I was at the doctor's office today for a B-12 shot today. Last week they took blood for an antinuclear antibodies test to detect if I had an autoimmune disease. Since the doctor was busy the technician gave me a copy of the report and said the doctor would call me this afternoon. The report said the result was postive-high. Well, the doctor never called me back, and the office is closed the next four days. What does this mean, and what should I do about it?
Follow Ups:
Re: positive test results - help!
Posted by Kyra on December 30, 1998 at 22:56:34:
In Reply to: positive test results - help! posted by Dawn G. on December 30, 1998 at 19:18:07:
Dear Dawn,
Sorry for butting in, but it sounds like you might have been tested for Hashimoto's disease, which is an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Not life threatening like some other autoimmune disorders are, so perhaps not enough to get your doc off his/her butt with the promised phone call. All the best!
Kyra
Re: positive test results - help!
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 31, 1998 at 10:22:55:
In Reply to: positive test results - help! posted by Dawn G. on December 30, 1998 at 19:18:07:
Hi, Dawn.
NO emergency.
However, you might recall what autoimmune means and the best way to eliminate it. Your doc would most likely just try to suppress the symptoms.
Walt
Re: positive test results - help!
Posted by Peter Wray on January 02, 1999 at 08:46:45:
In Reply to: positive test results - help! posted by Dawn G. on December 30, 1998 at 19:18:07:
Dawn,
That was no way to leave you over Christmas.
My wife has had a positive ANA for two years now with no real diagnosis. She has been through the mill of specialists - all of whom have provided no real insight. Her major symptoms are muscle and joint pain and depression.
I'll share with you what I have come to understand about a positive ANA. Please remember that these are my understandings based on what I have been able to get from the net and books. I am not a medical practitioner (which I think is probably in my favour) and I have no medical or scientific training.
Our bodies produce anti-bodies to fight off foriegn bodies in our systems. When all is working well, our bodies produce appropriate anti-bodies when a virus or bacteria enters our system.
When things begin to go a bit wrong our bodies produce anti-bodies that attack the good stuff in our systems. ANA is one of these anti-bodies.
There is no agreement as to why these anti-nuclear anti-bodies are formed, especially in the mainstream community.
So, here is my understanding. A foreign substance enters your system (I'll get into how in a bit). This sustance is recognized by your system as undesirable so anti-bodies are formed. Unfortunately the foreign substance has a cellular structure very similar to a desirable part of your system. For some this could be the joints for others it could be the liver. We are all unique and have our own weaknesses and strengths. So the anti-body that existed to deal with the foreign substance continues to exist because it can't differentiate between the foreign substance and your healthy body tissues. It then will go on to attack your healthy tissues.
So how do these foreign substances get into your system?
Leaky gut is one explanation. The gut lining becomes damaged (read Dr. Stoll's book for a better explanation or go to my website for a couple of articles on leaky gut) and allows foreign substances into the system.
So what to do about it?
Follow the advice of Dr. Stoll and others on this BB. Treat the root causes of this autoimmune process not just the symptoms.
Hope this helps.
Peter
Re: positive test results - help!
Posted by Walt Stoll on January 03, 1999 at 10:24:36:
In Reply to: Re: positive test results - help! posted by Peter Wray on January 02, 1999 at 08:46:45:
Thanks, Peter, for your explanation. It is pretty good. Perhaps it will help others that my attempts at explaining have bypassed.
Namaste` Walt