Does an ANA test detect fibro? I know it is for an autoimmune disease and I've done research on it. Mine came up positive after many aches and pains for years now and I am 57 years old. Lupus usually has a positive ANA and many other diseases. I wondering if I had lupus all my life and is coming out now. My mom had it and they are trying to find a heredity link for lupus. Anyway going to rheumy today. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. Thank you
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no...an ANA test can only detect immune deficiencies. a fibro diagnosis is symptomatic and pressure point tests. fibromyalgia can be by itself, but can also occur with autoimmune disorders. i was diagnosed with sjogrens syndrome about 2 years ago and fibro last year. sjogrens can mimic a lot of different disorders. they will want to do more precise testing before they diagnose you. with sjogrens...if they findings are positive, they'll so a ssa and ssb testing which narrows down their findings. i wish you the best. i'd give you a hug but i'm new and don't know how to do it...lol.
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Is it so? so howcome I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I don't have pressure/trigger points?
I was told today there is no need to do trigger points anymore.
What is going on?
I thought you had to have the trigger points... I didn't think I had them but doc did find them... But that was before everything got worst... Really hurts now
I really don't understand what is going on here. I am telling you. I was just diagnosed and my doctor told me that they don't need to check for tender/trigger points anymore.
I guess many patients can have fibromyalgia without tender points?
She did pressed some places in my body and it DID NOT hurt.
I am lost.
Newly diagnosed or not?
I really don't understand what is going on here. I am telling you. I was just diagnosed and my doctor told me that they don't need to check for tender/trigger points anymore.
I guess many patients can have fibromyalgia without tender points?
She did pressed some places in my body and it DID NOT hurt.
I am lost.
Newly diagnosed or not?
pressure points are only part of the diagnoses. did you fill out a 2 or 3 page questionnaire? the diagnoses is also made on symptoms, which is the reason for the questionnaire. then they use pressure points to find tenderness. i'm sure your doc will want to do more extensive testing. they say that fibro generally goes along with most autoimmune disorders as a secondary illness, so maybe, since you're testing positive, he's just going by the symptoms. let me know when you find out more.
Last edited by boobootwo; 04-03-2012 at 07:18 PM.
Reason: addition
Thanks. I am going to keep on touch here. She doesn't think I have auto immune disease though I have some blood tests to do. But she is pretty sure I don't have auto immune disease by checking my joints.
How can a doctor be so sure about anything. I am the one who asks for more testing.
and I was not required to fill up a questionnaire.
Oh she said it is very difficult to treat fibromyalgia and you just have to live with it?
Sorry I don't accept it. By doing research on my own I am now taking clonazepam (stopped couple of month ago now back to it cause it didn't work anymore)and was able to sleep again for 5 hours. I need sleep. and the doctor told me that there is nothing to do about sleep!. Still I don't accept that.
The following user gives a hug of support to nochange: merri2 (04-04-2012)
I ask questions, like why she/he is ruling out lupus?
Fibro maybe can't be "treated" but managed. I've adjusted many little things in my life to reduce pain and get better rest over a span of years. Are you having issues with anxiety? Clonazepam is for anxiety primarily. Sounds like she's ruled out rheumotoid arthrisits based on your comments about joints. What kind of dr is she?
A Rheumatologist. But she doesn't like to answer questions.
I don't think I have anxiety. I take clonazepam for sleep. I used to take it 2 years ago but it stopped working. now I am back to it. Hopefully it will keep on working.
I ask questions, like why she/he is ruling out lupus?
Fibro maybe can't be "treated" but managed. I've adjusted many little things in my life to reduce pain and get better rest over a span of years. Are you having issues with anxiety? Clonazepam is for anxiety primarily. Sounds like she's ruled out rheumotoid arthrisits based on your comments about joints. What kind of dr is she?
clonazepam is also used for movement disorders like shaky leg syndrome and tremors. seems to calm them down.
A Rheumatologist. But she doesn't like to answer questions.
I don't think I have anxiety. I take clonazepam for sleep. I used to take it 2 years ago but it stopped working. now I am back to it. Hopefully it will keep on working.
it's not that the clonazepam stops working. it's like any other benzodiazepine. after you've been taking them for a while, your body becomes more resistant to them and that's why they're so addictive. the more you require, the easier the addiction. it's good that you stopped them for a while before starting on them again.
I just saw my rheumatologist today and he checked my tender points again (he did the first time I saw him, and again today because I've had some ongoing pain that was treated as a flare from my Sjogren's, but even though the inflammation has gone down in my joints and bloodwork, the pain is still there). I have 13 of 18 tender points, and we've discussed fibromyalgia at length and we're both 99.99% sure I have it based on the poor sleep/sleep disturbances, history of migraines, sensitivity to pain, etc.
The tricky thing with fibro and AI disease - especially RA or connective tissue diseases like Lupus or Sjogren's - is trying to figure out what is causing the pain. Is it inflammation from the CTD? Neuropathy caused by the Sjogren's? Fibro? Ugh...it's so frustrating, and all we can do right now is keep trying different pain medications so I can function somewhat normally.
Thanks. I am going to keep on touch here. She doesn't think I have auto immune disease though I have some blood tests to do. But she is pretty sure I don't have auto immune disease by checking my joints.
How can a doctor be so sure about anything. I am the one who asks for more testing.
and I was not required to fill up a questionnaire.
Oh she said it is very difficult to treat fibromyalgia and you just have to live with it?
Sorry I don't accept it. By doing research on my own I am now taking clonazepam (stopped couple of month ago now back to it cause it didn't work anymore)and was able to sleep again for 5 hours. I need sleep. and the doctor told me that there is nothing to do about sleep!. Still I don't accept that.
by the way....there is a sleeping pill, which i can't remember the name of that induces the stage 4 sleep that we need. my rhuemy wanted me to take them. i refused. i don't like the idea of induced deep sleep. so when i can't sleep at night...i look for periods of exhaustion during the day and take advantage of a nap. it sounds to me like your doctor can't pinpoint anything with you and she's just guessing. i've asked my gp to do all kinds of tests on me and she does.
I just saw my rheumatologist today and he checked my tender points again (he did the first time I saw him, and again today because I've had some ongoing pain that was treated as a flare from my Sjogren's, but even though the inflammation has gone down in my joints and bloodwork, the pain is still there). I have 13 of 18 tender points, and we've discussed fibromyalgia at length and we're both 99.99% sure I have it based on the poor sleep/sleep disturbances, history of migraines, sensitivity to pain, etc.
The tricky thing with fibro and AI disease - especially RA or connective tissue diseases like Lupus or Sjogren's - is trying to figure out what is causing the pain. Is it inflammation from the CTD? Neuropathy caused by the Sjogren's? Fibro? Ugh...it's so frustrating, and all we can do right now is keep trying different pain medications so I can function somewhat normally.
fibro generally goes along with sjogrens in most cases. you're right...it's very frustrating that we don't know what part of our body is doing what. i'm having a flareup now, with severe acid in my stomach and the feeling that my stomach is over full and i really haven't eaten much all day, aches all over that make me jump and my eyes feel like a sand bar. i've had very loose stools and some diarhea and bad stomach pains. i went off of my ppi's about a month ago because they're hard on the liver. i'm suffering bad tonight with the stomach issues, but i'm going to wait until tomorrow and get some apple cider vinegar. my pharmacist says that doc's just give the ppi's to relieve the symptoms and it's not that people with sjogrens have too much acid...we don't produce enough and therefore don't break down our food well enough, causing all kinds of stomach and bowel problems. darn...and i have to work tomorrow too....geesh! oh....and i don't take any pain meds...not even tylenol...yet. although my doc did give me ultram which is supposed to help with fibro pain.
Last edited by boobootwo; 04-12-2012 at 08:29 PM.
Reason: addition
