is an ana test the confirmation of lupus?

 I asked drs years ago to test me for lupus & they said it was negative, but it was not an ana test. a couple  yrs ago i was diagnosed with epilepsy. Looking thru my medical records for a cause for me getting epilepsy, i noticed a pattern: xrays for swollen feet, big toe was so red the dr swore i had gout, which all came back negative. 2yrs of sinus & lung infection, coughing up phlem,(yellow), it can be seen on a cat scan of the brain. not only have i had the butterfly rash for many years, I've had an extra one to go with it, above each eyebrow is permanent now red line & all is scaly. certain joint will hurt so bad i think i broke it, but it's never broken. what hair? it began falling out 17 yrs ago. My extreme fatigue is blamed on sleep apnea. I had pluerisy often as a young child/woman & severe pnemonia 3 times many yrs ago. one day it's my knee, then my hip, then who knows. my hair follicles in my eyebrows are deformed & black as coal. any suggestions? thank you 4 your time.

I totally agree with Lynwood. HEre's the 11 symptom criteria and a link to a vid I made listing them as well! :) Love Julie ps an ANA positive doesn't mean you have lupus and a neg doesn't mean you don't.

11 criteria to dx lupus: http://youtu.be/iNiXZFmHx-g

The following are 11 criteria used for diagnosing systemic lupus erythematosus:
• Malar (over the cheeks of the face) "butterfly" rash
• Discoid skin rash (patchy redness with hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation that can cause scarring)
• Photosensitivity (skin rash in reaction to sunlight [ultraviolet light] exposure)
• Mucous membrane ulcers (spontaneous sores or ulcers of the lining of the mouth, nose, or throat)
• Arthritis (two or more swollen, tender joints of the extremities)
• Pleuritis or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining tissue around the heart or lungs, usually associated with chest pain upon breathing or changes of body position)
• Kidney abnormalities (abnormal amounts of urine protein or clumps of cellular elements called casts detectable with a urinalysis) Note: Ultimately, in patients with kidney disease from systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus nephritis), a kidney biopsy may be necessary to both define the cause of the kidney disease as being lupus-related as well as to determine the stage of the kidney disease in order to optimally guide treatments. Kidney biopsies are often performed by fine needle aspiration of the kidney under radiology guidance, but in certain circumstances, a kidney biopsy can be done during an open abdominal operation.
• Brain irritation (manifested by seizures [convulsions] and/or psychosis, referred to as "lupus cerebritis")
• Blood-count abnormalities: low white blood count (WBC) or red blood count (RBC), or platelet count on routine complete blood count testing)
• Immunologic disorder (abnormal immune tests include anti-DNA or anti-Sm [Smith] antibodies, falsely positive blood test for syphilis, anticardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, or positive LE prep test)
• Antinuclear antibody (positive ANA antibody testing [antinuclear antibodies in the blood])
In addition to the 11 criteria, other tests can be helpful in evaluating people with SLE to determine the severity of organ involvement. These include routine testing of the blood to detect inflammation (for example, tests called the sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein), blood-chemistry testing, direct analysis of internal body fluids, and tissue biopsies. Abnormalities in body fluids (joint or cerebrospinal fluid) and tissue samples (kidney, skin, and nerve biopsies) can further support the diagnosis of SLE. The appropriate testing procedures are selected for the patient individually by the doctor.