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Posted 3/7/2015 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,
so my rheumy ran every test possible for sjorgens, lupus, RA, muscle mass etc. he said it all came negative and no markers for lupus etc. I dont understand because ive read a simple test cannot show if you have a disease or not. He is telling me im fine and that im just a rare person who has a positive ANA. Should i push for more?
Posted 3/7/2015 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Do you have other symptoms of an autoimmune disease or does anyone in your family has one?

My dr. Is keeping an eye on me because of a positive ana, symptoms, and missing family history.
Posted 3/8/2015 12:08 PM (GMT 0)
What are your symptoms?
Posted 3/8/2015 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
There is no simple test for lupus. It is one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose and it can often take even experienced doctors months or even years to confirm a diagnosis. Diagnosis is usually done with clinical symptoms and labs but labs do not always confirm the disease.

I had labs that indicated something was wrong for 15 years before I became clinical sick. All that time I was healthy and felt fine. Lupus is the disease with a 1000 faces...or more.

http://www.lupus.org/answers/topic/diagnosing-lupus

Bill
Posted 3/9/2015 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
Symptoms are inflammation in my chest/back, headaches, dizziness, swelling of my back, joint pain in my shoulders, hips and hands. Also have hand rash i think he said eczema. My family does have history of autoimmune. My maternal grandmother had celiacs and chrons disease. One aunt has sarcoidosis, another has chrons and hasimotos and my mother has RA. I am also sensitive to the sun but no rash
Posted 3/10/2015 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
Déjà vu. I went to a PCP with a list of symptoms. Just laid everything out on the table and told her I felt it was all connected to the same issue somehow, like maybe it was my thyroid. I let her run all the bloodwork she desired and it came back with positive ANA. My first rheumy did bloodwork, ANA and ssDNA were the only things positive. She was very quick to dx me with fibromyalgia. She dismissed my concerns, was almost belittling like I didn't know my own body and what I was experiencing. To quote her 'well of course you get red in the sun, you're so pale!' Well I've lived with this body long enough to know what is and isn't normal for me thank you very much.

The 2nd rheumatologist really checked me over and listened to everything I was having problems with. His dx was that I have SLE, he explained his dx and how he came to this conclusion. The bloodwork isn't the deciding factor. Like others here told me there are 11 criteria. I met 5 of those. Don't be afraid to get a 2nd opinion. It might not be lupus but it could be something else. Good luck on getting a dx that fits.
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