lupus had a discrete diagnostic criteria, it might not be as discretionary as you think. unfortunately the symptoms of many rheumatological diseases overlap heavily with many non rheumatological conditions. best of luck.
They ended up referring me to an RA. This is the second time I've had a positive ANA test within 5 years. The speckled pattern is what's making me wonder. I have more of the symptoms of an autoimmune disease, than I don't have. I hit almost all symptoms of moderate lupus, without kidney problems, but I HAVE within the last year, had protein in my urine, but I was pregnant at that time. There's a lot going on I feel kinda dismissed by the doctor. It's almost their discretion to diagnose, because of symptoms and positive ANA alone. I've read on many medical documents that a negative anti ds is not absolute to not having an autoimmune disease. I've heard it's hard to get diagnosed, so hopefully the RA can give me some more definite answers, once I actually get in to see them :/