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Ulcerative Colitis & High speckled ANA Reading

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 6/14/2010 6:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I am 24 and have suffered from ulcerative colitis for 6 years. Late last year I injured my leg and it took 6 months to heal prompting some questions and resulting in a blood test. The blood test gave me a speckled ANA reading of 1:1200 (This was while my colitis was not playing up).

3 months later I've had a second blood test and the ANA reading was higher again, however this time my colitis is playing up.

The doctor is concerned that I have an additional disease on top of my ulcerative colitis and I will be seeing him again in a week, however everything he said went right over my head this time. What causes a speckled ANA reading? How does it relate to colitis? If I have an additional disease what could it be?

The doctor also asked me if I had red lumps on my legs, sort of smooth lumps that are painful. I hade these for 6 months about a year ago. Why did he ask this? What are these a symptom of?

Thank you

Carina
Posted 6/14/2010 10:51 AM (GMT 0)
I have a positive ANA but neither the rheumatologist or GI can tell me what it indicates. The rheumy says it's from UC, my GI says it's from something else......so I don't know what it means! I don't know if I have the speckled ANA reading but I know that people with Lupus have this or other Connective Tissue disorders.

http://autoimmunedisease.suite101.com/article.cfm/anatestpatterns

As for the red bumps, they usually are Erythema nodosum which are common for IBD'ers.

http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/complications/skin
Posted 6/14/2010 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Folks with IBD often have - or can develop - other autoimmune diseases. Was the doc who administered the ANA a rheumatologist? If not, you might want to make an appointment to see one. As Sherry indicates, the ANA can be difficult to intepret, particularly for GPs or specialists in other areas. If you're not having any troublesome symptoms, other than the slow healing, it may not be something to worry too much about yet.
Posted 6/14/2010 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
You would definitely be best to see a rheumatologist to do additional testing (like following a flow-chart) to lead to the possibility of what else is going on.

I have liver disease associated with UC, but with some of my other physical symptoms and family history, I wanted to know whether there was blood testing to connect them. Nope.....I don't have either Sjogren's or Anoylosing spondylitis, thankfully.

q
Posted 6/15/2010 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
I had some biopsys taken in a colonoscopy I had done yesterday. Will they be able to reveal if I have Lupus or another autoimmune disease? I get the results next Wednesday but I really dont understand what they test for. The other symptom I exoerience is I catch EVERY cold or flu that goes around and am always sick with something. I have always been like this.
Posted 6/16/2010 5:55 AM (GMT 0)
blood tests from a rheumatologist will help you through that maze if that's what's suspected. The biopsies will only tell what's going on in your colon.

REgarding colds/flus/intestinal viruses or bacteria, etc basically boils down to good hygiene....hand washing is definitely a must and keep your hands out of your mouth, from around your nose and eyes. Now, it's almost impossible to heed that advice and some airborne virus/bacteria infested sneeze droplets can find us when we least expect it.

It's good to use vitamins, especially vitamin D (do get that level checked via blood test), minerals, calcium, probiotics. Eat as well as you can, exercise (advice I should heed myself), and there is one product that you could consider called beta glucan. I heard about it from kim123.....I take Sisu brand Healthmune. Something to consider.

Ask your doctor to send you to a rheumatologist to help get things sorted out and proper blood tests done.

You might also ask to be sent to a respirologist or an ENT. I can relate to losing your voice....I did have a laryngeal infection after a cold, but another time...my voice loss was caused by reflux (believe it or not!).

Hope you get your answers, but you need to do the research and request some direction from your GP or GI.

quincy
Posted 6/19/2010 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
My vitamin D levels are low, they always are whenever I am tested. My doctos advice was 'Take tablets if you want to, most people suffer from this deficiency'

How and why is vitamin D good for people with colitis in particular? I have seen it recommended in a number of posts. My doctor has never said anything regarding this, however he is very ready to hand out pills!!!
Posted 6/20/2010 8:02 AM (GMT 0)
Well, you would be wise to take vitamin D for various reasons...and maybe there is a connection between Vitamin D deficiency and many diseases/disorders or just autoimmune.

You should take them regardless....I would suggest a calcium/magnesium/D3 combo as well as extra D3 to up it to maybe 3000 IU daily.

I requested my D level to be checked and the doc said to take at least 2000IU (my GP). I upped it to 4000 IU for personal reasons of depression, my last cold/flu and I do feel better. I did get it checked in the Spring...but around here it takes 6 months for the results.

I informed the GI I was taking 4000(ish) and he said "that's fine".

WE have to be proactive in our care....the doctors aren't gods and are only human. It's all "whole"istic...and I've never given my full care to any of my doctors without me asking lots of questions and doing research, etc. I'm conservative compared to others...but that's subjective. You'll have to find your way regarding what you want to try/supplement, etc.

You have lots to consider regarding your family history. There's lots of info out there....find the balance.

You're in the lots of unanswered questions phase...but with experience and more confirmation, you'll know what you're dealing with.

quincy
Posted 6/20/2010 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
Yes crank up your vitamin D is good idea. Don't be surprised if they find you have RA to some degree. My sis has UC and RA, and she was told to take 10,000iu vitamin D for a while as her levels were low as well, as the immune suppressive drugs they gave her did nothing to help her RA anyways.

I personally take 5000iu+ a day.
Posted 6/20/2010 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
I also had a positive ANA test and I was told that it was likely due to my UC since UC is an autoimmune disease.  Three different doctors all agreed with that was the likely cause of a positive ANA test in my case because the other obvious diseases that are realted to positive ANA test were ruled out for me.  I was told that I have a higher chance for developing something like Arthritis in the future due to UC and the positive test results.  ANA tests are not end all be all - they do however help physicians know what other tests to run and what symptoms to be on the look out for...  I would ask lots of questions and have any other tests needed to rule out another autoimmune disease.
Posted 6/23/2010 12:44 PM (GMT 0)
I picked up my results from my colonoscopy today and everything is looking pretty good. My colitis specialist said he did some research on ANA and realised it can in fact just be due to having UC and it is likely to show up during a flare. I reminded him that my ANA reading was ridiculously high 3 months ago when my colitis was in remission.

My doctors advice was to complete a third blood test in November and if the ANA is still high at that point we will talk about seeing a rheumatologist.

I'm not so good at the waiting game and don't see the benefit in taking so long before seeing a rheumatologist when they ANA reading will probably just come back high again? How different are the tests that a rheumatologist will conduct as opposed to a GP?

I want to have kids in 2 years time. I know this is a long way away yet, however if Lupus and other related diseases are hard to diagnose then wouldn't it be better to get a move on and start all this testing? i've seen some nasty risks associated with pregnancy and Lupus!
Posted 6/23/2010 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
Well, put off the idea of kids for now since it's causing you distress.

It takes time for appointments...welcome to the hell of waiting.

The rheumie will take a myriad of tests pertinent to what he/she might suspect is going on. Your flare/remission won't dictate the results.

q
Posted 6/23/2010 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for this topic Carina but sorry you have something else to ponder. Do you have any rashes, mouth sores, joint pain or any other symptoms?
I too have a positive ANA as of recent months with joint pain and fatigue. It's a bit crazy and nobody can tell me for sure why I have a positive ANA b/c tests for lupus and other AI diseases were negative right now. They just say my colitis, localized scleroderma and ANA are possibly somehow related. I have yet to tell my GI about the ANA but put a call in today b/c the rheumy wants to give me prednisone-:) Ugh!!! I bet it will help the colitis in a big way though, so that is good. Luckily, it's a small dose.
Make an apt with a rheumatologist to get more tests done for lupus and other AI diseases. Good luck with all of this and dont give up. Sometimes we don't always get a clear picture or diagnosis. I am finding this out the hard way myself and trying to be patient with it all.
Posted 6/23/2010 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
Carina - I was sent to a rheumatologist for my ANA test even though I had no symptoms of any other autoimmune disease. He told me that you can have an ANA test come back positive even when you are not in a flare (UC flare or any other flare). Based on his explaination I would not think the test results will be different for you whether you are flaring or not. He also told me that many people have positive ANA tests and the underlying reason is never discovered. It is the combination of a positive ANA test and an evaluation of symptoms that would help diagnose something like Lupus.
Posted 6/23/2010 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
I get ulcers in my mouth alot which I know can simply be a symptom of colitus. What I do get that is strange is swelling on the roof of my mouth. It feels as if the entire nerve connecting to one of my teeth is swallen and I find it extreemly difficult to eat for about a week at a time. This happens to a different tooth each time, and up to three at a time. Is that something that you can associate with wither colitis or lupus?

I get a sore back and neck a lot and am always told my muscles are incredibly tight if I get a back massage - but that may just come from working in a desk job.

I burp a lot haha - I don't know if that means anything.

I am annemic - I was prior to my colitus as well - however I have never eaten a lot of red meat. (Obviously this goes away when I take iron suppliments)

My vitamin D levels are low.

I get thrush a lot as well as urin tract infections (I haven't had one of these in almost a year now though yay) I have suffered from depression however I haven't experienced this for a few years now.

I get stys on my eyelid a bit

I have very strong and painful periods and am going to be tested for endementriosis.

I get unexplained pains in my right breast quite a bit, often after running but sometimes without having exercised.

Every now and then I get a shot of pain from my middle right finger through to my chest. This lasts a few seconds. The doctors cant explain it.

I think that's about everything that's wrong with me. Are any of these things consistant with lupus?

I'm thinking I might just see my GP and try to get a referral on to the rheumatologist regardless of symptoms because I'd rather start the process of finding out what's wrong.
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