Lupus? The docs say that you need 4 out of 11 symyptoms too be diagnose with lupus, I have a positive ana,?

joint pain, sun sensitivity, and raynauds, is this enough to be diagnosed with it?

Due to the symptoms you obviously have some form of auto-immune disease. It sounds like you very well may have lupus.

Above is a detailed list of symptoms here is a smaller version.
* Butterfly rash
* Discoid rash
* Photosensitivity
* Mouth ulcers
* Arthritis
* Inflammation of the lining of the lungs or the lining around the heart
* Kidney damage, as noted by the presence of protein or other abnormal substances called casts in the urine
* Seizures or psychosis
* The presence of certain types of anemia and low counts of particular white blood cells
* The presence of certain immune cells, anti-DNA antibodies, or a falsely positive test for syphilis
* The presence of antinuclear antibodies.
Here is a link to a site with information on every type of lupus.
http://arthritis-symptom.com/lupus/index...

Rusty

Yes

I think it sounds very likely. However, Raynaud's isn't usually listed as one of the 11. Here is what http://www.lupus.org says they are:
Malar Rash
Rash over the cheeks

Discoid Rash
Red raised patches

Photosensitivity
Reaction to sunlight, resulting in the development of or increase in skin rash

Oral Ulcers
Ulcers in the nose or mouth, usually painless

Arthritis
Nonerosive arthritis involving two or more peripheral joints (arthritis in which the bones around the joints do not become destroyed)

Serositis
Pleuritis or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the lung or heart)

Renal Disorder
Excessive protein in the urine (greater than 0.5 gm/day or 3+ on test sticks) and/or cellular casts (abnormal elements the urine, derived from red and/or white cells and/or kidney tubule cells)

Neurologic
Disorder
Seizures (convulsions) and/or psychosis in the absence of drugs or metabolic disturbances which are known to cause such effects

Hematologic
Disorder
Hemolytic anemia or leukopenia (white blood count below 4,000 cells per cubic millimeter) or lymphopenia (less than 1,500 lymphocytes per cubic millimeter) or thrombocytopenia (less than 100,000 platelets per cubic millimeter). The leukopenia and lymphopenia must be detected on two or more occasions. The thrombocytopenia must be detected in the absence of drugs known to induce it.

Antinuclear
Antibody
Positive test for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the absence of drugs known to induce it.

Immunologic
Disorder
Positive anti-double stranded anti-DNA test, positive anti-Sm test, positive antiphospholipid antibody such as anticardiolipin, or false positive syphilis test (VDRL).

yes it is my sister has it and also she has raynauds to.some days she has a hard time but is fighting on,there is several types of lupus.good luck to you.

The 4 out of 11 symptoms are part of the American College of Rheumatology criteria for people being admitted to clinical trials for lupus. These are not necessarily diagnostic criteria, but guidelines. AND different criteria carry different weight in the diagnostic process.

Joint pain can be lots of things. Raynaud's can occur alone or in overlap with lupus. Positive ANA can be caused by a host of things including pregnancy.

Please do not try to diagnose yourself, but rather find a doctor (rheumatologist) who can partner with you in finding the source and treatment to control your symptoms.)

Lupus sucks, I live with it. Even if you get a diagnosis, it does not mean your symptoms will disappear.

Good luck in your search!

Yes. Tests are far more sensitive today than they were when the 4/11 symptom list came out. With a positive ANA and your symptoms you have Lupus. Now it's time to find a good rheumatologist to help treat you. Make sure you get tested for Antiphospholipid syndrome. APS is a blood disease that often piggybacks with Lupus. A simple blood test will tell if you have it or not. If so you'll have to take an anti clotting medication. Make sure you're tested for it immediately as it can be fatal.

I am a lupus patient. I also had a positive ANA, however I was told by my doctor a positive ANA does not necessarily mean you have lupus. A positive ANA could be a number of things, such as thyroid disease. You might want to get that checked out. There are a number of blood tests used to see if you have lupus. 1. (DNA) Anti-double-stranded DNA antibody. 2. Complement - is a series of twenty or more proteins in the blood that are part of the immune system. Complement 4 (C4) and Complement 3 (C3) are among the more important parts of the complement system. If levels of complement in the blood are low, it may mean that the complement system is busy attacking antibody-antigen complexes, and causing inflammation. As a result low levels often reflect active lupus. I also recommended a (CBC) Complete Blood Count as well as other tests.
As far as raynauds goes anyone can develop that with or without lupus. You mentioned sun sensitivity. People with lupus have to be careful in the sun and also with photosensitivity in some cases. As far as joint pain goes, you may have arthritis. I suggest you get and x-ray done.
One almost sure way to know if you have lupus is a butterfly (malar) rash is a red rash, either raised or flat, that covers the nose and cheeks. The distinctive points very strongly to a diagnosis of lupus, since it's typical of so few other diseases.
I hope this was of some help to you. I would like to hear back from you with any new news you might have.

Janice