Tentatively diagnosed with Lupus- ANA question

I think it's pretty common for ANA levels to rise and fall, but it seems unusual to me to have ANAs go from positive to completely negative to positive again in such a short time frame.

Were those blood tests done at the same lab?

Who started you on plaquenil?

This *might* be lupus, but it could be lots of things besides lupus. You need to see the rheumatologist, get a full exam, get further blood tests (to look for subtypes of ANAs associated with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, etc), probably get urinalysis, chest x-ray or ct scan, and possibly other tests.

Only then will you know what you're dealing with and whether or not plaquenil is an appropriate treatment for what you might have.

Yes, ANA can vary wildly -- all the ANA means is that you should be checked further, it does not indicate any specific diseases - there are several things that can raise an ANA, and a rhuemy is the specialist who can figure it out. Very odd that the pattern changed!!

Lupus is NOT diagnosed by blood tests!!!

Typically, four or more of the following eleven criteria must be present to make a diagnosis of Systemic Lupus. Note that only two of these are blood tests.

1. Malar rash: butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose
2. Discoid (skin) rash: raised red patches
3. Photosensitivity: skin rash as result of unusual reaction to sunlight
4. Mouth or nose ulcers: usually painless
5. Arthritis (non-erosive) in two or more joints, along with tenderness, swelling, or effusion. With non-erosive arthritis, the bones around joints don’t get destroyed.
6. Cardio-pulmonary involvement: inflammation of the lining around the heart (pericarditis) and/or lungs (pleuritis)
7. Neurological disorder: seizures and/or psychosis
8. Renal (kidney) disorder: excessive protein in the urine, or cellular casts in the urine
9. Hematologic (blood) disorder: hemolytic anemia, low white blood cell count, or low platelet count
10. Immunologic disorder: antibodies to double stranded DNA, antibodies to Sm, or antibodies to cardiolipin
11. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA): a positive test in the absence of drugs known to induce it.

In the meantime,please read Lupus 101 -- lots of hints on do's/don'ts for the rheumy appointment.

Best wishes,

The most common culprits are:

Hydralazine, which treats high blood pressure
Isoniazid , used to treat tuberculosis
Minocycline, effective for infections and acne
Procainamide, for heart rhythm problems
Quinidine , treats heart rhythm problems

Other less common drugs may also cause the condition. These may include:

Anti-seizure medicines
Capoten
Chlorpromazine
Tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) alpha inhibitors (such as etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab)
Methyldopa
Minocycline
Quinidine
Sulfasalazine
Levamisole, typically as a contaminant of cocaine

Symptoms tend to occur after taking the drug for at least 3 to 6 months.

Not sure why this didn't make the official list, as it's the drug we hear about most often as being a problem.

Humira (Humara, adalimumab) is used to reduce the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and Crohn's disease.