1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Lupus

ANA blood test

Posted , 5 users are following.

LeicesterLass
LeicesterLass

Hi. Can anyone (in UK) tell me how long it should take to get test ANA test results? I had blood test for ANA and rheumatoid factor nearly three weeks ago and the results have not returned. Nobody told me it would take a long time so I don't know if this is normal or if they are lost. I am going out of my mind.

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • lolapants
    lolapants LeicesterLass

    Posted

    Hi i had my results the next day , my rhumatologist ordered them good luck

     

  • susan33651
    susan33651 LeicesterLass

    Posted

    Hi,

    The ANA test will show pos or neg within one week. If pos it will then proceed to the Extractable Nuclear Antibody stage which can take up to 21 days. I think RF takes about 7 -14 days. Once all the results are in you should be notified by your Rheumatologist (assuming you have been seen by one!!) or your GP. Contact your GP in the next week to find out the results, unless of course you already know them by now. 

    Best of luck.

    • LeicesterLass
      LeicesterLass susan33651

      Posted

      Thank you. This is finally starting to make sense. The phlebotomist told me five days!

      Interesting information about the second stage of ANA testing.

    • susan33651
      susan33651 LeicesterLass

      Posted

      You're welcome,

      By the way most Hospitals' labs will only do the ENA tests if the ANA result shows a positive titer of >1:160 or if specifically requested by a Rheumatologist - penny pinching tactics!

      Best wishes

    • LeicesterLass
      LeicesterLass susan33651

      Posted

      Well, it's now been four weeks since they took my blood and I'm still waiting for those results. They told me it has taken so long because it had to be sent somewhere external to be tested. I assume this is routine, but don't know. 

      Unless it gets sent on somewhere for an ENA screen... who knows. There's every chance everything could come back negative. 

      I'm not good at waiting.

    • susan33651
      susan33651 LeicesterLass

      Posted

      Hi

      Some of the smaller hospital labs may not have the right equipment to do the tests, in that case they would have to send them to a specialist lab. Obviously this would prolong the wait for you. And you're right about the possibility of a negative result in the end!

      Keep your chin up and good luck.

  • ross08222
    ross08222 LeicesterLass

    Posted

    Hey, I noticed you had to wait 4+ weeks for your results.. did you get a result in the end and what did you receive if you dont mind me asking? ive been waiting 4 weeks so far too.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.