Positive ANA: What might be the cause?

Up to 40% of RA patients are seronegative. I am one of them. It delays diagnosis and treatment, especially if your doctor expects textbook presentation and is unaware that so many have negative RA factor and CCP. xray and MRI of joints help in the diagnosis.

Hello, I am new to this group and would like to share my story. Maybe someone here has an answer, or at least an idea what my next step should be. I have been in pain for several months (hands and feet, also pins and needles), get worse at night. OTC painkillers don't help as well as prescription ones (gabapentin, amitriptyline, Robaxin). I first thought about RA as my mom has it so got tested for RA panel. ANA is positive, the rest is negative thus it is not RA, per my providers. ANA cascade test: ANA positive, the rest negative thus it is not autoimmune, per my providers. All other tests (cbc, bpm, vitamins, hormones) are normal. Pain is slowly getting worse and now not just feet and hands but also arms and legs hurt. Pain doesn't get worse or better because of certain activities (or inactivity). I spoke to three doctors (all internal medicine). One told me it was nothing, just probably fibromyalgia and gave me amitriptyline that didn't work. The second one told me it was nothing because healthy people often have positive ANA and my pain will go away if I take ibuprofen. The third one simply told me not to worry about it. I asked all three for a referral to a rheumatologist but non of them saw a reason for me to see a rheumatologist, or any other specialist. So here I am, trying to convince myself that it is nothing and my pain is nothing to worry about, as recommended by my providers:-)

Hello, I am new to this group and would like to share my story. Maybe someone here has an answer, or at least an idea what my next step should be. I have been in pain for several months (hands and feet, also pins and needles), get worse at night. OTC painkillers don't help as well as prescription ones (gabapentin, amitriptyline, Robaxin). I first thought about RA as my mom has it so got tested for RA panel. ANA is positive, the rest is negative thus it is not RA, per my providers. ANA cascade test: ANA positive, the rest negative thus it is not autoimmune, per my providers. All other tests (cbc, bpm, vitamins, hormones) are normal. Pain is slowly getting worse and now not just feet and hands but also arms and legs hurt. Pain doesn't get worse or better because of certain activities (or inactivity). I spoke to three doctors (all internal medicine). One told me it was nothing, just probably fibromyalgia and gave me amitriptyline that didn't work. The second one told me it was nothing because healthy people often have positive ANA and my pain will go away if I take ibuprofen. The third one simply told me not to worry about it. I asked all three for a referral to a rheumatologist but non of them saw a reason for me to see a rheumatologist, or any other specialist. So here I am, trying to convince myself that it is nothing and my pain is nothing to worry about, as recommended by my providers:-)

You can go to many commercial labs and get a HLAB27 test. Also, please reserch Sjogren's Syndrome. It has many faces.

ANA cascade includes Sjogren's test. All negative. I will do the test you recommend. Thank you for the idea.

They checked my thyroid. It's fine. Your labs look like RA but may be a lot of other things. Hopefully you will get your diagnosis and the treatment that helps

Hi, ANA is anti-nuclear antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other germs. But sometimes, your immune system can mistake parts of your own body for foreign invaders. It releases special antibodies, called “autoantibodies,” that attack your cells and tissues. . And they can be a sign of autoimmune diseases. Reference Range:
< 1.0 AI Negative
>=1.0 AI Positive
It is generally a sign of an autoimmune disease. It can take a long time to determine if it is an autoimmune disease or just a false positive. Be patient, it is usually a long road to diagnosis. Good luck.

@mctd43years Hello and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! You’ve given some good information on ANA to other members.
Any coping tips for management of your disease?