Aa
help with diagnose
Hello,
i'm a 46 old female who has had flares since I was a teenage, maybe earlier, this last bout started in feb, I have a positive ana, high sed rate and crp, EMG on both arms showed muscle damage more on the right than the left. plus damage to both knees, my left elbow, all my joints pop all the time, random rashes that come and go on my arms, neck and face. i'm always covered in black and blue marks.the skin on my face has changed drastically over the last year. I had a double cervical fusion in 2002 the dr said it was the worst neck they ever seen whitout being in a car accident. i waited 3.5 months to see a rheumatologist who thinks its all fibro, she ordered more anas but I dont have those results yet any help would be helpful
i'm a 46 old female who has had flares since I was a teenage, maybe earlier, this last bout started in feb, I have a positive ana, high sed rate and crp, EMG on both arms showed muscle damage more on the right than the left. plus damage to both knees, my left elbow, all my joints pop all the time, random rashes that come and go on my arms, neck and face. i'm always covered in black and blue marks.the skin on my face has changed drastically over the last year. I had a double cervical fusion in 2002 the dr said it was the worst neck they ever seen whitout being in a car accident. i waited 3.5 months to see a rheumatologist who thinks its all fibro, she ordered more anas but I dont have those results yet any help would be helpful
Sorry to keep asking the same question, but you really need to get a copy of all your labs from 20 years. If your ANA has been elevated that long, surely you could get an idea of the level and pattern from someone.
I'm not familar w/ thyroid antibody, is 52 elevated? If so, hashimoto thyroiditis can cause joint pain along w/ other symptoms.
I'm not familar w/ thyroid antibody, is 52 elevated? If so, hashimoto thyroiditis can cause joint pain along w/ other symptoms.
Hi it's Laurie, I'm sorry it's been a while, I just got my lab results of new blood work, my sed rate was 68 and crp was 3.5 my primary was going to talk to the rummy about the results, my primary started me on a tapper of steroids on 8/16 it helped so much, the hips stopped hurting and the swelling went down, as I tappered down the pain returned but not as bad, the day i finished the last dose, the left arm started again, so still no diagnosis,
Laurie, Call you dr. and request a copy of your lab. It would also be great to get some of the previous labs to compare.
What happened w/ the polymyalgia rhematica dx? Why did the rhematologist decide it wasn't that?
Just so you know, 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 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 count or 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
As far as fibromyalgia goes, you possibly could have fibro along w/ something else. It very commonly goes along w/ other serious illnesses.
What happened w/ the polymyalgia rhematica dx? Why did the rhematologist decide it wasn't that?
Just so you know, 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 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 count or 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
As far as fibromyalgia goes, you possibly could have fibro along w/ something else. It very commonly goes along w/ other serious illnesses.
THIS IS MORE DETAIL FROM MY ORIGINAL POST, MY ANA HAD BEEN POSITIVE FOR ALMOST 20YEARS, ACCORDING TO MY RUMMY IT ALWAYS WILL, THEY'VE NEVER TOLD ME THE LEVEL. IN 2002 WHEN I HAD MY FUSION SURGERY, THE DRS TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO BE ONE OF THE STRONEST WOMEN THEY HAD EVER SEEN, TO HAVE THAT MUCH DAMAGE TO MY C4AND 5. THESE DAMN FLARES HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN. WITH ALL THE OTHER FLARES, EXCEPT MY NECK THE WAS NEVER ANY JOINT INVOLVEMENT, EXCEPT PROTEIN IN MY URINE. THIS NEW FLARE, STARTED IN FEB. MY MOM WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, WHILE I WAS THERE SHE NOTICED THE HIVEY RASH ON MY NECK, WITH IN A FEW DAYS MY FACE HAD THE SAME RASH, SINCE THEN IT COMES AND GOES, ON MY WRISTS ON BOTH ARMS ABOUT FIVE INCHES, THEN IT;LL BE ON BOTH SHOULDERS AND NECK, IT GOES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM. IT'S NOT THE SAME RASH I GET FROM THE SUN, THAT RASH STARTS OUT AS LITTLE BUMPS THAT SPRED AND ITCH LIKE CRAZY, ANOTHER THING THAT DRIVES ME NUTS IS THAT I STARTED SWEATING, AND BEING HOT ALL THE TIME, AND WHEN I SAY SWEAT, IN RUNS OF ME. ANOTHER CRAZY THING IS FOR YEARS I'D WAKE UP OUT OF A SOUND SLEEP WITH EXTREME PAIN, I COULDN'T MOVE OR TOUCH THE BODY PART.( IT COULD BE AN ARM, LEG, FOOT) I NEVER NEW WHERE IT WOULD BE OR HAPPEN AND THEIR WAS NEVER ANY PATTERN TO IT. IT COULD BE MONTHS WITHOUT AN ATTACK. IN FEB THEY STARTED MORE OFTEN,
OVER A WEEKS TIME THEY SETTLED IN MY LEFT ARM, IT FELT LIKE ALL THE MUSCLES IN MY ARM WERE CONSTANTLY CONTRACTED, THEN THE SWELLING SET IN, IT WAS ALMOST TWICE THE SIZE OF MY RIGHT ARM, THE PAIN WAS NEEDLESS TO SAY UNBAREABLE. AND OF COUSRE HAPPEN ON A THURSDAY, DURING A SEVERE SNOW STORM, WHEN I FINALLY GOT IN TO SEE MY PRIMARY, SHE WAS SHOCKED, BY THEN THE KNEES WERE IN CONSTANT PAIN, SHE ORDERED ALL KINDS OF TESTS, ANA CBC SED, ETC. THE SED WAS HIGH AND MY THYROID WAS VERY LOW, SHE THROUGHT MS OR MY NECK AGAIN, SHE ORDERED THE MRIS OF BOTH AND THEY WERE CLEAN,SHE PUT ME ON 25MG OF SYNTROID, AND ULTRAM, I'D BEEN ON CELEBREX FOR QUITE A WHILE AND SHE WANTED ME TO STOP THAT, WHILE I WAS ON THE ULTRAM, WITH IN 10 DAYS OF SO I COULDN'T EVEN WALK THE PAIN WAS BAD, SO I STARTED THE CELEBREX AGAIN, THE ULTRAM WAS USELESS AND SHE REFERRED ME TO THE NEUROLIGIST, HE DIDN'T LIKE THE MOLTED SKIN RASH ON BOTH LEGS AND ARMS, SO HE OREDED MORE BLOOD WORK , CRP WAS ELEVATED THEN, EMGS SHOWED THE DAMAGE ,THE DAMAGE TO BOTH ARMS, HE THOUGT POLYMALGIA REUMATICA, HE REFERRED ME TO THE RUMMY, THAT WAS IN APRIL 5, MY APPT WITH THE RUMMY WAS ON JULY 20TH, SHE THINKS ITS ALL FIBRO, BUT TO ME ALL THE SYMPTOMS DONT ADD UP, I NOT TIRED, EVER, I SLEEP 6 OR SEVEN HOURS, UNLESS THE PAIN WAKES ME UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHICH ALSO HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT MORE. MORE OF MY JOINTS ARE BEGINNING TO HURTS, MY HIPS AND LEFT SHOULDER, OTHER THAN THE MUSCLE DAMAGE IN MY RIGHT ARM THERE'S NO PAIN, WITH FIBO ITS ALL FOUR QUADS, SHE ORDERED MORE BLOOD WORK, C3 WAS 182 C4 WAS 48 ANTI-THYROID WAS 52, HER ANSWER TO ALL THE CRAZY RASHES WAS YOU'VE GOT A TAN, ITS FROM THE SUN, IN FEB WHEN THEY STARTED IT 15 BELOW ZERO AND SNOW, I DONT KNOW I'M JUST AT MY WITS END, I HAVE A VERY HIGH PAIN TOLERANCE, I HAD FOUR KIDS WITHOUT ANYTHING, EXCEPT THE NOVICANE WHEN THEY WERE STICHING ME UP, ALL THE PAIN MEDS THEY HAVE ME ON DONT TOUCH THE PAIN, METADONE, ONYCODONE, FLEXERIL, CELEBREX, AND I TAKE SEROQUEL AT NIGHT TO SLEEP, IF MY HUBSND AND I HAVE A FEW BEERS AT NIGHT IT HELPS WITH THE PAIN FOR SOME RESON I DON'T UNDERSTAND. I SEE MY PRIMARY AGAIN ON THE 16TH, I HOPING SEE CAN FIGURE OUT WHATS GOING ON, I'M GLAD I FOUND SOME PLACE TO VENT, THANKS LAURIE
OVER A WEEKS TIME THEY SETTLED IN MY LEFT ARM, IT FELT LIKE ALL THE MUSCLES IN MY ARM WERE CONSTANTLY CONTRACTED, THEN THE SWELLING SET IN, IT WAS ALMOST TWICE THE SIZE OF MY RIGHT ARM, THE PAIN WAS NEEDLESS TO SAY UNBAREABLE. AND OF COUSRE HAPPEN ON A THURSDAY, DURING A SEVERE SNOW STORM, WHEN I FINALLY GOT IN TO SEE MY PRIMARY, SHE WAS SHOCKED, BY THEN THE KNEES WERE IN CONSTANT PAIN, SHE ORDERED ALL KINDS OF TESTS, ANA CBC SED, ETC. THE SED WAS HIGH AND MY THYROID WAS VERY LOW, SHE THROUGHT MS OR MY NECK AGAIN, SHE ORDERED THE MRIS OF BOTH AND THEY WERE CLEAN,SHE PUT ME ON 25MG OF SYNTROID, AND ULTRAM, I'D BEEN ON CELEBREX FOR QUITE A WHILE AND SHE WANTED ME TO STOP THAT, WHILE I WAS ON THE ULTRAM, WITH IN 10 DAYS OF SO I COULDN'T EVEN WALK THE PAIN WAS BAD, SO I STARTED THE CELEBREX AGAIN, THE ULTRAM WAS USELESS AND SHE REFERRED ME TO THE NEUROLIGIST, HE DIDN'T LIKE THE MOLTED SKIN RASH ON BOTH LEGS AND ARMS, SO HE OREDED MORE BLOOD WORK , CRP WAS ELEVATED THEN, EMGS SHOWED THE DAMAGE ,THE DAMAGE TO BOTH ARMS, HE THOUGT POLYMALGIA REUMATICA, HE REFERRED ME TO THE RUMMY, THAT WAS IN APRIL 5, MY APPT WITH THE RUMMY WAS ON JULY 20TH, SHE THINKS ITS ALL FIBRO, BUT TO ME ALL THE SYMPTOMS DONT ADD UP, I NOT TIRED, EVER, I SLEEP 6 OR SEVEN HOURS, UNLESS THE PAIN WAKES ME UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHICH ALSO HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT MORE. MORE OF MY JOINTS ARE BEGINNING TO HURTS, MY HIPS AND LEFT SHOULDER, OTHER THAN THE MUSCLE DAMAGE IN MY RIGHT ARM THERE'S NO PAIN, WITH FIBO ITS ALL FOUR QUADS, SHE ORDERED MORE BLOOD WORK, C3 WAS 182 C4 WAS 48 ANTI-THYROID WAS 52, HER ANSWER TO ALL THE CRAZY RASHES WAS YOU'VE GOT A TAN, ITS FROM THE SUN, IN FEB WHEN THEY STARTED IT 15 BELOW ZERO AND SNOW, I DONT KNOW I'M JUST AT MY WITS END, I HAVE A VERY HIGH PAIN TOLERANCE, I HAD FOUR KIDS WITHOUT ANYTHING, EXCEPT THE NOVICANE WHEN THEY WERE STICHING ME UP, ALL THE PAIN MEDS THEY HAVE ME ON DONT TOUCH THE PAIN, METADONE, ONYCODONE, FLEXERIL, CELEBREX, AND I TAKE SEROQUEL AT NIGHT TO SLEEP, IF MY HUBSND AND I HAVE A FEW BEERS AT NIGHT IT HELPS WITH THE PAIN FOR SOME RESON I DON'T UNDERSTAND. I SEE MY PRIMARY AGAIN ON THE 16TH, I HOPING SEE CAN FIGURE OUT WHATS GOING ON, I'M GLAD I FOUND SOME PLACE TO VENT, THANKS LAURIE
hello i too have constant knee pain and the joints in my fingers hurt and i also had a positive ana count .recently i discovered a bruise on my thigh that was small and itchy i thought i popped a vein or something but now its huge and dark almost black . i dont see my rheumatiologists till oct and i need answers i was told i have lupus but he says its not so then what it is
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What was your ANA level? many of what you told me does sound like lupus and maybe even polymyositis (which could be the reason for the muscle damage) What did the dr. say about the muscle damage? It is possible that you also have fibromyalgia. That usually goes along w/ other illnesses and is rarely alone. Be sure and spend time in the sun prior to your next dr. appt. If you have lupus, the sun exposure will cause your ANA to be very elevated. Just go to your appt. early and stand outside in the sun for about 20-30 min (depending on the strength of the sun. summer vs. winter)
Keep us posted