How To Differentiate Lupus And Sjogrens?
Oct 2, 2015
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.......
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I've had odd symptoms for many stinging pains, muscle twitching rashes, pancreatitis that is chronic but clear via scans.
Well, almost 3 weeks ago, a large red mark appeared on left breast. I've been going back and forth to doctor as I've wanted to rule out inflammatory breast cancer-it presents with redness etc but no lesions, hard to diagnose. Today when I went back, the doctor felt nodes under my armpit, confirmed during ultrasound, but said they looked benign and small. He said actually it could pop up from autoimmune. He did admit it was odd. It was on the same side as affected breast and not the other. I'm going to get an MRI of my breast as IBC doesn't show on mammogram or ultrasound often.
I've had swollen nodes in the past. I noticed a few times on my jaw line.
I haven't been diagnosed with lupus, tests many years ago were totally clear as were vasculitits tests. But curious if anyone has had nodes on one part of the body pop up. Im praying its not IBC. I'd much rather it be something else. IBC is the most aggressive form of BC and spreads in a matter of weeks, so grasping for other explanations
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I have had Sjogrens for many many years but never has my mouth been so dry. The other nite I was eating. I got food stuck in my esophagus -.i was so scared and in a panic. I always take a drink before I eat. But that was different I was so dry it just got stuck. I was so scared. Thinking I was going to die. My husband was right by mr and he too was scared. After a while trying to get it out I realized I needed to call 911.
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I am looking for some information to (hopefully) calm my nerves. I had unprotected oral and protected vaginal sex with an escort 16 days ago. After about 12 days I started to develop Balanitis symptoms on the head of my peniswhich was preceeded by a slight burning sensation in the genital area for about a day.
The symptoms have now almost cleared up but I am stressed about herpes potentially being the cause of the symptoms.
There has been no pain and no blisters of any sort but there was a slight itchy feeling from time to time in the genital area although that may well have been because of my imagination running wild.
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I have had quite a few ECG's and blood tests but doctors say it is just anxiety but when you're experiencing symptoms without a panic attack how do you really know it's anxiety and not an underlying heart problem ?
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I found out 6 months ago I had diverticular disease after a flair up of diverticulitis. I have recently had another flair up - a few days ago. Although it seems mild it is still fairly debilitating but doesn't seem as bad as first time. I don't know if I am experiencing day to day diverticular disease symptoms or diverticulitis? First attack had fever with it and feeling sick but this one is just pain and diarrhea and feeling really down. Can't eat except for liquids. Is this diverticulitis or diverticular disease and how do you know the difference? Is it to do with the fever being present or not? I am so worried as no real information has been given to me and I feel scared I won't be able to live a normal life with this. Can someone tell me the difference and should I be heading to the doctors as soon as i get a flair up or just put up with it until it gets worse? I have read so many scary things about it I don't know if I can cope.
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How to I differentiate between herpes, cyst and folliculitis?
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I've been having problems with hemorrhoids for many years now. Probably about 8 years or so (I am 27). It has gotten worse in the last 2-3 years I'd say. How do I tell if this is internal or external hemorrhoids?
I've read up on the symptoms and I'm not sure how to read this. For me, the flare up only occurs after a bowel movement. If i go to sleep right after, the hemorrhoids is always gone. Sometimes the hemorrhoids will go away on its own after a few hours on its own (how? i dont know).
All i know is that it never goes on for more than 1 day continuously because it always goes away when I go to sleep. Any idea which type I have? Its gotten to a point where I dread bowel movements because it makes walking difficult (unless I find a comfortable laying position where it will go away on its own). Hoping there is a way to make the hemorrhoids go away within an hour of the bowel movement.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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 !
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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)
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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.
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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?
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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"?
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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?
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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?
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