Weakly positive ANA, waiting & worrying, any professional opinion?
My FNP ran blood tests on me in April during a routine checkup. It come back showing a weak homogeneous pattern for antinuclear antibodies, beside a titer of 1:80. When discussing the results with me, she basically told me she ran the assessment because I complained of feeling tired (despite knowing I had a 2 month old colicky infant at home). She referred me to a rheumatologist, whose earliest appointment for me is in August, and told me it could be nothing, OR I could have an autoimmune disorder!!
I enjoy no symptoms of any of the various autoimmune diseases, although I'm still tired a lot (but my baby is immediately 5 1/2 months old and VERY active!). I am a worrier by nature and since I have my son, have become something of a hypochondriac, I guess because I feel such a great responsibility for him.
I'm wondering if pregnancy or breastfeeding hormones can have any effect on ANA level? I have an appointment next week for a second opinion (general / ethnic group doctor) on these results, since waiting til August is driving me crazy!
Also, I had an aunt die of scleroderma, which is another reason I'm freaked out. No symptoms of that, either.
Thanks within advance for any insight on this! :-)
Answers:
Thank you for the question.
If your FNP ordered an ANA test merely because you've be experiencing fatigue, he/she did you a tremendous disservice. That is an inappropriate rationale for ordering a test such as this. The ANA is NOT a diagnostic question paper that a medical professional should order willy nilly. There MUST be a specific reason, which should ecompass vastly more than plain fatigue.
Many people enjoy a positive ANA at your titer, and for a susbstantial proportion of those, it means absolutely nothing.
Does your result suggest that you automatically have an autoimmune disorder? No. It takes more than weakly positive ANA to make such a diagnosis.
I recommend that you ditch this NP and establish carefulness with a well-trained medical professional who knows what he/she is doing.
Should you keep your appointment next to the rheumatologist? In my opinion, no. But, since you've been placed in a difficult intense predicament by your NP, I would recommend obtaining an opinion from a general internist in the past you go through the emotional and fiscal stress of an unnecessary specialist appointment.
I hope this helps. Source(s): My remote medical training.
I agree next to Clint. That was a dumb move on the part of your FNP, and in a minute she feels obligated to do something about a test she didn't grasp to begin with.
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I enjoy no symptoms of any of the various autoimmune diseases, although I'm still tired a lot (but my baby is immediately 5 1/2 months old and VERY active!). I am a worrier by nature and since I have my son, have become something of a hypochondriac, I guess because I feel such a great responsibility for him.
I'm wondering if pregnancy or breastfeeding hormones can have any effect on ANA level? I have an appointment next week for a second opinion (general / ethnic group doctor) on these results, since waiting til August is driving me crazy!
Also, I had an aunt die of scleroderma, which is another reason I'm freaked out. No symptoms of that, either.
Thanks within advance for any insight on this! :-)
Answers:
Thank you for the question.
If your FNP ordered an ANA test merely because you've be experiencing fatigue, he/she did you a tremendous disservice. That is an inappropriate rationale for ordering a test such as this. The ANA is NOT a diagnostic question paper that a medical professional should order willy nilly. There MUST be a specific reason, which should ecompass vastly more than plain fatigue.
Many people enjoy a positive ANA at your titer, and for a susbstantial proportion of those, it means absolutely nothing.
Does your result suggest that you automatically have an autoimmune disorder? No. It takes more than weakly positive ANA to make such a diagnosis.
I recommend that you ditch this NP and establish carefulness with a well-trained medical professional who knows what he/she is doing.
Should you keep your appointment next to the rheumatologist? In my opinion, no. But, since you've been placed in a difficult intense predicament by your NP, I would recommend obtaining an opinion from a general internist in the past you go through the emotional and fiscal stress of an unnecessary specialist appointment.
I hope this helps. Source(s): My remote medical training.
I agree next to Clint. That was a dumb move on the part of your FNP, and in a minute she feels obligated to do something about a test she didn't grasp to begin with.
Related Questions: