I have been in and out of the drs and finally went to reumetologist and we
discussed the possibly of RA, Sjorgens and possibly lupus with my main concerns which are:
- Severe fatigue
- Foggy brain/short term memory problems, very hard to concentrate
- Skin rash in hands that come and go will lasts for months to where my hands crack and bleed after blisters pop
- Weight gain
- Swelling of hands
- Hip pain and knee pain
- Severe pain in the wrists and ankles in am (usually subsides in about an hour or 2 after waking and than back at the end of the night)
- Tingling in hands
- Loosing hair
- Dry skin
My Labs:
C-Reactive Protein 1.1 mg/dL ( <0.5 mg/dL)
Sed Rate 7 mm/Hr ( <20 mm/Hr)
ANA Positive
ANA TITER 1 1:160 Titer ( <1:80 Titer)
ANA PATTERN Speckled
Cyclic Citr Pep,IgG 0.5 IU/mL ( <7 IU/mL)
RF by Nephlometry <10 IU/mL ( <14 IU/mL)
DNA Antibody Screen Negative
RNP Antibody 2 UNITS
Smith Antibody 7 UNITS
Sjogrens Antibody Negative
Free T3 (FT3) 3.3 pg/mL ( 2.3 - 4.2 pg/mL)
Free T4 (FT4) 0.97 ng/dL ( 0.80 - 1.80 ng/dL)
TSH 0.86 uIU/mL ( 0.30 - 5.00 uIU/mL)
25-Hydroxy Vit.D 21 ng/mL ( >20 ng/mL)
Parathyroid labs pending (hx of kindney stones)
Hi gid yes definitely auto immune disease. I have Behcet's and didn't have positive ana. I don't know if your esr pr crp are normal but they are your inflammatory markers. Mine are usually raised but not always.
Do you have flushing of your face or upper torso?? Any ulceration anywhere?
I have the same issues of hair loss...joint pain....fatigue. Foggy brain. Tingling numbness. Not any more I have to add because I get great treatment now.
What is being done with you now? Are you referred on by your gp??
Oh and do you have dry mouth or eyes?
Sometimes but, wouldn't be my main complaint. It's not terrible which is why we discussed the sjogrens
My CRP is 1.1 which from what I read is slightly positive. This was my first appt with a reuhmatologist after years in and out of PCP (all my symptoms have been blamed of pregnancy or being a mother over the years) I am just waiting for my recheck appt with him. Just trying to understand the labs to get an early idea of what's going on.
I'm glad you've gotten relief of your symptoms and your treatment plan seems to be working for you!
Yes mine were dry but not terribly. Sjogren's was pretty much ruled out for me before they reached the Behcet's diagnosis. What about flushing do you have that??
Yes sadly Vanessa treatment can be a bit of a struggle because it varies so much from one doc to the next. Getting a diagnosis is hard enough. I have seen different specialists and it took some time for me to get to see the right doc to get good ttratment. Where in the country are you?
I do get redness I'm the face and chest but not in the typical "butterfly" pattern that you see in lupus
It has been a struggle and I've given up a few times which has just prolonged it. I'm in northern Michigan
Yes I get it too Vanessa. I am not sure that the so called butterfly rash always looks the same. Think the flushing is different for different people.
I think you do have some kind of vasculitis but the only one who can help you figure out which kind now is a consultant. Symptoms are so overlapping for the different conditions. You need specialist help here but would recommend you keep a diary of symptoms. It is useful zi think when you go to appointments.
Thanks. That's a good idea I do have a few weeks before my recheck to keep track
Oh just noticed you are in Michigan. There is good help and support from the Vasculitis Foundation in the USA. Try speaking to them to explain your test results etc. They are a great resource for sufferers including those needing diagnosis. They can also advise you on where to go for good care if you need another specialist.
I understand how you feel. This is a struggle this illness. But there is treatment and support. Keep going. It does get better with proper diagnosis. Xx