Lupus Without Inflammation Showing Up In Blood Tests?
Is it possible to have Lupus without inflammation showing up in blood tests?
and ANA is high, he said 60 what ever that means. 1:60 I guess.
Tests To Rule Out Multiple Sclerosis And Parkinson?
What testing should be done for ruling out Parkinsons and MS in relation to a tremor. (Head)
View 1 RepliesLupus :: Should We Go Gluten Free?
I have recently "not quite" been diagnosed yet with Lupus however I have certain signs not yet enough for an official diagnosis. High ANA is one, pericardial effusion (mild), no inflammation or symptoms yet. Would have never known I had a problem until the Dr. told me I did!! I used to have severe stomach problems for years, cramps, diarrhea after eating a meal. For hours I would suffer. But for the past 4 or so years it has stopped completely and I am wondering if that is when my immune system started to go overactive due to a possible gluten allergy and now turning into an auto immune disease as a result. I am starting a gluten free diet, today is only day 3, i want to suppress and relax my immune system by not giving it so much work to do!! Unconfuse it and calm it down by eating gluten free and healthier. So nutrients can get absorbed better? Add probiotics, making sure to get Vitamin K...D, B12 etc. (I know K is a big one for Lupus) Does anyone have any views on this or have tried diets like this?
View 8 RepliesLupus :: Rash In Groin?
I was first diagnosed 19 years ago. My rashes are becoming more intense. Is it possible or has anyone experienced lupus rash in the groin area? If so, what did you use to lessen the 'fire' feeling.
View 9 RepliesLupus :: Any Experience With Seizures?
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with seizures with their lupus. I had one seizure last see summer before I was diagnosed with RA. I have been told by rheumatologist that I have RA with overlapping lupus symptoms, no positive lupus labs. My question is about the seizure, it was not a grand mal type, no convulsing but I did lose consciousness for almost 5 minutes. Is this a lupus sign. They found NO medical reason at the time for this.
View 2 RepliesLupus Headaches? Hot All The Time
I've recently been diagnosed with possible Lupus and I'm waiting for an appointment with rheumatology. I've had several symptoms over the years including a rash on my hands, arms and chest from sun exposure. I now have daily headaches that completely wipe me out, I'm so tired it's ridiculous, I'm hot all the time, my wrists are so weak and painful I'm scared to lift heavy saucepans/kettle etc and ache all over.
Does this sound like Lupus to you? I don't have any joint swelling but very painful joints and my mood swings are ferocious !
Lupus :: Hearing Loss?
In the spring of 2015, I noticed that there was a constant ringing in my right ear. Around June, I got in with an ENT, who referred me to an audiologist, who diagnosed me with hearing loss. Progressively, the hearing loss has gotten worse. I am a teen, so to me, this seems quite uncommon.
In the fall of 2015, I noticed a constant ringing in my left ear, as well as my right. I checked with my audiologist, and I had a mild hearing loss in my left ear, and a moderate/major hearing loss in my right.
I have also been having these dizzy spells that I like to call "flares", for the past year or so. During these "flares", I get extreme vertigo, fullness in my ear, and obnoxiously loud ringing in my ear. These attacks normally happen in only one ear at a time.
On top of all of this, I have been dealing with joint pain, fatigue, and muscle pain. My memory has gotten awful, and I like I'm in a brain fog all the time. My mom has lupus, so we are thinking it could be autoimmune.
My rhuematologist, ENT, and general doctor sent me for blood work, and my ANA was positive, along with my heat shock protein. This is all so confusing!
Does anyone advice, suggestions, or personal experiences they'd like to share? I have no idea what to do! I am on 500mg of naproxen and turmeric for my joint pain/inflammation, and a bunch of natural supplements in hopes of feeling a little bit better.
Lupus :: Systemic And Choking
I need to determine if lupus is the cause of a swallowing and choking problem I'm having. For the past year or so, whenever I get a cold or allergy congestion, I choke on the mucus. It's been getting progressively worse and last week it happened when we were on vacation and my husband had to get an ambulance to take me to the ER because I was choking and wheezing. They gave me 60 mg. of prednisone for a week, which my allergist adjusted to a lower dose, gave me an inhaler, oxygen and a breathing treatment. I'm also taking a heavy duty antibiotic for a sinus infection. The thing is, I've gotten colds and congestion all my life like anybody else, but I don't know of anyone else who chokes on the mucous. Then this morning I started to wonder if lupus and/or Sjogrens is the culprit and making my throat swollen. I'm going to ask my rheumy when I see him in Dec. but in the meantime I live in fear of getting another cold or allergy symptom. I just can't go through that again. It was the most frightening thing that's ever happened to me. I have been resisting an increase in my methotrexate, but if lupus is the problem, I will gladly up my dose. Does this sound familiar to any of you? Has your doctor told you lupus is affecting your throat?
View 5 RepliesLupus :: Mouth Sores?
I'm not Dx but a quick history-for 5 yrs I've had flares of neuropathy-stinging bee sensations that jump around, muscle twitching all over body. Also beau's lines on nail and blood lines under fingernails. At times I get livedo reticularis on my thighs when in hot sun. Also have bouts of mild pancreatitis. Not sure if its related.
Lately I've been getting little sores on the back of my cheeks-usually one or two a week. they don't hurt but I find it odd
Does any if this sound like lupus?
How To Differentiate Lupus And Sjogrens?
my daughter started this crazy autoimmune journey about 4 years ago at the age of 16. (at least that's when we realized her years of "weirdness" were actually SOMETHING)After some strange knots and rashes and being hospitalized and put on rocephin and bactrim only to spike a temp of 105 and develop a bright red rash from head to toe she was referred to a rheumatologist. She had a positive ANA (no numbers listed on labs, only positive) dsDNA and SSA. She was started on plaquenil and Mobic then added topamax and maxalt due to severe migraines. The initial diagnosis was undifferentiated. Her rheumy said he was leading more to Lupus because she has the distinct butterfly rash. She stopped taking her meds after she got married and has since had two kids (ages 3 and soon to be 1) She just reestablished herself with a new rheumy. They reran her bloodwork and said her ANA is quite high (didn't elaborate with numbers) and her vitamin D is extremely low. She is now back on plaquenil, Mobic, a prescription to help with the Vitamin D and calcium supplements. She has been to the hospital several times in the past few months with chest pain and high heart rate and sometimes high BP. She always tells them she has undifferentiated connective tissue disease but all they ever do is check her SED rate which is NEVER high..... are there specific things she should ask to be tested or should she always go through her rheumy for any unusual symptoms? The whole chest pain thing leaves this mama feeling uneasy and she is one who gets frustrated and says well I went and obviously I'm fine because they said I was fine.......
View 10 RepliesCan Medicine Interfere With Lupus Diagnoses?
I wonder if biopsy and blood are reliable when someone is already on medication.
my dermatologist is convinced I have lupus, but I am already on medication for rosacea (his Son also dermatologist treated me at first). I take tetracycline and have ivermectin and metronidazole creams. The dermatologist took blood for ana and something else. He also wants to do a skin biopsy but my skin is a lot better since I am on the medicine...except for the extreme redness on cheekbones, nose and chin. (I also have raynaud and some other problems)
Hemorrhoidectomy For Hemorrhoids After LUPUS Flare
I had a hemorrhoidectomy on 3/12 and I just had my follow up appointment. My doctor didn't even look to see if I was healing properly. He asked about pain and discomfort then offered to write another prescription to get me through even though I told him I stop taking the prescribed pain pills and moved to over the counter Tylenol after a BM. Let me rewind, this was my first case of external hemorrhoids which occurred during a LUPUS flare. On top of me having LUPUS, my first case of hemorrhoids were thrombus. Anyway back to the concern at hand. I still see what appears to me as two hemorrhoids, one red, and constantly bleeding and the other itching like crazy. I'm not sure what I can do for the discomfort due to one of the hemorrhoids appearing to be open, I'm afraid to put any type of medication on them due to the fear of pain returning. This surgery was my first surgery, I've never had kids, so the pain I experience during these last three weeks had me on the verge go asking God to take me now. I'm not sure if I should be concerned and schedule another appointment with the doctor and request him to take a look or if this is the normal healing process.
View 3 RepliesPleurisy? Lupus? Pericarditis? Still Undiagnosed
For nearly three months I have been dealing with some serious chest pain, particularly when I try and take deep breathes, lay down, or bend or lean forward. At times, the pain is unbearable.
My family doc did some x-rays and sent me to a pulmonologist (assuming it was pleurisy?). After meeting with him he ordered some blood work and a cat scan. After getting the results he told me it wasn't pleurisy (and that that word was actually a "junk door" word that people use to describe lung stuff?). What is weird is that he told me the cat scan revealed that I had some fluid build up in both of my lungs? That being said, the cat scan also suggested that I had fluid around my heart, so he ordered an echocardiogram (sp?), which I did.
All that to say this: the doc is convinced I don't have pleurisy. He thought I had an autoimmune disease (lupus?). Thus, he ordered tons of blood work. I just left his office - all the blood work came back negative and the echocardiogram only found a small "trace" of fluid around my heart. So at this point I am thinking: its gotta be pleurisy, right? Wrong.
He just ordered an EKG. Now he thinks I have something called pericarditis (sp?). So here is my question/frustration: its been three months and we still don't know what I have. I am in intense pain to boot! Are there others out there who have had breathing pain for this long, and if so, what have you been diagnosed with and how have you been treated? Could this really be my heart?
Lupus :: White Spot In Mouth
I recently had a positive dsDNA test but have not been referred to a rheumatologist yet. I am kind of reading up on lupus and just considering a few things that I never really thought much of before.
Do the mouth sores always hurt? I have at least one white spot (bump/lump) on the inside of my bottom lip, but it doesn't hurt. I have heard that the mouth sores are "ulcers", which sound painful. My dentist has seen this spot but never mentioned lupus, so maybe it is just "one of those benign things"?
Lupus :: Numbness And Tingling In Extremities?
I wonder if anyone else has had numbness and tingling in extremities? My GP had thought that the issues in my right hand were due to carpal tunnel and related to my swollen elbows. I had thought the numb toes on my right foot I had in winter was due to raynauds. But it's summer now, my elbows are much better, but I'm waking every night from numbness and tingling in left and right hands and right toes and heel.
I don't see this listed as a side effect of plaquenil or as a symptom of lupus. It's not a huge deal, but does result in less sleep. Does anyone else have this or know the cause?
Lupus :: Birth Control - Estrogen Can Cause Flare Up?
I have read that estrogen can cause Lupus to flare up. I need to go on birth control because when I get my period my joints swell and my gastro issues get worse. Anyone have any suggestions?
View 1 RepliesSystemic Lupus Erythematosus Patient Took Unwanted 72
i had intercourse with my girlfriend. she's a SLE patient and v had protected sex. but it got torn and later i had to give her unwanted 72 !! will this effect her health in any way and is this SO contagious that i will also be affected??
and that night she complain of a bit bleeding!!! is this any way normal?
Cutaneous Lupus Can Affect Menstrual Cycle?
I was recently diagnosed with cutaneous lupus. I was on prednisone and now I am on Plaquenil 400mg a day. I called my pharmacist and asked him if the Plaquenil can stop my menstrual cycle and he looked it up and told me no. So, now I am wondering if the lupus is the cause. I am 5 weeks late I haven't had my period yet and my husband had a vasectomy so I know I can not be pregnant. So my question is can cutaneous lupus cause me not to have a period?
View 2 RepliesLupus :: Gabapentin - Weird Side Effects
Right now I'm being treated with gabapentin during this process(not diagnosed yet), but I'm having weird side effects. I was told it would make me sleepier, sleep better (although I already slept like a rock for 10-18hrs day), and help with pain.
I can say, it did help with fatigue - too much so. I went from sleeping a minimum of 10 hrs + naps to sleeping 4-5hrs. I wasn't sleepy during the day but my body would crash and get emotionally/physically exhausted, but unable to fall asleep. When Id finally sleep, I think I slept OK but it wasn't as deep as I'm used to.
It did not help with pain at all, in fact my pain has been slowly increasing since starting it.
My rheum's only suggestion was to increase to 800 mg, which worsened the sleep issue more. I started flaring again Jan 1, may be partially due to lack of sleep. But it was like a bus hit me again. Actually, the flare might have started before as I was having hair loss christmas week - scalps getting pretty thin from temples to the nape of my neck.
I am so frustrated by this med, I stopped taking it for a couple days. Now I'm immediately back to being tired a lot and wanting to sleep (and able to sleep) 10+ hours. Is there no middle ground? Would anyone have any suggestions here of what to ask rheumatologist?