Help me please!

[brittanyxoxo]

I am a 21 year old female.  I have hypertension and I am treated with hyzaar 25/100 for it. I am overweight and previously had a very poor diet with no exercise. I have high cholesterol and high triglycerides also. I take wellbutrin XL 150 mg, vyvanse 50 mg and and strattera 80 mg. I developed swelling in my fingers in both hands this winter. It is perfectly symmetrical and located in the fatty tissue before my knuckle where my finger meets my hand. They are reddish plaque looking areas. The doctor referred to them as red, erythematous swelling (I included a picture for you to see). The first time I saw my general practitioner he dismissed it as water retention and told me to change my diet. The finger swelling persisted and a reddish mottled rash symmetrical radiated on both of my arms. I began to get very nervous because my hands were freezing and tingling. (I have had always freezing cold hands and feet despite the temperature of the rest of my body). When I returned to the doctor he told me that this might be an allergic reaction but he was going to do blood work to rule out systemic causes. I went home and had to wait for the blood work to return. I decided to go to a dermatologist who then told me it looks like cold urticaria and Raynaud's phenomenon. He said it is unusual to have swelling in the fingers and not in the ankles. My fingers would ache and throb because they were swollen. I noticed that the red plaques/swellings would change color according to temperature. They were also shiny and would alternate from bright red to pink to almost a tinge of violet. The dermatologist instructed me to put on some gloves and dress appropriately for the climate and then see what happens. My blood work came back revealing a normal ANA titer (which the doctor said works in favor of it not being autoimmune) but a slightly elevated Rheumatoid factor. I went to a very prestigious rheumatologist.  I was scared of it being Lupus or Scleroderma from what I read on the internet. The rheumatologist said it was absolutely not rheumatoid arthritis because arthritis is joint swelling and I had swelling of the fatty tissue. He explained that the positive rheumatoid factor is a meaningless component of a large picture and that anything can elevate it. He could not do blood work at the time because my veins were all bruised from being in the hospital with the flu and receiving IV. I asked him if he felt I had lupus or scleroderma and he said no. He told me I had Raynaud's phenomenon and that when the weather gets warm this should resolve. From my research it seemed like my red swellings were chilblains. I did not notice an improvement even on warmer days. My fingers still throbbed and the swellings persisted. I went to an allergist to rule out an allergic reaction, she gave me an ice cube test for cold urticaria and it was negative. She had no answers beyond that. The swelling then spread to my toes on both feet. I developed round, raised swellings on all my toes. I assumed this was part of the chilblains. I also had terrible circulation to begin with so wondered if this was related to my poor lifestyle in general. I began to work out and eat better. I then began to develop odd urticaria like rashes, exacerbated by temperature. If I would put the water in the shower too hot then I would develop hives all over my legs. When I break out from a rash after eating seafood the swelling on my toes and fingers became further severe and almost itchy. So this leads me to my point, I am hopeless, emotionally distraught, frustrated and futile. It is now 80 degrees and this swelling is still going on, however, it just began to get hot. Perhaps it needs time to heal in the warmer climate? A holistic nutritionist dismissed it as inflammation of unknown ideology (most likely from poor diet) and has me doing anti-inflammatory supplements, diet and shakes. Someone please help me with answers. Does this sound like an autoimmune disease such as Lupus or Scleroderma? I am frantic. The ANA was negative but why is this happening? Could this be just a repercussion of my reckless lifestyle and being overweight? Poor circulation in general? Please tell me what you think this may be. I included a photo of what is going on with my hands so you can look and make a decision. Thank you so much!


This discussion is related to Weird Symptoms - Which AutoImmune is it?.

[TheLightSeeker]

Hey brittany.
Welcome to the forum!
Sorry to hear about all your health problems.

Good news and bad news.
The cause of all loss of energy, pain, degeneration, illness and disease and even death is quite simply a loss of frequency. It sounds simple, yet it is an intricate interplay of various
factors. Mainly biochemical, emotional and mechanical.
Three fundamentals rules for optimum health are:
1. Do not stress. Manage your emotions and stress levels.
2. Nourish your body with the best nutrition possible!
3. Use your body efficiently. Proper breathing and  regular physical activity for fitness.

You can be your own judge, regarding what you.ve done wrong in the past, and what you're doing now to correct it.

Medical care with drugs and tests and diagnosis etc, can  address issues  mainly at the at the surface.
Symptom and pain management is O.K. provided there's no major side effects or chronic
contribution to other conditions from the prescribed medications.
(I have a friend who is on 15 medications, 8 of which are to manage side effects of the others, and is in constant pain and suffering every single day now. It's so sad to see people
suffering like that.)

From what you described:
Basically, my personal view, which has a predominant holistic approach,
is that your cells are in a "wet state".
That means that your energy production at the cellular level is compromised.
Next appointment with your dr. you may want to ask him/her to advise you on how to improve your lymphatic system, in order to restore your cell's "dry state".
It is the main body system that will help you at the cellular level, with this particular  issue.
At the "dry state" oxygen uptake is improved and  cell energy is improved greatly.
Your minerals will be able then to facilitate much more efficiently, the numerous
processes, that they are involved in.
Please do your own research, and check with you own health care professional,
before you make any decisions regarding your health.
Should you require more details, or have any specific questions please post again here.
For alternative or holistic recommendations please post at the alternative therapies
(within this forum) or send me a message directly.
Blessings and Happy Mother's Day to all Moms!
Nikodicreta

[chance588]

The first thing that comes to mind is the medications your Dr. (s) have you on. I know you say that the allergist did tests for an allergy, but did she check all the side effects of your meds? It is very possible to be having a side effect from one of your meds. I would start from scratch with a new Dr. if possible and do some research on the side effects of all the meds you are taking. Sometimes you can be on a med for years and develop a reaction out of the blue. I would also increase your water intake. The more water you drink, the less water your body retains. If you are having a reactions to your meds, it would make sense for you to break out in hives after a hot shower, as showers open up all your vessels. The chances of it being Lupus with a negative ANA is very small, but I would not completely rule out autoimmune. Sometimes it can take years for an autoimmune disease to surface enough to paint a picture. Don't give up! Its never to late to change your eating habits and your lifestyle. If you arent getting the answers you need from your Dr., look elsewhere.