Hi everyone,
I'm new to this site and in much need of some advice. I'm a bit confused and not sure where to start. Basically, I was thinking that I might have lupus but I have just received negative blood test results. I guess I want to just list the reasons why lupus was considered in the first place and I am wondering whether it looks to any of you like it still needs to be investigated or not.
I am 24 and have recently been diagnosed with endometriosis but this diagnosis only explains some of the symptoms I have suffered over the years and not everything. I did research on endometriosis and found that people with endometriosis are more likely to have lupus or various other conditions as well.
The surgery I had for the endometriosis left me extremely sick in hospital and my case was taken very seriously but no explanation was found. The surgery and the hormone therapy that I started also triggered symptoms I'd had before, lupus symptoms. I have read that if you have lupus, both surgery and contraceptives can cause a flare.
The symptoms I have had that seem like lupus symptoms include:
headaches/ migraines - these started and were most severe in my early
teens.
extreme fatigue - I was told I had chronic fatigue syndrome without ruling
out other options and this used to be such extreme fatigue
that I had to be on a disability pension, unable to work or
study for some time.
muscle pain - mostly in legs
joint pain - I get pain in the joints mainly on my left side, in my knees and
ankle and toes and in my fingers and wrist but no swelling.
sharp chest pain when taking a deep breath, coughing or laughing - this was severe after the surgery. Everytime it happened I thought this is full on I should see my doctor about it but I didn't. Could it be pleurisy, I am wondering?
hair loss - I lost a small patch of hair on my hairline which my skin cancer
specialist said looked like alopecia and i had previously had bald
patches before and I have a new patch now only about the size
of a ten cent piece.
mouth ulcers - no more than 3 at a time
nose sores - it feels like a pimple but on the inside of the nose so I can't see
anything
skin - as far as rashes go I don't have the distinctive butterfly rash, i do
have a very red nose that gets redder from sun but isn't sunburn
because it only happens to my nose. I also get red patches on face
only mild though. On the bottom of my feet i have rather pink skin and
after I teach swimming in the pool for hours at a time I sometimes find
that the pink patches are bleeding. As a child I had allergic reactions
to grasses that resulted in hives and I was allergic to mosquitos which
resulted in excessive swelling. If i got bitten on my face I wouldn't
be able to open my eyes.
backache
poor memory
brain fog
So yeah, I'm just wondering if anyone thinks it needs further investigation, for example, a referral to a rheumatologist. I'm wondering whether anyone has found that their blood tests were negative. My doctor did say that some tests weren't exactly normal, i'll have to try and remember which one it was.
Thanks for any help.
I'm new to this site and in much need of some advice. I'm a bit confused and not sure where to start. Basically, I was thinking that I might have lupus but I have just received negative blood test results. I guess I want to just list the reasons why lupus was considered in the first place and I am wondering whether it looks to any of you like it still needs to be investigated or not.
I am 24 and have recently been diagnosed with endometriosis but this diagnosis only explains some of the symptoms I have suffered over the years and not everything. I did research on endometriosis and found that people with endometriosis are more likely to have lupus or various other conditions as well.
The surgery I had for the endometriosis left me extremely sick in hospital and my case was taken very seriously but no explanation was found. The surgery and the hormone therapy that I started also triggered symptoms I'd had before, lupus symptoms. I have read that if you have lupus, both surgery and contraceptives can cause a flare.
The symptoms I have had that seem like lupus symptoms include:
headaches/ migraines - these started and were most severe in my early
teens.
extreme fatigue - I was told I had chronic fatigue syndrome without ruling
out other options and this used to be such extreme fatigue
that I had to be on a disability pension, unable to work or
study for some time.
muscle pain - mostly in legs
joint pain - I get pain in the joints mainly on my left side, in my knees and
ankle and toes and in my fingers and wrist but no swelling.
sharp chest pain when taking a deep breath, coughing or laughing - this was severe after the surgery. Everytime it happened I thought this is full on I should see my doctor about it but I didn't. Could it be pleurisy, I am wondering?
hair loss - I lost a small patch of hair on my hairline which my skin cancer
specialist said looked like alopecia and i had previously had bald
patches before and I have a new patch now only about the size
of a ten cent piece.
mouth ulcers - no more than 3 at a time
nose sores - it feels like a pimple but on the inside of the nose so I can't see
anything
skin - as far as rashes go I don't have the distinctive butterfly rash, i do
have a very red nose that gets redder from sun but isn't sunburn
because it only happens to my nose. I also get red patches on face
only mild though. On the bottom of my feet i have rather pink skin and
after I teach swimming in the pool for hours at a time I sometimes find
that the pink patches are bleeding. As a child I had allergic reactions
to grasses that resulted in hives and I was allergic to mosquitos which
resulted in excessive swelling. If i got bitten on my face I wouldn't
be able to open my eyes.
backache
poor memory
brain fog
So yeah, I'm just wondering if anyone thinks it needs further investigation, for example, a referral to a rheumatologist. I'm wondering whether anyone has found that their blood tests were negative. My doctor did say that some tests weren't exactly normal, i'll have to try and remember which one it was.
Thanks for any help.
