15 Yr Old Daughter-Positive ANA

Hello,

I am a regular on the Lyme forum, because that is what I suffer from.  I suspected my daughter is infected and her Dr did a complete blood panel.

She was ANA positive, high protien, low T3, free.  She has several Lyme symptoms, except one I have not heard of.  Every so often (once a month or more), she has peeling skin on her palms.  Her palms are not red, they just peel.

I am going to have her tested for Lyme, but I know nothing about Lupus.  I know Lyme can mimic Lupus and have known some that have tested positive for Lyme with positive ANA tests.

She was actually bit by a tick 4 yrs ago and didn't find it to be significant until I was diagnosed, which was last month.  Around that time 4 yrs ago, she was very sick with flu like symptoms most of the winter.  I took her to the Dr and all they could say is she has a virus.  about a year later, she started to have behavioral problems and was dx with ADHD and Bipolar.  She was on meds for that for a year and a half.  I think she had heavy metal issues as well during that time as she had braces.  about 6 mos after the braces came off, her behavior improved drastically.  I do not believe she is bipolar.  Currently, she has started to have problems again concentrating, has extreme chemical sensitivity, joint & muscle pain, headaches, dizziness, chronic sore throats, vertigo, confusion, disturbed sleep, fatigue, occasional muscle twitches, and many other symptoms specific to Lyme.  We go back to the Dr tomorrow morning.

I know there are several overlapping conditions here, but I was hoping someone could shed some light on Lupus a bit.

When the ANA test was positive, the lab did a couple? SCL70 tests for Jo-1 and scleroderma, which were negative.

Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Anne

Oh wow Anne! Welcome to the forum. Oh you must be at your wits end. Lupus all by itself is difficult to diagnose. You've certainly got a brain teaser. One thing you might check . . . the positive ANA should indicate a pattern. Certain patterns are indicative of certain diseases . . . but not absolutely. Here is a quote from one of Lynnwood's posts: ___________________ "The homogeneous (smooth) pattern is found in a variety of connective tissue diseases as well as in patients taking particular drugs such as certain anti-arrhythmics, anti-convulsants or anti-hypertensives. This pattern is also the pattern that is most commonly seen in healthy individuals who have positive ANA tests. The speckled pattern is found in SLE and other connective tissue diseases, while the peripheral (or rim) pattern is found almost exclusively in SLE. The nucleolar pattern is found primarily in patients who have scleroderma." ___________________ I think you might benefit from reading through the posts in Lupus Resources. There is a link at the end of my signature. We have compiled quite a bit there and it includes some good info on preparing for a Dr visit. One big suggestion, when her hands are peeling . . . take pictures of various stages of that. If she has any skin rashes or mouth/nose sores, take pictures. You can bring these with you to the Dr appt . . as they never seem to be active when we have our Dr. visits. Lots more tips in the Lupus Resource topic. I don't know how to read all the other blood work. I look it up as it applies to myself or someone else and then promptly forget how it fits. www.Labtestsonline.org  has some basic info on lots of blood work. I hope you'll keep us posted. Blessings! Blessings!

One thing I forgot to mention...

I know Lyme and Lupus are both diseases that mimic many others. I have two other daughters as well who also have some symptoms of Lyme. This is just so stressful considering what I am going through right now.

Is Lupus a hereditary condition? There has been some proof that mothers can pass Lyme to their unborn child.

Thanks again!

Just chiming in with a couple more things to rule out: Thyroid problems, and gluten intolerance. Both can cause many of the symptoms you listed. I hope the doctors are able to figure out what's going on.

Take care,

I really appreciate all the valuable info!

No family history of any autoimmune diseases. I will have all checked for sure if the Lyme comes back negative. The whole reason I started this crusade is because there has been some evidence where Lyme can be transmitted through the placenta and I would have most likely been infected at that time. My 15 yr old was first on the list to be tested since she has several symptoms and she was also bitten by a tick here in Florida. Our wooded lot next door is full of them (yuck!). You would be surprised how many entire families are infected-especially in the highest risk areas. It's a really scary disease. I myself have severe symptoms as well as severe cortisol levels (.5 and less ALL DAY long).

I know that is a different topic for a different forum. I will keep you posted though even if she does in fact have Lyme, and if you don't mind, I may check in from time to time with questions on recommendations/tests/referrals the Dr recommends. She is currently seeing a GP.

Thanks again for all your wonderful help and support!

Anne

Hi Anne . . . . I hope the Lyme's is a better dx than lupus. It would seem that there's a good chance for a full recovery . . . but I don't know much about lyme's. I wonder if the lyme's is causing the thyroid stuff and maybe that will disappear too, when the Lyme's is treated. Glad the doc is on the ball with this. Blessings!

Update...

My daughter is doing great on antibiotics now. We had a few bumps in the road when she was allergic to one of the meds. She is starting her third month of treatment. I am in my 8th month. Sadly, my other two daughters have tested highly positive and will be starting treatment soon. They too got infected from me during pregnancy/breastfeeding. I feel terrible but I cannot change the past, but I can do my best to ensure they get the best treatment and nip this thing in the bud so they don't end up like me. Hopefully, they will both respond as well and as quickly as Karisa has.

I had a major setback right after my last post that may be of interest to you or someone you know. I have a PICC line and use Heparin. There was a major recall in the product from a company called Sierra Pre-Filled as it was contaminated with a gram negative bacteria called Serratia Marcescens. I was one of 13 people in the two FL Panhandle counties that got sick. I was extremely ill and could have died from it but made it through and my final culture came up negative a few weeks ago. It was quite the scare. Needless to say, I have found an excellent lawyer. I still have bad side effects from the infection. It was the last thing I needed!
Since that recall, there has been another from a company called Baxter. So, if you know anyone that uses Heparin (typically cancer, leukemia, lyme, anyone with an IV that does infusions at home) please pass the word. There has been several deaths and many people who are already chronically ill becoming sicker. Very Sad!

I hope you all are doing well. If I every come across anyone that has or suspects they have Lupus, I will send them your way. You are all such a great bunch of people!

Take Care,

Anne~

Hi Anne, Oh my!! You've had it really rough . . . and with sick children to boot. (((((((Anne)))))) Thanks for the heads up on the heparin and Picc lines. I'll make a new topic to try and alert members who may be affected. I'm glad you are finally starting to feel better. Blessings!