An elevated ANA has reared its ugly head again for me for the second time in two years. this time 1:80. the neurologist is sending me to have more blood drawn for a retest of ana, not sure what else , waiting for the prescription to come by mail. two years ago a gp sent me for some blood. she was also a rheumatologist and with the positive ana sent me for additional blood tests and as a result told me just to keep an eye on it, that there was nothing significant showing.
i have sensory motor axonal neuropathy for 12 years now and it has spread from toes to above knee and also to hands and lower arms. deep numbness in feet and lower legs. lesser numbness in hands, arms and leg in knee area. PN resulted from massive prolonged toxic exposure in 2001.

im not sure if this ana positive means anything. i also have chronic bronchitis and asthma from the same exposure and have had over 45 respiratory infections in the last 12 years. i wouldnt be surprised if something autoimmune developed from all those infections.

I don't know what to say.... This has to be unnerving for you.

From what I have read, however, many people can get positive ANAs and then they revert to normal. My own doctor said that happened to her.

The infection can cause a positive ANA. Happened to me when I had a bad case of the flu one year along with some other symptoms. Positive ANA does occur in healthy people and is more common as we age.

--it would be helpful to know, if they are sending you for additional testing, what specific form of ANA shows up (i.e., double banded, speckled, etc.--these are often associated with particular types of conditions).

See:

http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/nother/autoantibody.html

http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/antib...tml#vasculitis

will check and advise as soon as i get copy

the pattern is homogenous. with ANA 1:80
I also came back with 5.37 tsh on a .4 - 4.50 scale with t4, total 7.6 on a 4.5 - 12 scale.

im going to redo ANA next week and get a complete thyroid panel.

Try to get the T3(Free) instead of the T3(Total) as part of the thyroid panel.

I hope yon find some answers.

an update, retesting of ana proved negative and tyroid was in the middle range of normal in all categories including free t3, t4 etc. there was a whole panel done. this is why i always retest blood results if they prove abnormal and almost always they turn out normal on retesting. word to the wise.

After much research I have learned that thyroid levels are best when T3free is near the high end of normal ranges and the T4free is in the middle range of normal. These are the goals I strive for while dealing with thyroid issues.

I wish you well.