I think I have Lupus..

[jonathan_shepard]

Lately I've been going through the same onset symptoms that my brother had before he was diagnosed.  It started with pain in my wrists, and moved into my fingers, knees, toes, and elbows.  I'm having problems doing tasks that involve opening doors, turning knobs, etc.  Then, the last time I used the restroom, my fecal matter was very pale and appeared to be laced with a red stripe.  All night at work I was freezing, even in many layers of clothing, a skull cap, thermal underwear, and gloves.  I was very tired as well.  I soon realized that these are all the symptoms of Lupus that my brother told me about.. sans the skin rash.  So everything was okay last night and this morning until I looked in the mirror and.. two skin rashes on my cheek.  Little red blotches.  A little itchy, but not really enough to scratch or feel compelled to scratch.  

My brother has Lupus, but no one else in my family that I can think of had it or told anyone they had it.  I never really took great care of myself; I've been hard on my body with excessive exercise, sparse nutrition, poor sleeping habits, and occasional phases of bulimia (now outgrown, hopefully).  I can't really get to a doctor because I live on my own, my motorcycle isn't very dependable in this cold weather, and I don't talk to my family or have any means of contacting them.  No medical insurance and money is too tight for another medical bill.  If I do have lupus, I definitely won't be able to afford the regular treatment necessary to live with it.  On the other hand, if I do nothing, I won't have to worry about living at all.

Does anyone else think all of this might just be a coincidence, or is it likely that I am in fact showing signs of Lupus?

[karajo]

Hi Jonathan,
Welcome to MedHelp Lupus Forum

I does sound like you might have lupus.  There is a lupus medicine that they usually try from the get go.  It comes in a generic.  But I'm sure they would want to have a solid dx before putting you on it. (Plaquinel)

There are 11 criteria for a lupus dx.  You must have at least 4 of the 11 to recieve a dx.

They are:
1. malar rash over cheeks (butterfly rash)
2. discoid rash, red raised patches
3. photosensitivity - reaction to sunlight, resulting in skin rash
4. oral and nose ulcers
5. arthritis
6. serositis - inflamation (inflammation) of the lining of the lung or heart
7. reanl disorder - excessive protein in urine and/or cellular casts
8. neurologic disorder - seizures, or psychosis
9. anemia or low white blood countor lymphopenia or low platelet count
10. positive ANA
11. positive anti-DNA or anti-Sm, or antiphospholipid antibody or false pos. syphilis test

Other symptoms are:
fever
abdominal pain
chest pain
shortness of breath
blood in urine
hair falling out
fatigue
muscle pain and weakness
dizziness
poor memory
headaches
poor circulation in fingers and toes
tingling in extremities
diarrhea
bloating
nausea
weight loss
abdominal pain
blurred vision
depression
palpitations
raynauds (where fingers turn white when cold)
intollerance to cold
sore throat
...to name a few

Keep in mind that fibromyalgia, CFS, MS and lymes disease also have similar symptoms.  

Hope this helps out.  
God bless you Jonathan,
Kara

[matilda587]

HI.I HAVENT BEEN ON HERE MUCH...JUST STARTIN OUT.MY SISTER HAS LUPUS.I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FIBRO,CFS,RLS,HYPOTHYROIDISM,ANEMIC...CANT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE RITE NOW.I WAS AT THE DOCS TODAY,TOLD HIM I WANNA SEE A NEUROLOGIST-LESIONS ON THE BRAIN SHOWED ON MRI.HE WANTS ME TO SEE FIBRO SPECIALIST.I KNOW THERES SOMETHING BESIDES FIBRO GOIN ON....OH AND BLISTERS ON MY SCALP.WHATS YOUR TAKE?

[karajo]

Have you been having neurological symptoms?

In my opinion, the sores on the scalp could either be from stress, hormone changes or lupus.

A friend who has restless leg said she heard an old timer say to use tonic water for that.  She tried it and it worked.  Just a small glass every night right before bed.  It would be a cheep thing to try.  We had a hard time finding it in the store.  Finally found it over where the liqour is.  Never go over to that area.

How is your sister doing?

[matilda587]

she actually seems better than I.I am going to see a neurologist,and a fibro/pain managment doc.my b12 was dangerously low for so long,I think that was the start and cause of all of this.Personally I think I have some brain damage-cant think,strange feelings,like m stoned on something.scares me.cant control my wandering thoughts.weird.I still get b12 shots every 2 weeks.take one everyday.I know that low b12 can cause permant brain damage,and central nervous system disorders.And ya know what?Id beentelling my doc I was wiped out for years.Till the inflammation showed up in my blood.I read his referral..mixed connective tissue disease.I

[karajo]

Lesions on the brain.  I'm not real familar with what causes that. I know MS does, and it can cause the weird sensations in the brain/thinking area.  But low B12 can cause some neuropathy / tingling feelings too.  

Sometimes,I wonder if some of these disease don't cause vit deficiencies.  Just a thought.

Keep us posted,
~Kara

[matilda587]

are you in canada?our health care system sometimes is not great to say the least.but at least we're attended to.but all the referrals already have the docs opinion on it,so unless the specialist doesnt see it,he usually goes by that first.I had an mri 11 years after been runover,finally thinking something would be done,they found abunch of tears in my knee.spec said'TOO LATE...TOO MUCH ARTHRITIS,,I NO CUT!"---WHAT A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

[karajo]

No, I'm from America.  But unfortunately, the drs. are no different.  If they figure out you've been to another dr. about the same condition, they are wanting to know what they said.  I presumed because they don't want to go against the other drs.  

My mother finds great releif with her arthritis using alfalfa pills.  She gets it in capsule form because she has a hard time swallowing the tablets.  She takes a handful several times a day.  It would certainly not hurt.  She has tried glucosamine and condroitin and MSM, but she just keeps going back to the alfalfa.  

It's always sad to hear of someone running into dead-ins in the medical arrena.  I guess we think they can fix anything, but only God can do that.  

~Kara