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frescodecacao

New member
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
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4
Reason
Undiagnosed
Diagnosis
08/2017
Country
US
State
FL
I got some lab results today. The ANA result is not out yet. But I did have a pretty comprehensive panel done. Everything came back normal, the only outliers were an elevated CRP, ESR and a Stage 1 CKD creatinine result. my PCP however told me that these results meant absolutely nothing which surprised me considering the horribly painful and debilitating symptoms ive been having. it makes me wonder if the ANA comes back positive, whether he will dismiss that too as being irrelevant anyway. It makes me feel he may believe his diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is without fault and there is no need to test me further for any immune disease. Have you had elevated CRP and ESR and CKD with Fibromyalgia? I know labs can't test for Fibro and its a disease of exclusion but do any of you have overlap syndrome or multi diagnoses of fibro and other rheumatic disorders? Feedback and advice appreciated.:razz::razz::razz::razz:
 
It is really hard to comment on the topic, so anything I write is purely from personal experience.

I once had a positive ANA test, it was for employment reasons and the company doctor referred me to a rheumatologist straight away, with a face of concern. I had no idea what the test was for/about and I was hired anyways, so I kinda ignored it. A year later, feeling very exhausted, waking up unrefreshed, in pain etc., I did finally go to a rheumatologist, had the same blood tests done, everything, incl ANA came back fine and she dismissed all of my symptoms and told me I was healthy as a newborn. I was so angry because I am not the type to go to a doctor with basic pains/aches of life, I go when my life is seriously being affected by my complaints.

Oh well, 4 years later I was indeed diagnosed with fibro, once again after many perfect blood test results. The diagnosis was based on elimination, trigger point assessment and history of complaints. My CRP has also always been a little above the threshold, but all doctors dismissed that as well. I suppose if it is not way out of the limits, they don't see it as a problem, even if it comes back positive each time.

Doctors look at the whole picture - in my last blood results my cholesterol levels came back high and I was quite shocked especially because I am really doing my best to lead a health lifestyle (vegan diet, supplements, exercise, stress reduction etc). I asked 2 doctors about it and they both said it was nothing to worry about and that it was normal. They look at all the other levels, look at your age, your lifestyle and make a decision based on the overall state of the patient. They did not tell me to lose weight, or change my diet either. It was just normal, healthy blood results, so I now know not to take those blood tests too seriously, not to obsess about the little details, the thresholds, the limits etc.

Once you have the ANA test results back, you can move on to the next phase of diagnosis. It comes in small tests and the diagnosis process requires a lot of patience.
 
its like you said even if ana is positive it may be dismissed.
 
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