Is it possible I have lupus or am i just being silly here? I would really really want some help, please

[xelliex]

hi, im 17, and im really starting to feel at the end of my tether now and am quite fed up. About 2-3 years ago I started experiencing kidney infection like symptoms, I knew what it was like because I was in hospital at the age of 8 for 2 weeks witha  serious kidney infection that took a while to clear. I went to the doctors and had tests etc and sometimes they would come back normal other times a different story, if I was really bad and expiernicng a lot of pain ( but no burning sensation) in my lower back and generally feeling horrible the urine test would she protien white blood cells, blood and im not sure of the names of the rest but most of the stuff that shouldnt be there but it was missing nitrates, I think which indicate a kidney infection, so doctors were quite confussed about this, I assumed kindey infection due to symptoms, someitmes went on antibiotics anyway by doctors without bacteria evidence just because my urine tests were abnormal. This someitmes helped sometimes didnt, I also found it strange that the kindey infection symptoms wernt constant, just flared up everynow and then for soemtimes about 2 weeks and then died down again. Not only that but over time I have noticed symptoms that accompany it which arnt typical kindey infection symptoms which are really sore tender upper arms which feel briused, and a bit in shoulders, bit in upper thieghs and neck, really bad headaches ( could be kindey related) dizzieness but not like room spinning more like faint sorta feeling, someitmes chest pains, and very tired, in the evenings now I can barley do anythign i just want to fall asleep. Anyway a infection was picked up recently and I thought thank god I have soemthing that we can now name and I can fight but I found it weird that the doctor said when I said oh must have been there for ages he said no it looks like a regular acute one :S , but anyway went on a course of anitbiotics for 6 months - a year to try and clear it for good but whilsit one them I got a flare up :S so we doubled up the dose for 7 days to rid it then went back to low dose, and then a month later I am yet again feeling horrible, this time mostly I just have really achey (achy) arms and am really tired and faint and a shakey, and a bit of pain in my lower back/abdomen, I am back to doubled dose of anitbiotics for 7 days, im 3 days in and no improvment, I went to the doctors today and they dismissed the acheyness and tiredness and just gave me more antibiotics, im just getting really frustated now, anyone have any ideas or am i just being a tad crazy?? lol

[TrudieC]

Your symptoms do seem like Lupus or other arthritis related auto-immune.  If I were you I'd insist they send you to a rheumatologist to have things ruled out or in.  Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

[xelliex]

thank you very much, I am just getting really frustrated cos I know im not feeling right but I also dont want to sound a bit crazy sorta guessing whats wrong with me and things, but I really just want to try and sort it out as best I can. im today getting aches in one of my wrists and my ankle and a bit in my foot, feels like a mild sprain or something :S, but hopefully it will all make sense soon, I will take your advice thank you :)