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Can you please tell me how your pregnancy went and/or is going.(I don't see a date anywhere) I also had a mc a few months ago,and I also have a positive ana. My ob sent me to a rheumatologist for detailed tests, and she said there is no sign of any disease process and that my next pregnancy should be fine. But still, I am so fearful to try again. It would help me so much to be able to hear your story. My e-mail is...katarina732@yahoo.com
I would greatly appreciate any info.
Thank You, and the best of luck to you and your baby!!!

I have had a positive ANA for about one year and have been seeing a rhumatologist during that time to watch for signs of lupus. I also have no indication of any disease. I recently had a miscarriage and went to a different rhumatologist for a second opinion. He also says that I do not have lupus but I do have antiphospholipid antibodies which causes blood clotting and can cause miscarriages. I am now taking the baby aspirin everyday and will continue to do so if I get pregnant again. My last ANA test came back negative. Any virus or infection (cold or sore throat) can cause a positive ANA so try not to worry. My Dr. said that 10% of the population will have a positive ANA at some time . Remember, even women with full blown lupus have healthy babies! I also have talked to several ob\gyn's and they feel that the miscarriage had nothing to do with the positive ANA. Hope my story helps a little !

Thank you Cami !!! Your story does help/reassure me. My friends/ family never heard of all of the stuff that I was tested for.It's nice to know that there are other healthy people out there who also have a positive ana. What was your highest ana titer?Mine got up to 1:320

I looked back in my records and the highest titer I could find was 1:160. The second rhumatologist I saw said that since I had no disease process that my ANA did not even need to be followed anymore unless I start to show lupus symptoms. So, are you expecting now and were you told by your doctor to take a baby aspirin everyday? Did they test you for antiphospholipid antibodies? My doctor told me to take a baby aspirin the rest of my life and I may have to do heparin shots when I get pregnant again. Just wondering what your situation was?

I am not pregnant yet,but I am planning on trying again next month. That is why I have been looking for someone on this forum that has a similar situation. I wanted to see how things went for them,with their pregnancies.It seems that everyone with ana is advised to take baby aspirin(like we all have some kind of clotting issues)And,unfortunately,we all have suffered a miscariages.Thankfully,some of the other women I have talked to(with the help of baby aspirin or heparin)have had successful second or third pregnancies.
I went to a rheumatologist and a hematologist,they both tested me for everything and anything....sjogrens lupus etc.etc.All they found was a positive ana and a mildly postitive anticardiolipinIGM antibody.The anticardiolipn is one of the antiphospholipid antibodies.Ibelieve there are 3 types of antiphlpd. antbds....anticardiolipinIGG and IGM and the lupus anticoagulant.If you have all three positive then they diagbose you with antipsospholipid syndrome.They didn't diagnose me with that since I only had one of them mildly positive.I have been doing my research,as you can tell.You have to become a doctor yourself in order to understand what the heck the drs. are talking about.Anyway, my ob told me to take baby asp. with my next preg.,but the rheumi told me that she doesn't think I need to.I tried to take it(bab asp.)but I broke out in hives all over my face.So I have to wait until next week to talk to my ob about that(she's on vaca.)GREAT TIMING!!I want to know NOW!!just kidding....Do you maybe know if heparin has aspirin in it???
I wonder...I want to take something just in case,I really don't want to go through another miscarriage if I don't have to.Are you trying again any time soon???

We just started trying for another pregnancy this week. I am also scared of having another miscarriage because that is such a devastating thing to go through. I agree that you almost have to be your own doctor in many situations. I will be asking lots and lots of questions this time!! It does sound like you may have an allergy to aspirin. I don't know if heparin has aspirin in it but I would think that it does not. I'm sure they will know what to give you as an anti-clotting med to replace the aspirin.
My IgM was also slightly elevated and the IgG and IgA were normal. My rhum. told me to go ahead and take the baby aspirin but he didn't think that I needed to do the heparin shots but that would be up to my ob dr. I have been reading a lot of pregancy related books (as I'm sure you have been) and they talk like miscarriages and auto-immunity is a relatively new area of research (which concerns me a little bit). We are very lucky that we don't have lupus (that does not sound like a fun disease to have). Keep me posted on how things are going with you-it really helps to talk to someone going through the same thing that I am.

WOW!! Our stories sound exactly the same,positive ANA and IGM.Were you tested for the igm right after your mc?My rheumi told me that the igm could be slightly elevated due to the mc.
Maybe we'll end up being pregnant at the same time,and we could share our progress with each other.My ob told me that if I get preg. again,that she's going to monitor heck out of me.I hope I will find a way not to be anxious before every blood test.I'm sure you know how that is,they probably ran alot of blood tests on you too.I just want to enjoy my preg.,like other women do.GOOD LUCK with your future pregnancy!!!!!!Keep me posted....my email is katarina732@yahoo.com

i, I, too had a m/c, third pg. First two pg were just fine. I have tested positive ANA for years. I'm waiting for the results of further immune system tests. I am scared, because I do feel less than great physically...lousy stamina, achey, tire very esily. I'm wondering any of you who have positive ANA's also feel any symptoms? Thanks and best of luck!

A quick question to all of you who have attempted to get pregnant, with a positive ANA: are any of you in your 40s and attempting to get pregnant? I'm trying, but have a positive ANA, with body aches and, in my opinion, premature diagnosis of lupus. Does anybody have a similar experience?
Thanks!

It's so nice not to feel so alone. I am on my 4th pregnancy and am currently taking lovenox (blood thinner) injections due to antiphospholipid syndrome. I also was tested for lupus and everything else came back negtive. yeh! I did take the injections last pregnancy and miscarried at 9 weeks. They have now started progesterone. Hopefully this will work! Anyone else doing this?

I recently had two miscarriages in a row--both at about 5.5 weeks. I just got my blood-test results back and had a "slightly positive" ANA. I have no symptoms of anything and was quite surprised by the result. My doctor recommended that I take baby aspirin, but did not recommend that I see a rheumatologist. I have one child--a one-year-old little boy--and had severe preeclampsia when I was pregnant with him. I was wondering if anyone has heard of a relationship between being ANA positive and developing preeclampsia.

I was diagnosed with Possitive ANA after just one miscarriage. I had a very proactive OB whose own daughter in law had the disorder, so he tested me right away -- and yep -- I had it. SO I did baby asprin with my first successful pregnancy at 37, and am doing it again now, at 39 with my second (I'm 37 weeks -- yay!).

My question is -- did anyone's doc allow them to STOP taking the aspirin at some point during the pregnancy? I would really like to stop now (at 37 wks) -- but my OB says doing so can impact the placenta (I think with possible calcification?). Obviously, clotting is no longer an issue.

And BTW, I did not take ANY aspirin while trying to get pregnant. I was always told to start taking it with my first missed period.

Marni

Hi all - I was interested to find this thread. I did a google on taking baby aspirin while TTC - nothing having to do with ANA and this came up. I was curious and clicked b/c I've had a positive ANA for years and years (well at least 12 years that I know of.) I have raynauds (mild) and nothing else really that they've found. We're currently TTC#2 and it's been a few months so I was looking or some tips. Should I take baby aspirin then? I know it helps anyway (regardless of the positive ANA) and I do have that... do you take it only once a day?

Yes, you take one baby aspirin (81mg.) a day.My before I even get pregnant.She also said that it's not mandatory to take it,but that it can't hurt to play it safe.Good luck!!!!!

I noticed that 1/2 of my sentence got deleted.Anyway,my ob told me to start taking it before I even get pregnant.

i posted this on another thread, but then found this one: i too have a positive ANA - very high titer (1:640, sometimes 1:320) and have had it for over ten years with some joint pain. i've been to see many specialists, tested for everything, but so far, nothing. i was pregnant last year and miscarried very early, before 6 weeks. i had a terrible early pregnancy, with extreme fatigue and joint pain. my doctors - including two high-risk specialists - say no link has been shown between ANA alone and miscarriage or clotting. they aren't treating me with anything. I'm hoping for another pregnancy, but don't want to have another miscarriage. i've also read that ANA may be a precursor for autoimmune disease and that pregnancy may be a trigger. i am desperate to hear success stories, but i'd also like to know if anyone out there with an ANA alone prior to pregnancy developed an autoimmune disease either while pregnant or during the postpartum period.