The fact that I have no idea what you mean by a positive ANA probably means I don't have it (or, at least, that it hasn't been checked). Perhaps you can explain what this is. No, I don't have a rash on my face, nor have I ever detected one on any of my ÇFS acquaintances. But of course, we're all somewhat different in the symptoms we experience.
ANA is antibodies in your blood. When you get your CBC done alot of times they do sed rate and ANA. When I was first sick 11 years ago they did a complete blood workup on me. That's when I had ANA done and I have always tested positive. It's something in my body attacking my cells.
They go by ANA to see for diseases.
I've had the rash on my face over my nose and cheeks ever since I got sick.
ANA is antibodies in your blood. When you get your CBC done alot of times they do sed rate and ANA. When I was first sick 11 years ago they did a complete blood workup on me. That's when I had ANA done and I have always tested positive. It's something in my body attacking my cells.
They go by ANA to see for diseases.
I've had the rash on my face over my nose and cheeks ever since I got sick.
CindyLou
I thought the ANA was not only to check for auto-immune diseases, but also for auto-immune dysfuction which means CFIDS.
That rash on your face, can be caused by Lupus. You also testing positive on the ANA, did they tell you why? I would bet it's lupus.
For those of you who have CFS, how many are there that has a positive ANA and what is your pattern?
Also do you have the rash on your face?
All but one of mine were positive. 1:320 titer homogenous pattern, non-specific for any particular auto-immune disease. This is what was used to diagnose my CFS & I was told I'd be sick the rest of my life (auto-immune dysfunction). My doctor said with a negative test, he didn't think it matters, but you can get false negatives & false positives, the rest of my ANA's were positive. So I don't know. The only thing I know that may be auto-immune related in my family that I am supposed to be cursed to getting is my grandfather's thyroid disease.
No rash on my face but my chest stays red??
Last edited by neveragain444; 05-03-2009 at 05:32 PM.
I thought the ANA was not only to check for auto-immune diseases, but also for auto-immune dysfuction which means CFIDS.
That rash on your face, can be caused by Lupus. You also testing positive on the ANA, did they tell you why? I would bet it's lupus.
Since CFS is only a syndrome, that if you do have a diagnosis of lupus, then you don't have CFS. I wasn't sure if you knew that as some people think you have both. I've learned alot from Dr. Bell who is my CFS specialist. Dr. Bell said some of his CFS patients have positive ANA but it's low.
The ANA means that my body is attacking my white cells.
I've had 1 negative ANA. I've had several positive ANA's. All showed the same thing, 1:320 homogeneous pattern.
I have heard you can't have both CFS & FMS but I have been diagnosed with both. I have read online that CFS is based upon exclusion but that is not how I was diagnosed. I was diagnosed through the ANA test when I first got sick.
A butterfly rash on the face is distinct of lupus. Have you ever googled it maybe in images to see what it looks like to compare. I've been told before that when in early stages of Lupus, it may not appear on your blood work.
CFS a syndrome. Oh god. A syndrome is not even considered a disease because doctors don't know why it occurs. More or less symptoms with a name but no good explaination as to why your having them. I hate these freeking diagnoses! Actually there is no diagnosis for it. They just call it that after ruling everything else out. It's complete bull crap someone can be so sick and they can't tell you why. My life of course. That is how I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia but not the CFS.
Yea my doctor said he just didn't know what else could be wrong after I argued with him repeadedly forever what bull crap this was, I do believe in FMS now, but the lack of cause I don't believe.
I am suffering high stress right now "not knowing". Sorry.
I've had 1 negative ANA. I've had several positive ANA's. All showed the same thing, 1:320 homogeneous pattern.
I have heard you can't have both CFS & FMS but I have been diagnosed with both. I have read online that CFS is based upon exclusion but that is not how I was diagnosed. I was diagnosed through the ANA test when I first got sick.
A butterfly rash on the face is distinct of lupus. Have you ever googled it maybe in images to see what it looks like to compare. I've been told before that when in early stages of Lupus, it may not appear on your blood work.
CFS a syndrome. Oh god. A syndrome is not even considered a disease because doctors don't know why it occurs. More or less symptoms with a name but no good explaination as to why your having them. I hate these freeking diagnoses! Actually there is no diagnosis for it. They just call it that after ruling everything else out. It's complete bull crap someone can be so sick and they can't tell you why. My life of course. That is how I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia but not the CFS.
Yes, you can have CFS and Fibro together. They kind of go hand in hand. CFS is definitely based on exclusion. My rash looks just like butterfly wings. I just had another sed rate done today to see if the lab goofed on the other one. I've had this illness for 11 years so it's not really in the early stages.
CFS is only a syndrome and no, it's not a disease. That's why it's called Chronic Fatigue SYNDROME. That's why everything has to be excluded because they don't know where it comes from. There is no diagnosis for CFS. Do you have more of the pain or more of the fatigue? If you have more pain then you would have fibro. If more fatigue then you have CFS.
Yea my doctor said he just didn't know what else could be wrong after I argued with him repeadedly forever what bull crap this was, I do believe in FMS now, but the lack of cause I don't believe.
I am suffering high stress right now "not knowing". Sorry.
Alot of doctors don't even understand about CFS and some don't even believe it. What is your sed rate?
I am unsure about which blood results you are talking about, but my white counts show low in 3/5 types and one out of 5 is high. My hemo. didn't seem impressed, although it was a routine test. I go in once a month for my iron infusion and have blood tested then. They do a mini cbc, I think. (Checking red and whites?) I was concerned that I had so many types of white cells in the low range and wondered why one was high. Strange. I have fibro with fatigue, but not been diagnosed with CFS, maybe because I have been diagnosed with fibro?
I have chronic pain and fatigue. I also have a brown "mask" on my face, however, I believe it was due to my hysterectomy that I had and a release of certain hormones (ovaries were kept) as I had bad night sweats for a couple of weeks after and my mom thinks the brown spots were due to hormones. I have since put some of that fade cream on them, and they are SLOWLY getting lighter.
Not sure if any of the above helps or is even relevant, but thought since no one with fibro answered, perhaps I would add to the discussion. Hope this helps, Julie
I had been wondering what a person's sed rate is that has CFS?
I've never heard about the bloodwork you had done that said low in 3/5 types and one out of 5 is high. I don't know what any of that means. I don't know what a mini CBC is? I only know of the regular CBC that they do.
What is your white count?
My CFS was diagnosed throuogh the ANA and nothing was excluded. This test being positive confirmed auto-immune dysfunction explaining the CFIDS, This plus EBV were the first tests I had done after I got sick.
A butterfly rash is perhaps lupus or rosacea? Or it can just be a bad rash? I know when I had one once this is what they suspected. It ended up being a bad reaction to some new suntan lotion.
My CFS was diagnosed throuogh the ANA and nothing was excluded. This test being positive confirmed auto-immune dysfunction explaining the CFIDS, This plus EBV were the first tests I had done after I got sick.
My fatigue is the main problem also.
Healthy people can have a low ANA also so a doctor can't go by that saying a person has an auto-immune problem unless they check everything out. That doesn't explain the CFIDS. For CFIDS you have to have evrything ruled out before calling it CFIDS. I have learned so much from my CFS doctor about this. I did not know alot of stuff until he explained everything to me. I also have EBV but it's a past infection. Dr. Bell and other CFS docs say that you don't go by EBV because they found out it doesn't prove anything towards CFS. They always thought it did before but now they have found out otherwise.
Actually, what helps first of all is what is your sed rate? A low sed rate in range of 0-20 is normal for CFS. If it's higher than that, then you're looking at lupus or Mixed Connective Tissue or arthritis. Have they done a thorough medical workup? That's important first.
The rheumy has ruled out rosacea. I don't have any symptoms of that either. My rash isn't a bad reaction. As soon as I got sick 11 years ago, it automatically was on my face and neck. Same exact place as it is now and hasn't moved a bit.
I have no idea why I'm not being treated for lupus? I'm not sure what they would give me for it. Dr. Bell said I could try the steroids and if it doesn't help, then to go off it as I know it would be CFS. If steroids help you to feel better, then it would be lupus. CFS and lupus have too many of the symptoms.
I have found websites online saying CFS is an auto-immune dysfuction, some say CFS is likely an auto-immune disorder, I read that chronic EBV is also an auto-immune disease (googled it).
There are suppliments that help support your immune system if it is attacking itself & making you sick. I read these suppliments even treat EBV and herpes from recurring.
Well I am going to try it and see if it makes me feel any better.
