Hi PJP,
Welcome to the group!
Perhaps you (or your doctor) are getting different test results confused... there's no such thing as a "spindle-shaped" ANA. Here's the list of patterns:
- Rim
- Homogenous
- Speckled
- Nucleolar
- Diffuse
- Centromere
http://www.fpnotebook.com/rheum/lab/anstngptrn.htmMy pattern is "speckled," which is the most common and least suggestive of a specific illness. (Although a positive result... 1:160 or higher... in the presence of suggestive symptoms... is a pretty sure sign that you have an autoimmune disorder). In the last three years mine has been as high as 1:320 and as low as negative (less than 1:40). There doesn't seem to be any connection to how bad I feel.
Like you, I have Chronic Autoimmune Urticaria, but my symptoms go WAY beyond urticaria. The worst have been anaphylaxis, dizziness, abdominal pain, pregnancy loss, joint pain, fatigue, anxiety, dry everything (skin, eyes, mouth), unusual bleeding, and nausea/diarrhea. 99% of my tests are perfectly normal. Most doctors think I'm a complete whacko
Thankfully, now that I've found a couple of good doctors, figured out my triggers, and determined the right doses/types of medications I am MUCH more stable and living a pretty normal life.
It sounds like you've already ruled out a lot of things (which is great). Have you tried using antihistamines? They're not a cure-all for me, but they do help a lot... that's a strong sign that you're dealing with a mast cell disorder.
Heather