Positive ANA-Anxiety--Please help

HI everyone. This is long--and I'm sorry. Last Friday, I got a phone call from the urgent care (I went because I was sore on my back with swollen lymph nodes). They had run a panel of tests and everything came back normal, except a positive ANA-- 1:320 homogeneous. I also had a UTI.
Of course I panicked all weekend. I had what seemed to be a panic attack early this weekend-and anxiety is lingering.

Part of the reason I'm writing is just for a release, but I'm also wondering how a steroid shot may or may not affected the ANA or the normal blood work taken? They gave me a steroid shot in my hip for inflammation and sent me on my way. Wouldn't that bring the ANA down? In your experience, would the ANA be higher than the 1:320 because of the shot approx. 18 hours prior?

My RA appointment is not for another couple months!! I can NOT wait that long to get follow up tests! How do I know that my organs are not involved? Or that it isn't something else entirely (like cancer)? I feel like I'm wasting time! I had an ekg today....which was clear. My urine is normal (besides uti) and they have normal numbers of blood work for kidneys-- I'm hoping that says that the kidneys are not involved. What about the lungs? I'm having tight neck and throat and deep breathing....but I'm thinking it is more anxiety issues rather than lung.

I'm a mess here, obviously...

The physician assistant who saw me today refused to do follow up blood work because she "didn't know what tests to order". I'm 30 years old. I've had approximately 7 years of body pain (back and rib/chest). I've had an x-ray in 2010 that said mild scoliosis and costochondritas (spelling?). I've chalked my pain to those two things and dealt with it with normal advil, etc (Dr. suggested foot lift for one shoe). The ANA is making me crazy! I can not live my life for the next 2 months wondering if I'm sick--or very sick.

Thank you in advance for reading my vent...and answering my questions.

Ok, like Joy said, take a deep breath. Worrying about what the ANA might mean isn't going to make things any better (or worse, for that matter.) Giving yourself an anxiety attack will only make things worse.

ANA isn't a reflection of inflammation, so a steroid shot for inflammation isn't going to change the ANA reading. ANA is a very general indicator, so reading up online about what it might be will only bring in information about all kinds of things that it probably is not, and worry you even more.

If your organs were involved you would be feeling VERY SICK. From what you've said your diagnoses of mild scoliosis and costochondritis match the symptoms fairly well.

You might call your rheumatologist and ask to be put on the cancellation list so that if someone cancels you can be seen more quickly. Other than that, just be gentle with yourself, try to get deep restorative sleep, mild exercise, and avoid junk foods.

Best wishes,

Yes, Lupus can cause some significant cognitive dysfunction -- I've been there. And you can recover from it, I have.

BUT STOP NOW. STOP READING. STOP WORRYING. STOP OVERTHINKING.

Something as simple as a B-12 deficiency and some stress can cause some fuzzy thinking that leaves a person at a loss for words. Yeah, you can find horrible, horrible diseases that might explain your symptoms.

Or you can be using the power of your mind to create and inflate symptoms that are nothing more than the annoyances of daily life.

Please put your focus on TODAY. Don't worry about tomorrow. You've set up your appointment, made your list of questions & symptoms (see Lupus 101 for hints if you haven't), now put it aside and live in TODAY.

Hi Everyone I'm new here an much like the person who's post I just read, I just received a positive ANA test this week and I am very concerned about what it might mean.  Mine is 1:160 which isn't through the roof, but is outside the norm and the way my doc presented it, it has me scared to death.  I don't understand all of this and what it might mean but my test was listed as finely speckled - does that mean anything good or bad?

The symptoms that brought me to the doc was just generally feeling very unwell - flu like symptoms that went on for several weeks but seemed to be getting worse.  Very tired and just feeling like crud.  I had recently (6 weeks before this started) weaned from several antidepressant meds that I had been taking for many years.  Originally associated the bad feeling with withdrawal but after six weeks I should have been getting over that.  So he cast a general net of tests - all came back normal accept the ANA at 1:160.  I know none of you are doctors but can you help me put a some kind of gauge on how concerned I should be by this result. 

I'm a 56 year old male and in generally good health - a little arthritis in the hips and a ton of anxiety and depression but other than that no real problems.

Thanks You

Thanks for the answer. My doc ordered a second round of labs to see what the positive ANA was caused by. He said he would be referring me to a rheumatologist depending on what the new labs show. Sounds like I need to find myself a rheumatologist no matter what the family doc says.

You are right about the worry. I'm prone to big time anxiety and It's been working overtime ever since I got the call from the doc - and it makes me physically ill.

I've seen other posts on the site saying not to worry and there are treatments, but i guess the concept of potentially having something serious wrong with me is what I'm not dealing well with. My doc was not willing or able to say anything about the seriousness of the concern. I would assume, the higher the ANA the more serious the condition? is that true?

I guess I will learn more as I move through the process but like so many others - I'm scared and looking for some help and hope that I can live and enjoy life even if this turns out to be something bad.

thank you again for taking the time to answer and for taking the edge off of the worry for me!

Hello! I'm the original poster here.
I was extremely anxious about my positive Ana (1:320 homogeneous). My primary took more blood and it was 1:160. I actually got in to the rhuemy this past Tuesday and she did the entire work up. Waiting for results. :(
Unfortunately, my anxiety shifted during this time, when some blood work showed elevated bilirubin. So I got an ultrasound (with had been done also in 2009 and 2011). They found that my gallbladder polyps had grown in the past 4 years and the surgeon is suggesting removal. :(
Gallbladder polyps are rarely cancerous, but of course I have that in my mind....thinking maybe Ana was raised due to cancer cells floating around. (Ps. That is not likely either....but my anxiety is through the roof).

Trying to attack one thing at a time and the gallbladder surgery is first. My follow up rhuemy appointment is on the 21st to go over blood work.

Id like to suggest that you take a deep breath about your high Ana. I started to realize I was a tad silly with the anxiety attacks regarding the possible lupus diagnoses---as I'd rather be discussing lupus right now that my gallbladder surgery and rapid growing masses.

Prayers and positive thoughts for you all.

Again I thank you.  I checked out the link you suggested for diagnosis and to be honest, the only symptom I truly have is extreme fatigue.  I do have some joint and muscle pain but I was diagnosed with OA years ago.  it gets worse when I do physical work but does not really slow me down or prevent me from doing anything.  Maybe I'm barking up the wrong AI condition.

I will take all of your advice and make sure to find a good rheumatologist after results from my latest labs come back.

Another dumb question while I'm here.  Is it possible for positive ANA to be caused by something - infection/virus etc. that then returns to normal later?  Sorry for the continued questions - just trying to learn while I wait and wait for test results.

Yes, you can have a positive ANA for no discernible reason, and later find it is no longer measurable. It doesn't always mean there is anything funky happening!!

Hello folks - labs all came back negative except something called Smith Antibodies. Haven't talked to my doc about it yet so I'm not sure how concerned I should be. Mine came back at 1.0 which seems to be just outside the norm. Does anyone have any experience with the Smith Antibody? Thanks!

My family doc who has been ordering the labs is setting me up with a rheumatologist. Not sure how long that will take. I see the family doc again on 9/28, but I think he will defer to the specialist on this.

If your symptoms and blood work all go negative, after awhile they will take you off the Plaquenil, it doesn't have to be for life.

Yes, Sjogren's can be your primary illness, and yes, it can remain mild for life. I have Sjogren's secondary to Lupus and have dry eyes and dry ears -- but they can go for long periods without any issues, then once in a while I'll get symptoms again. I'm in a kind of remission now, I don't take anything for Lupus or Sjogren's.

Check out the Sjogren's forum for suggestions on over-the-counter relief for the dry mouth issues.

Did you mention all your other issues, like the Costochondritis and hip inflammation to the rheumy? Those often accompany Lupus or similar auto-immune diseases.

actually, I just remembered that she made a comment about my "sternum pain" (which I suppose she means the costo). She said that "Sjogrens can certainly cause that kind of pain".
I wish I would have researched Sjogrens before hand. I felt like a deer in headlights because I had basically no questions to ask about the disease (because I hadn't read up on it). Now, after reading up on it, I feel like I'm not sure what made her say Sjogrens over Lupus? Only the dry mouth?
*deep breath*
Maybe it doesn't even matter at this point. Maybe the important thing is that I'm being monitored. I'd just like to have a better grip on it. It's a little hard to plan for the future (or envision what it will be like) not knowing if I'll have a life time of severe or mild illness.
I know, it sounds a bit dramatic, I'm just venting. :)

HI Barbara! Thank you for the welcome! I'm so sorry to hear of your illnesses! I see that LGL leukemia is something often times related to auto immune diseases? I have a long line of family history of cancers (specifically leukemia)....so I'm pretty alert and try to educate myself when it comes to auto-immune related cancers (so I can stay alert to my own body).
Positive thoughts and prayers coming your way with your battles!

Thank you for the story of your daughter with positive ANA and no signs. I have 2 daughters (7 and 3 years old) and I'm very concerned about their future in regards to auto-immune issues. I will know not to freak when one of them has a positive ANA now :)

A month ago when I wrote the original posting, I was beyond anxious. Although I am still very anxious; I am hopeful too. I know that it will NOT be fun living with a chronic illness....but my plan is to stay ahead of it and be able to catch everything else early!
I appreciate you guys!