Is it possible to have arthritis at 19?
I'm a college student and I suffer from severe joint pain (knees and elbows mostly) My grandma's sister had arthritis when she was a teenager, is it possible for me to have it as well?
I tested positive for scleroderma 4 times!?
June 16, 2011 by admin
Filed under Scleroderma
I went to the doctor over a year ago complaining of aches & pains throughout my body, & joint pain,some other symptoms I had were- dizziness,muscle weakness, headaches,fatigue, swelling in feet,ankles,hands,& fingers, numbness & tingling in hands & feet,dry eyes, hands turn colors with cold or stress,hair loss, really bad heartburn, bouts of diarrhea then constipation & maybe some others but thats all I can think of right now. So anyways she did an ANA test on me & the only thing that came up positive was anti SCL-70 which she said it means I could have scleroderma.She wanted to make sure it wasn't just a false positive, so she took it again a couple weeks later, still positive.So she sent me to a rheumatologist. He did no other testing just poked me with his fingers a bit in certain areas then said I have fibromyalgia. I was confused why I tested positive for scleroderma then he says its just fibromyalgia. My doctor didn't agree either, so she sent me to a different rheumatologist, he talked to me for a little bit & also poked me in places to see if it hurt, but then he said he thinks it is just fibromyalgia. He explained that if you have another autoimmune dieases you can test positive for a different one, therefore it can be a false positive. He said since I have thyroid disease thats why it might have came up positive for scl-70. They also said they didn't see any physical symptoms. Hmmm so I'm really confused now.So I asked my doctor to take one more test to make sure it was still positive & of course it was. But I trusted them. So I went on with my life. Months later I just kept feeling more sick, so I went back to my doctor she did another test for ANA & it came up positive again for SCL-70. But there are no other rheumatologists in my town that take my health ins. so I' kinda at a dead end. I'm confused, My anti scl-70 was 203..I don't know if that's a high or low positve. Anyone with answers please help! Thanks 
Does anybody know of any treatment for arthritis following chickungunya- homeo or ayaurveda or whatever?
My mother who is 57 got chickungunya a year back and is still suffering from severe joint pain and swelling, arthritis due to chickengunya. Anybody who has gone through the same , please advise on what treatment would help? Does taking long periods of rest help?
my dog diagnosed with severe arthritis. What can be done to make his life easier now?
My 8 and a half year old newfoundland has been diagnosed with arthritis. He has severe joint pain and this first came to notice when he had difficulty climbing stairs. also he can't stand for long period of time and has to sit down every 4 minutes for a minute or 2 before continuing. In short old age has hit him hard and i now want to make his life as easy as possible since he has severe arthritis. What can be done?
Help! Is this a liver condition?
January 4, 2011 by admin
Filed under Scleroderma
Lately I have been having problems with my thyroid (swelling of the neck, shortness of breath/rapid pulse, sweating/hot all the time, insomnia, eye protrusion, hair falling out, weight loss, the list goes on), and getting the doctors to check it is like pulling teeth. My doc only checked my TSH level (I have been too antsy to concentrate in school so she said it would be good to check my thyroid but for w.e. reason she left out my T3 & T4). I am left handed/anbidexterous (a risk factor for Grave's disease) & my LEFT HANDED paternal grandfather was a type 1 diabetic. My maternal aunt has scleroderma & hypothyrodism. I have raynauds phenomion & have flare ups of joint pain/swelling. I get white spots in my fingers, neck, & feet. (I have been tested for lupus, RA, blah blah blah but everything's f***cking negative). My thyroid condition seems to be flaring up again, but lately despite having smooth, velvety skin, i have had itchy rashes & my skin looks yellowish. I have been INCREDIBLY hungry the past few days (and i am NOT PMSing) & despite eating a lot I have lost weight (not a dramatic amount though). (When my thyroid flares up I do loose weight despite eating HUGE portions, but I do not recall being THIS hungry!) I am eating very healthfully (that is my nature & i eat 100% gluten/dairy free). On the other hand, the past two days I have pooped 4-5X each day. This may sound like TMI, but my poops had been green, then they became yellow, and now they are really loose & grey. This sounds weird, but I smelled something funny & my sweat underneath my pits smells fruity & sweet. So yeah, is there something going on with my liver, or what could this be?
Can I have lupus at 26?
December 16, 2010 by admin
Filed under Scleroderma
I've been back and forth to doctors for a long time. I've had joint pain since I was 13. Acid reflux since I was 15. Various other problems since then. Lately, I've been dizzy and my lower back has been killing me for a while and my joints hurt randomly. I blacked out coming down the stairs and ended up breaking my toe.
I've gone back and forth to the doctors and I've gotten everything from torn cartilidge to scleroderma to a herniated disk. The last doctor is testing for Lupus but so many people say I'm so young. Is it possible for so many things to go wrong or can I get Lupus at my age?
Can you have an ANA with a nucleolar pattern with Lupus? ?
November 2, 2010 by admin
Filed under Scleroderma
My doctor says lupus but some labs and symptons point to scleroderma. My ana has always been nucleolar pattern. I have some skin changes, terrible itching, joint pain, extreme fatigue and abdomen bloating. Just want to make sure it's the right diagnosis and that I'm not taking meds that I don't need.
Scleroderma and other autoimmune disease question?
September 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Scleroderma
Hi there,
Just wondering if there is anyone else out there with this and if so, how long did it take them to diagnose you? I have been back and forth to different docs for the last 6 months and still they "think" it could be this or Lupus or one of the other autoimmune diseases. Please email me if you have this at zeida98@yahoo.com. Thanks!
It started as after I got lymes in 2002. Joint pain in 2004, positive ANA and SCL-70 tests. This year had an ischemic finger and secondary raynauds. Also experiencing heartburn daily and morning stiffness in knees.
Can rheumatoid arthritis pain follow my menstrual cycle?
I have rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease. I've noticed the joint pain is so much worse right before my menstrual cycle. Has anyone else experienced this? I assume it's from the changing hormone levels. I have little to no pain during the rest of the month.
My doctor says there should be no relation, but it occurs every month like clockwork. He's referring me to a rheumatologist, but I still think there is a link here.