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Negative ANA

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Posted 7/24/2013 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
confused after 13 years of being on plaquenil, I am told my ANA is negative????? Any thoughts?

Post Edited By Moderator (Lynnwood) : 7/24/2013 2:49:15 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/24/2013 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
My rheumy insists that once you are diagnosed with Lupus, even if successfully treated to the point that the ANA numbers change, you still always have Lupus. Remember that Lupus is diagnosed by 4 of 11 symptoms, not by an ANA test.

While my plaquenil has been reduced from 400 mg daily to 200 mg daily, I still take it. Actually, it is now the only thing I take for Lupus. I wouldn't be surprised if my rheumy doesn't stop it altogether at my next visit in Sept.

(I do have to take anti-depressants, sleeping pills, and pain pills due to Lupus side effects.)
Posted 7/24/2013 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
Original poster, Ami1832, added:

Ok, I posted this before but I don't think I did it right, so...... I'll try again! I just went thoroughly a screening for a lupus drug study and was told my ANA was negative. I know it had been positive in the past. Not to mention the fact I have been on lupus drugs since 2001 which is when I was dx'd. Right now my head is spinning, any thoughts??
Posted 7/24/2013 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
 

Prior to my diagnosis, which was based on the 11 criteria for determining if you have Lupus, I was strongly ANA positive.  When I have been in brief periods of remission, the longest having been 6 months, I have been weakly ANA positive.  To my knowledge, I have never been ANA negative, but then I haven't been checked all that often for ANA titers.....only when I have been miserable :-) .

Laura

Posted 7/25/2013 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
When my PCP wanted to test me again for ANA my rheumy told me it wasn't needed because once positive you don't need to run the test again.
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