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UCTD - Please help
Hello and thank you for your time, first of all. I am a 40-year-old woman, Alaskan Native/Caucasian mix, 3 children with no history of any diseases like diabetes, etc.
I began not feeling well November of last year. By the end of February/March I started to have strange pains in my hands. It would be a sudden pain, so sharp and alarming I'd holler out. Sometimes it would last a few seconds, sometimes for a long period of time. It increased in frequency and duration and swelling in the area of the pain. This continued and progressed to my feet. By this time I had realized that the Native clinic would be of no help to me, they suggest taking ibuprofen.
By June I have insurance and go outside native clinic. New PCP says there is enough to be concerned about and sends me to Virginia Mason. I see the Rheumatologist there and he orders a ton of lab work and asks me a lot of questions.
*I have alternating constipation and diarrhea
*I have had sudden mouth sores, like a blister for no apparent reason
*The pain and swelling has increased in intensity, now up both my arms and legs to the shoulder and hip, worse with activity.
*My veins bulge out, in the area that the pain is the worst
*I am very tired, fatigue all the time and feel sick
*I have run a low grade temperature off and on for quite some time
*I have difficulty swallowing sometimes, is as if my throat doesn't want to work
*I have had severely dry eyes for the past 2 eye exams
*I am Vitamin D deficient (Alaskans)
Results: +Anti-Alpha Fodrin IgA, B2 (had no detectable amount in my system), B12, Iron deficiencies (weird considering I eat healthy)ANA & Sed rate normal. Salivary gland biopsy shows minor inflammation but not enough to confirm Sjogren's. Gave me UCTD diagnosis. Rheumatologist started 400 mg Plaquenil PCP has me on 200 mg Tramadol ER, 100 mg Tramadol instant release, 1500 mg Neurontin, taking Vitamin B/Iron/D supplements. Suggestions?
I began not feeling well November of last year. By the end of February/March I started to have strange pains in my hands. It would be a sudden pain, so sharp and alarming I'd holler out. Sometimes it would last a few seconds, sometimes for a long period of time. It increased in frequency and duration and swelling in the area of the pain. This continued and progressed to my feet. By this time I had realized that the Native clinic would be of no help to me, they suggest taking ibuprofen.
By June I have insurance and go outside native clinic. New PCP says there is enough to be concerned about and sends me to Virginia Mason. I see the Rheumatologist there and he orders a ton of lab work and asks me a lot of questions.
*I have alternating constipation and diarrhea
*I have had sudden mouth sores, like a blister for no apparent reason
*The pain and swelling has increased in intensity, now up both my arms and legs to the shoulder and hip, worse with activity.
*My veins bulge out, in the area that the pain is the worst
*I am very tired, fatigue all the time and feel sick
*I have run a low grade temperature off and on for quite some time
*I have difficulty swallowing sometimes, is as if my throat doesn't want to work
*I have had severely dry eyes for the past 2 eye exams
*I am Vitamin D deficient (Alaskans)
Results: +Anti-Alpha Fodrin IgA, B2 (had no detectable amount in my system), B12, Iron deficiencies (weird considering I eat healthy)ANA & Sed rate normal. Salivary gland biopsy shows minor inflammation but not enough to confirm Sjogren's. Gave me UCTD diagnosis. Rheumatologist started 400 mg Plaquenil PCP has me on 200 mg Tramadol ER, 100 mg Tramadol instant release, 1500 mg Neurontin, taking Vitamin B/Iron/D supplements. Suggestions?
A related discussion, I have UCTD was started.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your signs/symptoms and limited lab work suggest that you have one or more likely multiple chronic infections. These often become systemic or system-wide symptoms when infections invade various tissues and organs. The dead tip-off is that you have low-grade fevers, diarrhea, chronic pain and swelling, sores, chronic fatigue, etc. These are very commonly found with certain chronic infections.
Some possibilities include infections of Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, etc., and these intracellular bacteria are difficult to find and treat. Most patients with your symptoms have one or more of these infections, and if they are not treated, it is unlikely that you will recover.
Treatment will likely include multiple courses of antibiotics, immune enhancement, mitochondrial support (such as NTFactor), diet, vitamins, and other supplements.
Prof. Garth Nicolson
IMM
Some possibilities include infections of Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, etc., and these intracellular bacteria are difficult to find and treat. Most patients with your symptoms have one or more of these infections, and if they are not treated, it is unlikely that you will recover.
Treatment will likely include multiple courses of antibiotics, immune enhancement, mitochondrial support (such as NTFactor), diet, vitamins, and other supplements.
Prof. Garth Nicolson
IMM
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