Question
Thanks so much, Karen, for the information!  MD has never been mentioned to me before...I will definitely have a muscle biopsy done.  Thanks so much for your kindness and knowledge!!
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Followup To
Question -
Greetings!  I have been experiencing an unknown problem with my body and have gone to numerous doctors, neurologists, rheumatologists, but am left without an answer.  I am desperatly hoping that you will be able to suggest what my problem might be.  I am not looking for a diagnosis, but simply ideas to point me in the right course of treatment, etc.  
First of all, I am a 27 yr. old caucasion female in graduate school.  I am 5'10", and weigh 140lbs.  I exercise regularly and eat a good diet.  I have never broken any bones, and have never been hospitalized. I am psychologically stable and in very good overall health. My blood work comes out excellent with blood pressure within normal range, pulse usually 90-103 resting, and ANA (anti-nuclear antibodies) at 350, but sedimentation is low (not indicative of lupus!).
My problem is concerning the right side of my body.  I have had this problem for five (5) years, and it has increased in intensity over time.  I have had several cat scans and MRIs, which come back as normal with a little arthritus in my neck.  The pain runs from the base of the right side of my neck, to the right muscles in my jaw, to my throat area, to my shoulder/arm, to the muscles in my right side abdominals, to my hip, and down to my calf and into my foot.  The pain is not in my joints, but seems to be localized only in my muscles.  The pain is most intense in my right shoulder blade area.  I can describe the pain as continual; I feel it to some degree all the time.  At minimal, it is a nagging pain...almost like an itch in my muscles.  At maximum, it feels like someone is pulling me on a string from the top of the right side of my body down to my right foot...almost like my muscles are so tense they will tear.  I get frequent debilitating migraine headaches again at the right side of my body localized in my head only on the right side, which seems to be somewhat related to the right sided pain.
The curious thing is that it is only on my right side.  My right foot and hand are frequently tingly and get considerably warmer and redder than my left.  My right arm at times goes very warm then numb.  My right eye at times gets very red.  Massage therapy feels unbelieveably good at the time, but seems to worsen the condition several hours later. Exercise and strength training improves the problem if done consistently over time.
I am desperatly looking for any possibley answer to this problem and am open to ANY suggestions of what it might be...maybe even a blocked artery, nerve problems, spinal cord issues, etc., nutritional info., etc.  I am weary of seeing countless neurologists who have no answer or idea of what it might be, as my MRIs and xrays and cat scans are all very normal, only with a little arthritus in my neck.  Please please tell me all the information you may know of what this problem could be.  I am desperate for answers.  Thank you for any information you can give to me.  

--April
Answer -
Dear April,   Just because you have a low sed rate, you can't really rule out one of the 60 autoimmune diseases...  It may not be Lupus, but other autoimmune diseases have POSITIVE "ANA" as well...

Also, recause of the muscle problem you are having you could have a form of Muscular Distrophy and it may be wise that one of the neurologist do a muscle biopsy on you to rule out MD...

Another possible condition could be Fibromyalgia....

If you had a blood tests called RF (rheumatoid facotr) and it was positive and you have a positive ANA, then you are looking at possible diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, mixed connective disease, Sjogren Syndrome...

I double if you have a blocked artery, nreve problem or spinal cord issues, because if you did and MRI's were done of this area and are negative, then those types of problems would be ruled out, but then I can't say for sure, because I am not your doctor, can't see the radiology reports and do not know of what all areas of your body MRI's, ct-scans were done.....

I hope this helps in some way, but you need to check out the possibility of MD and other autoimmune diseases like Fibromyalgia, etc.

Thank you,   karen

Answer
Dear April,   Before you run off an get a muscle biopsy (which by the way is painfull), I would suggest that the doctor starts off by ordering you a test called electromyography (EMG) "AND" a blood test called creatine phosphokinase (CPK for short)....   Here is also a web site that will fill you in on MD....  I say this because if these tests are negative, then MD is probably NOT a proper diagnosis....

www.mdausa.org/publications/fa-rareMD.html

Also, I would strongly suggest that they test you for Fibromyalgia.....  Here are a couple of web sites about Fibromyalgia and the symptoms...

www.fibrocarecenter.com/diagnose.html

www.cuddleewe.com/FMSWhatIs.asp

The fact that you have a POSITIVE "ANA" of 350 definately indicates that you have an autoimmune disorder of some sorts....

Thank you,   karen