ANA and ANCA

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone

I am new to this group and I find it amazing how you all care and support each

other. I have also noticed that some of, probably due to their long suffering,

have acquired a great deal of information about RA and auto-immune diseases in

general. I hope I will be able to benefit from your knowledge, but also from

this warm and friendly atmosphere.

First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Amira, 46, from Egypt. I have been

diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and Systemic Sclerosis two years ago. I guess I am

lucky, since I am not bad most of the time, with uncomfortable, but bearable

flairs every now and then. I am also tolerating the medications (methotrexate,

depomedrol and plaquenil) also more or less. Though I would like to ask some

questions for myself, I prefer to investigate my son's case first, since it

worries me much more than my own condition.

He is 21 and was feeling a little tired for a few weeks with his body aching

just a little, as if he is starting a cold. And he used to sweat during the

night. And he said that he was tense, not able to relax. But all in all,

nothing really alarming. Nonetheless, I took him to my doctor and he immediately

suspected some auto-immune disease, because of his mother's case. He ran some

blood tests and they came positive in two cases:

Anti-Nuclear Antibodies: Positive - fine speckled pattern - titer 1/80

Anti-Netrophil Cystoplasm Antibodies: weak positive - cytoplasmic pattern -

titer 1/20

The doctor immediately prescribed methotrexate and depomedrol and said that when

treated early, we could get the disease under control fast. I was so enveloped

in asking the doc all sorts of questions that I missed the name of the disease.

So, I was hoping that some of you might know more, might even guess what illness

we are talking about here, so that I can get information on it quickly.

I might also add that my son refuses to take the medication and is convinced

that it is just a virus and given time, it will pass soon. This is probably

because he does not feel really sick and thinks that such strong medication is

only for people who really are suffering a great deal.

Thank you very much in advance

amira

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Amira!

So sorry about your diagnoses and difficulties.

If possible, I would seek the opinion of another physician (a rheumatologist

would be best) about your son. His antibody levels are very low and might

not be due to a rheumatic disease.

Is he still sweating at night?

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] ANA and ANCA

> Hello everyone

>

> I am new to this group and I find it amazing how you all care and support

> each other. I have also noticed that some of, probably due to their long

> suffering, have acquired a great deal of information about RA and

> auto-immune diseases in general. I hope I will be able to benefit from

> your knowledge, but also from this warm and friendly atmosphere.

>

> First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Amira, 46, from Egypt. I

> have been diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and Systemic Sclerosis two years

> ago. I guess I am lucky, since I am not bad most of the time, with

> uncomfortable, but bearable flairs every now and then. I am also

> tolerating the medications (methotrexate, depomedrol and plaquenil) also

> more or less. Though I would like to ask some questions for myself, I

> prefer to investigate my son's case first, since it worries me much more

> than my own condition.

> He is 21 and was feeling a little tired for a few weeks with his body

> aching just a little, as if he is starting a cold. And he used to sweat

> during the night. And he said that he was tense, not able to relax. But

> all in all, nothing really alarming. Nonetheless, I took him to my doctor

> and he immediately suspected some auto-immune disease, because of his

> mother's case. He ran some blood tests and they came positive in two

> cases:

>

> Anti-Nuclear Antibodies: Positive - fine speckled pattern - titer 1/80

> Anti-Netrophil Cystoplasm Antibodies: weak positive - cytoplasmic

> pattern - titer 1/20

>

> The doctor immediately prescribed methotrexate and depomedrol and said

> that when treated early, we could get the disease under control fast. I

> was so enveloped in asking the doc all sorts of questions that I missed

> the name of the disease. So, I was hoping that some of you might know

> more, might even guess what illness we are talking about here, so that I

> can get information on it quickly.

>

> I might also add that my son refuses to take the medication and is

> convinced that it is just a virus and given time, it will pass soon. This

> is probably because he does not feel really sick and thinks that such

> strong medication is only for people who really are suffering a great

> deal.

>

> Thank you very much in advance

>

> amira