really rough week :(

Good morning everyone. I had a very bad week. I have had horrible joint pain with inflamation (inflammation) in several joints. I went to dr. who then referred me to rhumatologist. Well he said there was a chance of lupus. I had already had a possitive ana which is indicative of a connective tissue dissorder for 10 years, but never had an official diagnosis other than fibromyalgia. Well some of the blood came back and it shows my liver has elevated Alt and Ast. Im not taking any meds other than pre natal, baby aspirin (I was told to take daily to keep blood thin) and synthroid for my thyroid. I was never a HUGE drinker and this just sucks because I cant take the pain and swelling!

Anyone know anyone with elevated liver tests or lupus? Dr said m/c could happen more in 2nd or 3rd trimester. Im 17wks tomorrow. I would just die if that happens.

Heres the kicker.... Im getting an amnio tomorrow at 9 am. High risk dr said it is fine to get that even with my problems.

Im totally freaking out and nervous.

[Allexa]

hi. im sorry i dont no much about this but i just wanted to say that i hope u feel better soon and i hope everything works out for u. i wish u tons of luck..

[missie69]

Hi, I am so sorry for what you are going though.  I was the opposite.  i have fibro, cfs, thyroid problem,  joints constantly hurt and swell, plus having 2 strokes.  I was in remission when I was preggers last fall, but I did m/c last thanksgiving.   They did genetic testing and found no reason.  I was only 11 weeks, but my baby stoped growing at 8.5 weeks.  
Hang in there and take it easy.  Try taking a hot shower then take some tylenol before you go to bed that always seems to help a little.   Have you tried the fibro board?  They are very encouraging. I am sure someone there has gone through this.
I am here if you need to vent. I will cry myself to sleep some days due to the pain, but I never let my kids on to how bad it really is.
Melissa

[ark730]

Thanks for your comments ladies. I have been in alot of discomfort and Im out of my mind! I appreciate the responses.

My problem.... Wow we do have alot in common. I also m/c 7 mos ago. Do you know what causes those liver tests to get elevated? Do you have a pos. ANA? Thanks for letting me know about auto immune hep. I never hear of that and I will research. Thanks for the words of encouragement :)

[myproblem]

Hey sister, I mean we could be. Don't freak out yet. I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease which is a mix of Lupus, and Scleroderma. I have elevated ALT and AST a lot of the time. My Dr. refers to it as "autoimmune hepatitis". Look it up. It has not caused problems form my pregnancies though. I have one daughter who just turned 3, and will be 20 weeks tomorrow with this one. The physical pain is definately overwhelming at times, but I just try to take it easy so I don't push my body over the edge. Take tylenol if you need it, but stay FAR away from NSAIDS for now, as they can elevate your liver enzymes more, and aren't really a good idea during pregnancy anyway. It the pain is really bad at night, you can probably get an Rx for a narcotic, which is usually safe as long as you don't overuse it. If you feel the amnio is important, don't be afraid to do it. It really is safe. The meds you're on are also safe, and very important for you. Do not stop them. I did have a lot of m/c, but they were all very early. Once I got on the baby asprin, and progesterone suppositories, I made it through. Your Dr. is trying to be straightforward with you, but may be scaring you a little. Just try to relax, and enjoy your pregnancy.

[Jules_za]

My dad has systemic Lupus.  Which Lupus do you have?

[myproblem]

Lupus, and related autoimmune diseases are inflamatory conditions. In otherwords, they can cause inflamation (inflammation) in almost any part of the body, especially soft/connective tissue. In the case of elevated liver enzymes, the liver is being attacked by the autoimmune antibodies, and is inflames. Hepatitis actually means Liver (hepa) Inflamation (inflammation) (itis). It can come and go just like the joint pain. In my case, I have at different times had the inflamation (inflammation) affect my liver, gallbladder, esophagus, digestive tract, and lungs, as well as my joints. so far, the only places that seem to have permanent damage are my lungs and esophagus. I also have Mitral Valve Prolapse, which is probably also a result of the MCTD. I do not tend to have a high ANA, which is one of the reasons I got a mixed diagnosis. It is also part of the reason that my diagnosis took 12 years.