Thank you, very informative! I have no idea what caused it - no surgeries or anything - but my positive ADA means it may be autoimmune.

Hi CMaurer1218

Welcome to NeuroTalk .

The ANA test that you mentioned can indicate various autoimmune diseases which may include neuropathy as a symptom,

This information about it may help you RACGP - Antinuclear antibody test.

Talking about this with a neurologist or similar health professional may help you in terms of possible therapeutic options..

Best wishes

You may have decided that the positive ANA test result might mean lupus, but before you start to worry, those ANA tests can be a bit strange, I think.

I had a positive ANA test about many decades ago, and then years later it was normal. Since I didn't go back to the doctor who had ordered the first test, I never did find out what that test result might have met. Or I did find out--many years later.

Yes, I should have gone back to the doctor. He had sent me a note about that test result saying I might have "muscular rheumatism."

Since I was really busy at the time, I decided that that didn't sound serious enough for me to follow through on it.

--since there are so many potential causes, the list of possible tests can be very long, and the process of determining a cause very process of elimination.

But here are two sites that might help you get a flavor for what can be investigated:

Quest Diagnostics: Test Directory

An Algorithm for the Evaluation of Peripheral Neuropathy - American Family Physician

Muscular rheumatism, may be the original name for Fibromyalgia. When I was given the FM dx in 1999 I did a lot of studying up and in the "old days" it was rheumatism....so who knows, it's all a guessing bunch of games as I have seen it in my life. If I didn't work on myself as I do, I'd be living at doc offices... not gonna happen.

Welcome CMaurer1218.

Kitt