Lupus & MS

[Forgetfullkaykay]

HI Guys!  I'm new here.

I was dx with lupus in 2009, and because I've had neuro symptoms my rhumatologist sent me to the neurologist who did an MRI and found four liesions.  He said it could be caused by lupus or, given the symptoms, could be MS.  He said we do another MRI in six months (that was in Nov 2010) so I'm due for that.  Hopefully that will give me some answers.

If I have MS the symptoms started the same time my Lupus symptoms started, and flare at the same time also, so I'm wondering if I really just have one disease or the other but not both.  Is there anyone on the forum that got Lups and MS at essentially the same time?  I was 48 when symptoms started.  

I'v myrid symptoms and they are rather dull to iterate, (makes me feel hypocondreatic) but for lupus, I get mouth sores and rashes that I don't think ever happens in MS - is that correct?  Otherwise all of my symptoms can be found in either disease.  Except for stricly MS symptoms like that jittery eye thing, and unplanned limb movement and this rediculous itcy patch and a numb finger (see, I sound rediculous).

Thoughts??

thanks for reading & your comments are even more appreciated

[Forgetfullkaykay]

thanks for the replies - I hope to learn more next week with the second mri, if it is untelling I'm going to pursue the other diagnostic tools to try to rule out MS or get it dealt with.  

unfortunatly in three years it isn't going away.

[Ojibajo]

Hi, I'm glad that you posted. I was diagnosed with MS in February. I was tested for Lupus as well (I also get the face rash) and (forgive me if my medical terminology is all wrong. I am social studies teacher not a doctor.) my ANA was elevated so they repeated the test and it was only slightly elevated so I guess they are just watching for symptoms and the reappearance of the rash and then they will probably repeat the test again. I know that Lupus is an MS mimic, but I think it is possible to have both.

[Sidesteps]

You do not sound ridiculous. I get it. My mom is ANA positive but has neuro symptoms as well. They haven't figured out the auto-immune disease yet though they said she has one. I am encouraging her to seek a second opinion as her symptoms sound very similar to mine.

To get to the point? I have read that many auto-immune diseases can run with each other. It is not uncommon to have more than one. Sad but true.

I have heard of CNS Lupus (not common but, hey, who are we to speak about "common" huh?) but I haven't heard of lupus causing lesions.