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Positive ANA and positive Ro/SSA but no diagnosis?

Posted , 5 users are following.

casey95450
casey95450

Back in September, I? visited my primary care physician due to constant fatigue (completely unable to keep my eyes open sometimes), excessive hair loss, dry burning skin, pain around my jaw and glands, and joint pain in my feet and knees to name a few things. She ordered blood work and my ANA was positive in a relatively low titer (1:160) and my anti-ro was also positive. With these results, I? was sent to a rheumatologist for further tests and evaluation. The rheumatologist basically told me that my symptoms are not related to any possible disease but instead are related to the stress of being in college. I? find this hard to comprehend seeing as thought my symptoms began in June when I? was not in classes. I? feel as though being 20 and feeling like I’m 80 may be the reason I? am stressed and depressed and not the other way around. Should I? seek a second opinion or seek comfort in his diagnosis that it’s just “college”? Is it more likely that there is something more going on? I? am a little concerned because of the blood results and my worsening symptoms, but I? also want to trust his judgement.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • lilian05079
    lilian05079 casey95450

    Posted

    Hi casey95450

    Have you had your vits and minerals checked via blood test. You fo mention you had blood tests but a complte blood count does not always include vit and minetal testing such as B12 and iron also Vit D . You may be anemic which causes extreme fatigue. Go back to your doc and ask for B12, Vit D , Ferratin and Iron and Folic Acid all of which can cause the symptoms you are presenting with if you are deficient..especially hair loss if deficient in iron , ferratin and B12 and Folic Acid and joint pain Vit D...insist on these tests...my best wishes to you for a speedy diagnosis.....

    • casey95450
      casey95450 lilian05079

      Posted

      I️ have had my vitamins tested too, and it just shows vit D and folic acid levels at the low side of normal. B12 and everything else is normal.
    • lilian05079
      lilian05079 casey95450

      Posted

      Hi casey95450

      Start taking vit D supplements and folic acid..you may find a difference in your health. Vit D and folic acid are essential for well being...allow a few weeks to a month for results.....best wishes....

  • Kdemers
    Kdemers casey95450

    Posted

    My sister was near your age when diagnosed with Lupus.  Only just recently her initial doctor told her that the first blood tests were negative so he did them again and found positive. Thanks goodness because we almost lost her.   We now know that many  inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are hard to pin down.  Maybe tell your doctor you trust him but need to redo and increase type of blood work, or ask him if you could go on a trial of Prednisone for a few weeks to see if your symptoms are helped.  I had many of your symptoms and was finally diagnosed with Polymyalgia Reumatica--later Giant Cell Arteritis.  The jaw joint pain are very telling.  Ask Dr. is you could have PMR or GCA--do you have an elevated SED rate or Creactiv Protein?  Ask for those to be checked but again, sometimes blood-work tells nothing.  I wish you luck and health.
  • StephanieBrooke
    StephanieBrooke casey95450

    Posted

    I'd definitely get a 2nd opinion.  It took 2 years for my SLE diagnosis which is fairly quick when you see how longs others have waited for their diagnosis. Whilst a positive ANA can point towards SLE you need to request other blood tests especially a Anti dsDNA blood test. If this comes back positive it can help with a firm diagnosis so to speak. Unfortunately SLE can be quite difficult to diagnose as some people, including me actually keep getting a negative ANA result although my ESR, CRP were always sky high. Eventually, my bloods came back positive in both ANA and Anti dsDNA, along with other blood results leading eventually to my SLE diagnosis. Nobody wants to have Lupus, but if you've got it, you've got it. You know your body, and know something is going wrong. We lupies have to push and push to get ourselves heard. Please keep on at your medical professionals and insist on the other blood tests. I really hope you can get yourself sorted. Good luck. It's a hard slog, belie me, I know. xx

  • shruti90983
    shruti90983 casey95450

    Posted

    Hey...Casey...this is shruti frm India.Even 'am diaganosed as ANA positive and anti ro positive rest all of my IG levels and other blood tests come out to be very normal everytime,but m suffering from daily low grade fever and body pains also I have infract in my spleen and lymphnodes in my neck area,also my body nose cheeks itches badly. With so many symptoms..i still have no results and diaganosis.All tests ruled out negative except Ana positive and anti Ro positive.

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