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ANA positive then negative then positive...
Autoimmune Diseases | Last Active: Jul 24, 2023 | Replies (53)Comment receiving replies
Hello @comptomama, I would like to add my welcome along with @bustrbrwn22 and others. As another member with the idiopathic diagnosis for my small fiber peripheral neuropathy I understand your frustration with the diagnosis and wanting to find something that helps. My only saving grace is that I don't have the pain with my neuropathy, just the ugly numbness and some minor tingling.
If I can offer any suggestions is to keep looking for answers and researching to learn more about your conditions. I don't know much about ANA testing but have found a couple of articles on the topic that may be helpful. The second one is talking about Lupus but it lists some interesting facts about the ANA test itself.
-- Patient education: Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) (Beyond the Basics):
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/antinuclear-antibodies-ana-beyond-the-basics/print
-- Your ANA: Facts and Fiction: https://kaleidoscopefightinglupus.org/your-ana-facts-and-fiction/
You mentioned you are taking gabapentin to help with the pain. The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy has a lot of good information on complementary and alternative treatments that have helped people with neuropathy --- https://www.foundationforpn.org/treatments/.
Have you tried or looked into any complementary or alternative treatments?
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Thank you for the articles. They have good information. I was diagnosed with the idiopathic PN based on my symptoms alone. I had 3 Nerve Conduction studies that did not show problems so I was confused about that and wondered if it might be Small Fiber PN. I asked my doctor for a skin biopsy and she brushed it off by saying she didn't think anyone in the area did them. I said I didn't mind traveling for answers. She sent me to another neurologist who was only concerned about MS. So he did my 3 set of MRIs. I coerced my primary doctor to send me to a rheumatologist. He said let me run your blood work and my ANA came back negative. The recent test I did before I saw him was positive... He didn't even call me back to discuss the results. Just ghosted me. I try not to tell doctor's all my symptoms for fear that they will be put off by me. I have not tried some of the alternatives for my PN to answer your question. A lot of pills make me too sleepy. Over-the-counter stuff does not help. I do used medical cannabis when necessary, usually when trying to sleep and having way too much pan. There are some items in the article that I will look more into. Thank you for your assistance.