two years as well. I would be very interested to find out the outcome of your medication and if it helps with trying to conceive. I am sending the information about my ANA test to my fertility doctor this week and I am hoping he will put me on some medication to lower my ANA.

Just to let you know, there is a correllation between lupus and mono.  Mono is linked to the Epstein Barr Virus, which in turn is the real virus which seems to set off lupus.  I too, had mono when I was 35 and wasn't diagnosed for 4 months.  I was given antibiotics for a sinus infection, which is something you absolutely do not take when you have mono.  Therefore I became sicker and had liver and kidney problems because of it.  Two years later I started having the symptoms of lupus and was diagnosed with lupus 13 years later.  A little more about mono and autoimmune diseases;  my nephew also had mono at age 17 and he is 54 now.  He was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis approximately 8 yrs ago.  Therefore you can clearly see that mono or EPV is definitely linked to the onset of these type of diseases.  I don't know why this has not been researched more.