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Hi Everyone, I'm Andrea.. nice to meet all of you!

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    Hi Everyone, I'm Andrea.. nice to meet all of you!

    Well.. it all started about a year and a half ago after a car accident. I started experiencing some strange sensations in different areas of my body. My neck, on the right side would shock me when I turned my head in a certain way. I had some numbness and tingling in my back on the left side of the spine, and on my face (right cheek). Dizziness(vertigo) and lightheadedness, As well as fatigue, and intolerance to heat. The physiotherapist noted that I had Westphal's sign (no knee jerk) reaction in either leg. My Chiroprator noted some white matter on my spin from the X-ray, and said it's probably just calcium deposits. After a year and the symptoms not subsiding, I went to see my GP who sent me for some blood work. She checked me for an iron defficiency - results returned normal..

    A couple months later I returned, requesting further blood work as I wasn't feeling any better. I get another panel done and this time, the test returned normal for everything except a positive result (Titre 1:80) on the ANA (Anti-nuclear Antibodies test). The doctor told me that this is a test to screen for Auto-immune diseases such as SLE (LUPUS), along with many others.. But in the same sentence she said, she also did the secondary test for Lupus (DS-DNA) also and it came back negative.. now she doesn't think it's Lupus.
    I am seeing a Rheumatologist in 3 weeks, to conclusively rule out LUPUS. Then have an MRI booked for April, to check for Lesions in the brain and spine to check for MS. All the symptoms I am experiencing match those of MS. I went down the list of MS symptoms, and have experienced almost every single one at some point during the last year and a half.

    My question for all of you is did any of you have a weak positive result for ANA(Anti-nuclear antibodies) on your blood tests and have a final diagnosis of MS?? Because I read online, that MS can also give a positive ANA result.

    More. . I need someone to talk to and discuss all of this, because it's very scary sometimes to think I may end up getting a diagnosis of MS. My family doesn't believe that there is anything wrong with me, despite all the symptoms I am experiencing.. I just feel like I have no one to talk to..

    #2
    Hi Andie and welcome to MSWorld! It's good to meet you. I need to back track to about 25? years ago when I had blood work done. It came back positive ANA, so they thought I had Lupus. I was living in a remote town in Alaska with only mediocre doctors. They didn't recommend anything for me as I did not have the telltale sign of any rash on my face. Whatever...

    I left it drop as I was too busy helping building our house, my family and career. Fast forward to '99 when I was finally dx with MS, having experienced different flares of major or lesser degrees in the previous years. I was misdiagnosed for 10+ years with various answers from doctors including lupus, mental breakdowns, anemia, etc.

    Good luck with your rheumatologist and the MRI. I hope you get some definitive answers soon. The waiting is frustrating!

    Take care now and again, welcome!
    1st sx '89 Dx '99 w/RRMS - SP since 2010
    Administrator Message Boards/Moderator

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      #3
      HI ANDIE, WELCOME TO MS WORLD!!!!!! we are glad you found us, but very sorry you had to.

      "My question for all of you is did any of you have a weak positive result for ANA(Anti-nuclear antibodies) on your blood tests and have a final diagnosis of MS?? Because I read online, that MS can also give a positive ANA result."
      I did not have the test for ANA as I already had some autoimmune diseases.

      "More. . I need someone to talk to and discuss all of this, because it's very scary sometimes to think I may end up getting a diagnosis of MS. My family doesn't believe that there is anything wrong with me, despite all the symptoms I am experiencing.. I just feel like I have no one to talk to.."
      this is a great site to come and speak to others who are going through, or have gone through the same things. We have a forum here called limbo landers and newly diagnosed and they are very helpful. Take a look around and get familiar with every thing. Good luck
      hunterd/HuntOP/Dave
      volunteer
      MS World
      hunterd@msworld.org
      PPMS DX 2001

      "ADAPT AND OVERCOME" - MY COUSIN

      Comment


        #4
        Hello and Welcome Andie!

        I don't mean to confuse you but I think it's important to do all the tests.

        When i brought my daughter, 15 yrs old to the hospital, they told us she had suffered 2 strokes and that she had Lupus. Her ANA was still coming out negative. This sometimes happens. Although she was the worse case of lupus they had seen, at that time, it took awhile for the tests to come out positive.

        From your post, I gather that your doctor is doing her utmost to pinpoint the problem. It may be exhausting but keep with it. Ask for more test or whatever it takes to get a diagnosis. You'll be happy you did.

        I hope you get answers soon. In the meantime, were all here!
        When I can laugh at my experiences, I own them and they don't own me!

        Comment


          #5
          welcome

          Hi Andie and welcome to the site. It looks like your on the road to a diagnosis, and I hope goes smoothly for you. Come here for support, information, or to vent if you need to. I was diagnosed in 2000 and remember the anxiety associated with this time. Take care Dale
          Dale in NC, dx'ed 2000, now SPMS

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