ANA TITER AB positive & IC???

[daymoon]

OK, so I went to a different GP to get a second opinion on why my WBC count was coming back low. He did further testing, which showed my WBC & quite frankly everything normal (kidneys, liver, everything) but apparently I tested positive for this ANA AB thing. In interpretive note it says that this result may suggest I have autoimmune antibodies. I don't have any joint pain or swelling. No skin rashes. Kidneys are fine. I have a relatively mild case of IC in that I only suffer from frequent urination. Is there any way that this positive result is picking up on my IC, which is another autoimmune disease? I'm scared. I don't want to think of possibly having lupus!

[ICLori]

I came up positive once on an ANA test too. Turned out it wasn't anything (that they could figure out anyways.) Then I read somewhere that IC'ers often have test results like that, which is part of why some researchers are thinking these days that IC might be an autoimmune disease.

But work with your doctor, see what they can find out on this...just wanted to say, it might not be anything too worrisome.

Blessings,
Lori

[ihurttoo]

Hi! I read your post with interest, as I have +ANAs as well. You will see my conditons posted at the end. I am seeing a Rhem who tests me every 3 months for Lupus. So far, I have tested neg, but she said you can test neg and still have it. There are several criteria and I have several and am boderline, so we watch and wait. However, I had another kidney infection this week (my 6th in the past year) so it aint lookin good. But, even if you or I have it, it doesnt mean our lives will change. She said they only put you on Prednisone during a rhematological flare, they just watch you closer. I am very curious if there is a connection with +ANAs and IC. I have read the research, but I dont think anyone knows for sure yet. Good luck to you! Hope this helps!

[Jill VR]

Hello,

I have a similar situation to yours. I too have tested positive for ANA's. I have some light joint pain from time to time and am nervous that I may be in the early stages of Lupus. I have to see the rheumatologist every three months so he can moniter my bloodwork and symptoms. I was curious on what your titre level is? My began at 1:320 over six or seven years ago. After I gave birth to my daughter the level has gone higher. Now I test at 1:640.

Jill

[Silverfox]

My ANA tests were positive. Lupus was ruled out. Then my Dr. diagnosed me with having a low thyroid disease, this is called hypothyroidism. After 3 months on thyroid hormone medication (Armour thyroid) I was beginning to feel better and look better. Hypothyroidism can cause all kinds of muscle and joint pains, sometimes very much like other diseases. They have called hypothyroidism "the great pretender". Many have this and go for 20 years or more before they get help, and It took me over 35 years to get diagnosed. Believe me it can cause a great deal of pains all throughout the body. This website has a good symptoms list and related diseases list, and I saw they mentioned bladder problems and cytitis. www.tpa-uk.org.uk

The very interesting result was that after 6 months my Dr. did my ANA test and they came back as normal. Most of my arithritic like pains are now gone.
The pains that remain are from nerve damage in my hands, feet and bladder.
Some nerve damage was autonomic and other sensory nerves (like to the nerve endings) and myopathy to muscle all over body. My Drs. cannot predict that I will recover 100% as I was untreated and undertreated for a really long time.

Please check out the symptoms list for hypothyroidism, you never know for sure, sometimes a trial will help the Dr. make a diagnosis. No those thyroid blood tests are not 100%

Please join and support the
www.tpa-uk.org.uk They can change the way hypothyroidism is diagnosed and treated, but they need the help of many of us to get this done.

[Jill VR]

Hi SilverFox,

I wish my thyroid was the problem. I've had it tested twice and everything looks normal. I've began to have some light chest pressure and slight pain in my lungs off and on in addition to the light joint achiness. I also get hives all the time now. So far my rheumatologist is not convinced it's anything to treat yet, but I'm being watched a bit closer. It's overwhelming not only to deal with IC, but now something else which I'm not sure what it even is at this point. It's all so tiring!
I'm glad you fnally are having your thyroid treated. I can't believe you had a problem with it that many years before doctors discoverd it and treated you!

Jill

[Silverfox]

Hi Jill,

That's the trouble, the usual thyroid tests that are used now days do not always show the disease hypothyroidism, and also they fail to show just how horrible the patient with hypothyroidism is. I mean, the symptoms are more severe than the tests measure. This failure of the thyroid blood tests is what caused me and several other members of my family to remain untreated and undiagnosed for years. My Mother was finally diagnosed at 78 but some in our family suspected she was hypothyroid for years. During those years she developed bladder symptoms. All three of her daughters also went on to develop bladder frequency and pain. I am the daughter in the middle. Because I was never diagnosed or treated for years my hypothyroidism went on to cause me very severe nerve damage. The name of this is thyroid neuropathy. This is what caused all the bladder pains and frequency of urination.(the bladder is a muscle with a huge amount of nerves in it, it was my sensory nerve endings that were damaged and caused symptoms) Hypothyroidism when it is not treated will slowly destroy you and today some say that maybe 20 million Americans do not know they have this.

It causes many other symptoms so take a good look at the thyroid symptom list and if you only have a handful, you could still have hypothyroidism.

Here are two interesting sites www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic371.htm and
www.emedicine.com/med/topic1145.htm

The earlier the treatment is given for hypothyroidism the better the outcome.

[ICLori]

Silverfox, you are right on the money with this - my mother had untreated hypothyroidism for many years - it was finally caught and treated, but it was undertreated, and I believe with all my heart it was a primary reason she had a heart attack at age 68 instead of living until her 90's like her mother and other female relatives had.

Blessings,
Lori
P.S. I forgot to say, thank you for writing about how your periods were like mine - that I wasn't the only one to have that severe pain with periods and clots and be told, it's just part of life, learn to live with it. A doctor told me recently that my type of uterine deformity (didelphys) makes things like that (and endometriosis too) happen more commonly in women who have it.

[ISONormal]

Silverfox,
The links you provided were helpful but quite complicated, since they are appropriate for medical professionals. Can you tell me what you mean by "the usual thyroid tests that are used nowadays.?" I was tested for this a few years ago (at my request because my sister has it) and I tested negative, which makes me curious about your comment. Thanks.

[Silverfox]

Hi Lori,

Very sorry about your Mother. I understand as my Mother (84) was never treated until last summer in the nursing home. I made the discovery that she was being given fake thyroid pills. Really was a shock as they always told me for 6 years that she was on medication. On top of this they actually admitted to me that they were not real and sent the real pills the next morning. I was always very puzzled why she never improved just got worse. It was like being hit by a brick and they didn't care how much she suffered. I didn't know what to do, as i suspect they do this to all the old people as most no one ever checks on. We were expecting her to die of heart failure soon. My daughter has pictures of my Mother before and after. She has now been on the real thing for several months and still undertreated but the change in her is fantastic. She is now less crabby, her skin all over her body is so improved, she likes to sit and talk, and plans for when I come to take her on walks in her wheelchair. The skin on her legs is so much better and a bad sore on her toe is much better. My own Dr. told me that to label her thyroid pills and then not be real is against the law. So, what do you do to protect the elderly from such abuse. Im sure they did this to others. Now I am crying, with tears burning my eyes.

I thought your discription of the early severe menstrul symptoms was very interesting. I think I once saw this on a site that these are common with low thyroid, even those painful blood clots. I couldn't find them now but I am sure I read about it once. I also at that time had a tipped or tilted uterus and was told I would never have children. I was very blessed with three beautiful children. I am amazed at how much is to be learned when it comes to female health and one Dr. said "this happens with the diseases women have and that thyroid is kinda ignored". Grrrr...

Thank you for the message and hope you are doing well now.

[Silverfox]

Hi to Jill and ISONORMAL, and all,

Here are some additional sites to study well, if you think you might have a low thyroid. Do some research before asking your favorite Dr. you do not always need a specialist for this, just a kindly good Dr.

thyroid.about.com and thyroideducation.com and altsupportthyroid.org and thyroiduk.org and also www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/symptoms.asp

I do hope this helps you find the information you need. Remember that there is now great argument about how to treat and diagnose hypothyroidism.
There are many ways to become hypothyroid, family history is the cause in our family and we are now in the genetic "MAGIC STUDY" at the University of Maryland.
Other causes are Graves disease, Hyperthyroidism, goiter and nodules. Thyroid Cancer Surgery, Pituary tumors and pituitary disease, hypothalamic disorders, history of other autoimmune or endocrine diseases, simple aging, fertility, pregnancy, and hormonal issues, menopause, smoking and smoking cessation, drugs, iodine imbalances, alcohol during pregnancy, overeating goitergenic foods, overeating of soy foods, environmental exposures, x-ray and radiation treatments, nasal radiation treatments, infection, severe snakebites, too much flouride, neck trama like whiplash, nuclear plant exposure, percholate exposure, exposure to toxic chemicals.

Some related diseases are monoucleosis, epstein-barr virus, carpal tunnel, tarsal tunnel of feet, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis of feet. Polycystic Ovary disease. Heart disease, mitral valve prolapse, downs, depression, bipolar disease, iron problems like iron deficiency anemia, celiac disease/gluten intolerance, infertility and or recurrent miscarriage, skin problems like exzema and skin type boils, psoriasis and chronic hives and more. Premenstrual syndrome, difficult menopause, endometriosis, yeast overgrowth, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, diabetes, high cholesterol and elevated c-reactive protein and homocysteine.

Do read up about this and you can find some easy books to learn about thyroid diseases and how to get tested and treated properly, my own tests were borderline low and I was severely ill yet I and my other family members were found to be low thyroid. We seem to have a genetic disease in that we all have inherited a condition where we lack the enzyme that converts our thyroid for our body to use. Researchers are looking for ways to change this. Without this we all suffer with hypothyroidism.

Hope this isn't too much, it took me a while to learn so I could be helped.

VERY SINCERELY