at a lost of where to go next

[anonymous4488]

For the past few years I've had a variety of different symptoms and I'm not sure what to do next.  I'm a late 20's female.

symptoms:
significant unintentional weight loss
tachycardia
        sinus tachy resting rate and SVT
cough
       diagnosed as asthma with evidence of air trapping and frequent bronchitis.  Just finished a prednisone taper.
livedo reticularis
       this is getting worse and is sometimes associated with pain.  It's most prominent in both lower legs but is now appearing to travel up my torso and is in my arms.  My legs will get ice cold and getting in a hot bath or under a heated blanket doesn't warm them up.
palmar erythema as well as sometimes my entire hand will feel like it's on fire and is intensely itchy
other rashes that appear on arms or across chest and can either be itchy or just bumpy, sometimes with dermagraphy
occasional mild lower leg swelling
occasional mild shortness of breath, even while at rest
occasional mild chest pain that feels heavy, even at rest
fatigue, even with plenty of sleep
occasionally feeling just kind of weak
nasal sores, went away with antibiotic ointment
hair loss, used to have thick hair, now it's thin
easy bruising
previous incident of retinal inflammation with lesions due to an unknown cause

It's not anxiety, depression, an eating disorder.  Not a thyroid issue, that has been tested more times than I can count.  Recent negative sed rate, negative ANA, and negative rheumatoid factor.  Not a STD.  My PCP is not helpful, so I'm trying to do a little research one my own.  

[anonymous4488]

Liver functions are fine and thyroid tests having always been normal, even the most recent ones.  

[karajo]

Livedo reticularis seems to be a complicated condition where many different causes come into play.  There is something called idiopathic livedo reticularis - the most common form of livedo reticularis and is a completely benign condition of unknown cause affecting mostly young women during the winter.  It is a lacy purple appearance of skin in extremities due to sluggish venous blood flow.  (could you fall into this category?)

Causes of palmar erythema:
1. Cirrhosis
2.In alcoholics
3.Viral hepatitis
4.Thyrotoxicosis
5.Rheumatoid arthritis
6.Leukemias
7.Pregnancy
8.Febrile diseases (any disease characterized by fever)

#4 Thyrotoxicosis -Does any of this sound familar? You would have low TSH and an overactive thyroid.
•Nervousness
•Irritability
•Fatigue
•Fast heartbeat
•Weight loss
•Insomnia
•Hair loss
•Thin skin
•Intolerance to heat
•Increased perspiration
•Muscle aches
•Weakness in upper arms and thighs
•Increased bowel movements
•Decreased menstrual flow
•Eye irritation or inflammation; “bulging” eyes

Many of your symptoms sound like lupus, but you don't have any joint pain.  

Are your liver functions OK?  

[anonymous4488]

Here's what my leg looks like sometimes

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o767/anonymous4488/2toneleg_zps5fea20eb.jpg

That's one of the times where my lower leg and foot are really cold and don't warm up no matter what I do and I feel the pulling discomfort behind my knee.  Sometimes though, the mottling goes down to my feet and goes up my torso and down my arms.  

Here's a pic of the palmar erythema

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o767/anonymous4488/palmarerythema2_zps826affeb.jpg

[anonymous4488]

No purple spots on knuckles.  I wouldn't really say that I have joint pain, but when the livedo is at it's strongest and my legs are cold, I get pain behind my knees that almost feels like a pulling sensation.  

[karajo]

It is very possible that the prednisone tampered w/ the ANA results and possibly the sed as well. (The sed is just a guess, I wouldn't know that for certain)  But I've had enough doctors tell me that drugs that lower the immune system do affect ANA levels.  

Do you have joint pain?\

Do you have purple spots on your knuckles?

[anonymous4488]

Also don't know if it makes a difference but the sep rate, ANA, and rheum factor was done less than a week after finishing a Prednisone taper