I believe I have lupus?!
Question: I believe I have lupus!?
I am a 34 year old female and was recently told by my doctor that I have fifth disease!. I have extremely painful joints and a week prior had a fever!. I have, over the last several years, been battling a variety of things!. My hair has fallen out!.!.!.Dr!. says it's stress, I urinate at a minimum of 15 times per day, I am always exhausted!. Also, I was told more than one year ago that I have an anxiety disorder so I was prescribed medication for that as well!. I woke up a few days ago with an all over body rash-it did not affect my face but it was everywhere else (torso, top and bottom of feet)!. My hands, wrists, elbows, knees and ankle joints are very painful!. The rash only itches on the bottoms of my feet!. My chest feels "junky" inside!. I did not have the characteristic "slapped cheek" appearance as seen in fifth disease!. I am wondering if this could be a manifestation of lupus!. Every time I explain to the doctor that I am having urine problems they say I just have a bit of protein in urine!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Hello,
I'm sorry about your difficulties!. It's difficult getting your symptoms in chronological order, is this correct!? - -
3 - 4 years ago: hair falling out, still a problem!?
2 years ago: passing urine 15 times a day, severe tiredness!. Dipstix test:protein +
1 year ago: anxiety disorder diagnosed, medication given
A month ago: Fever, followed 7 days later by very painful joints, especially hands, wrists, elbows, knees and ankles!.
3 - 4 days ago: Body rash excluding face, especially torso and both sides of feet!. Soles of feet itch!. 'Junky' chest!.
Is this about right!?
We could do with the answers to a few more questions,
(1) Do you have to get up at night to pass urine!? If yes, how many times!?
(2) Do you get stiffness in the joints at all, first thing in the morning, or not at all!?
(3) Have you been taking any medication in the last 3 months!?
(4) Any change in your weight!?
(5) Have you had any urine tests (beyond a dip-stix), or blood tests!? Do you know the results!?
I'm no Dr House but I'll try and outline some possibilities,
Best wishes, Belliger (retired uk gp)
--------------------------------------!.!.!.
Hello again,
Thanks for the extra details!.
I think this severe tiredness is your main problem, and you aren't getting anywhere with it, in fact sometimes you doubt whether the medical profession is taking you seriously!.
The reason the doctors aren't taking the passing urine 15 times a day seriously, is probably due to your not having to wake up to pass urine at night!. Most of the causes of passing urine too frequently, - - like kidney infections, bladder infections, sugar diabetes, poor kidney function etc!., - - work at night too!. If it is only a daytime problem, it might be just due to drinking too much fluid during the day, so possibly they think that!.
I think it's very likely that your problems of the last month, the fever followed by painful limb joints and the widespread rash, - - are all part of the same illness!. But I doubt whether the previous 2 to 4 years' of symptoms are connected!.
It could very well be 5th disease, because that does account for all the new symptoms you have got, - - and the face rash appears right at the start of the illness and then disappears!. Indeed, I hope it is that, because the outlook is very, very much better than for Lupus erythematosis!. There's a test for 5th disease which consists of testing for the infection's DNA, in the first 6 months after symptoms start, that your doctor may consider!.
I hope and expect that the anti-nuclear antibody tests ANA will be negative!.
The weight gain of 3 stone is re-assuring so far as serious illness is concerned, and also so far as the mild hyper-thyroidism is concerned, - - with serious illness or significant hyper-thyroidism, you should be losing weight!.
The lack of early-morning joint stiffness is against rheumatoid arthritis or one of its relatives!.
My guess is that the tiredness will remain a great problem to you, after your current illness has gone away in a month or two!. I wish I could be more helpful about that, since I believe it is your worst problem!.
Best I can do at being Dr House, sorry!. I may be like him in lacking tact, my apologies, if so!.
Best wishes, Belliger (retired uk gp)Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'm sorry about your difficulties!. It's difficult getting your symptoms in chronological order, is this correct!? - -
3 - 4 years ago: hair falling out, still a problem!?
2 years ago: passing urine 15 times a day, severe tiredness!. Dipstix test:protein +
1 year ago: anxiety disorder diagnosed, medication given
A month ago: Fever, followed 7 days later by very painful joints, especially hands, wrists, elbows, knees and ankles!.
3 - 4 days ago: Body rash excluding face, especially torso and both sides of feet!. Soles of feet itch!. 'Junky' chest!.
Is this about right!?
We could do with the answers to a few more questions,
(1) Do you have to get up at night to pass urine!? If yes, how many times!?
(2) Do you get stiffness in the joints at all, first thing in the morning, or not at all!?
(3) Have you been taking any medication in the last 3 months!?
(4) Any change in your weight!?
(5) Have you had any urine tests (beyond a dip-stix), or blood tests!? Do you know the results!?
I'm no Dr House but I'll try and outline some possibilities,
Best wishes, Belliger (retired uk gp)
--------------------------------------!.!.!.
Hello again,
Thanks for the extra details!.
I think this severe tiredness is your main problem, and you aren't getting anywhere with it, in fact sometimes you doubt whether the medical profession is taking you seriously!.
The reason the doctors aren't taking the passing urine 15 times a day seriously, is probably due to your not having to wake up to pass urine at night!. Most of the causes of passing urine too frequently, - - like kidney infections, bladder infections, sugar diabetes, poor kidney function etc!., - - work at night too!. If it is only a daytime problem, it might be just due to drinking too much fluid during the day, so possibly they think that!.
I think it's very likely that your problems of the last month, the fever followed by painful limb joints and the widespread rash, - - are all part of the same illness!. But I doubt whether the previous 2 to 4 years' of symptoms are connected!.
It could very well be 5th disease, because that does account for all the new symptoms you have got, - - and the face rash appears right at the start of the illness and then disappears!. Indeed, I hope it is that, because the outlook is very, very much better than for Lupus erythematosis!. There's a test for 5th disease which consists of testing for the infection's DNA, in the first 6 months after symptoms start, that your doctor may consider!.
I hope and expect that the anti-nuclear antibody tests ANA will be negative!.
The weight gain of 3 stone is re-assuring so far as serious illness is concerned, and also so far as the mild hyper-thyroidism is concerned, - - with serious illness or significant hyper-thyroidism, you should be losing weight!.
The lack of early-morning joint stiffness is against rheumatoid arthritis or one of its relatives!.
My guess is that the tiredness will remain a great problem to you, after your current illness has gone away in a month or two!. I wish I could be more helpful about that, since I believe it is your worst problem!.
Best I can do at being Dr House, sorry!. I may be like him in lacking tact, my apologies, if so!.
Best wishes, Belliger (retired uk gp)Www@Answer-Health@Com
Get thee to a hematologist!. I had hip problems from AVN which they found was caused by too much antibodies clogging my bloodstream (anti-phospholipid syndrome)!. It several vials of blood at a hematologist to determine!. Oh, and they did test me for lupus (an autoimmune disease that can be detected with the right blood test)!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
it's never lupus!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
hi squishy, lupus is ( short version) red scaly rash on the nose cheeks, arthritis & progressive damage to kidneys, often heart, lungs brain r also affected in milder form aka as discord!. its typified with warty lesions!. its starts in childhood & and it occurs when u have been reinfected with tuberculosis!.unless its treated at an early stage it ulcerates and causes extensive scarring!.
hyperthyroidism is shaking,sweating,rapid loss of weight!. slurring of speech, bulging eyes, neck swells, people actually think u are on drugs and your hair does fall out and u are constanly on the go all the time and u never get tired its like u are on speed, its quite the oppisite to your symptons!.
an underactive thyroid can make u gain weight and make u tired!.
but your symptons of bieng tired and your hair falling out and the body rash and sore limbs sounds like no excersise & just sleeping all day & not doing anything because yr so depressed & unhappy with yr life!. sounds like depression squishy, you have to snap out of girlfriend ive been where you are now and its not healthy and life is passing you by!. your only young you have your whole life ahead of u, if u keep it up pretty soon your friends r going to stop calling u, family will stop calling too, because all they hear is the same old same old!!. so the only one that can help u! is you!
pills dont work! they just mask the problem or make it worse!
today is the first day of the rest of your life!
god bless
chel annWww@Answer-Health@Com
hyperthyroidism is shaking,sweating,rapid loss of weight!. slurring of speech, bulging eyes, neck swells, people actually think u are on drugs and your hair does fall out and u are constanly on the go all the time and u never get tired its like u are on speed, its quite the oppisite to your symptons!.
an underactive thyroid can make u gain weight and make u tired!.
but your symptons of bieng tired and your hair falling out and the body rash and sore limbs sounds like no excersise & just sleeping all day & not doing anything because yr so depressed & unhappy with yr life!. sounds like depression squishy, you have to snap out of girlfriend ive been where you are now and its not healthy and life is passing you by!. your only young you have your whole life ahead of u, if u keep it up pretty soon your friends r going to stop calling u, family will stop calling too, because all they hear is the same old same old!!. so the only one that can help u! is you!
pills dont work! they just mask the problem or make it worse!
today is the first day of the rest of your life!
god bless
chel annWww@Answer-Health@Com
Squishy,
Lupus is very difficult to diagnose--the symptoms can vary and be nonspecific, but you do sound like you have something autoimmune going on!. People with autoimmune problems commonly have thyroid issues as well!. Have you had a "sed rate" and "ANA" tests done!?
You should go to a rheumatologist!. They will do many labs and be able to help you, most likely!.
Go soon!. Protein in your urine is always abnormal and a sign that your kidneys may be in trouble!. Of course you already must know that lupus commonly attack kidneys!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Lupus is very difficult to diagnose--the symptoms can vary and be nonspecific, but you do sound like you have something autoimmune going on!. People with autoimmune problems commonly have thyroid issues as well!. Have you had a "sed rate" and "ANA" tests done!?
You should go to a rheumatologist!. They will do many labs and be able to help you, most likely!.
Go soon!. Protein in your urine is always abnormal and a sign that your kidneys may be in trouble!. Of course you already must know that lupus commonly attack kidneys!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
My little boy was wrongly diagnosed with Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and migratory arthritis and MRSA and Kawasaki's disease last year and Mono and cellulitis!. He had rashes, exhaustion, head aches, joint pain so bad we would have to carry him when they would flare up all of a sudden!. He aslo had protien in urine and still does!. It was "Lyme Disease!." It takes a while for the blood to show it for the test to be accurate but please look into that!. Even if you don't live in the country you can get bit by one tick!. We never seen a tick on him - but he was infected!. So many doctors wrongly diagnose things when it was lyme disease all along!. My son had fevers up to 103 and meds wouldn't even reduce it without combining two kinds ad IVs so the fever sounds like lyme too!.Multiple Doctors and ER doctors and pediatricians told me it wasn't lyme and it was those other things!. I went to a infectious disease specialitst which understood lyme and did the right test - and it was positve!. He always will have lyme but symptoms can be reduced with anitbiotics!. I hope this helps!.Www@Answer-Health@Com