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Could I have Lupus?

399 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Clare.T 
Hello Kelly and welcome to the site :)

Although lupus is not strictly speaking hereditary, it does have a genetic element and family history should be taken seriously by your doc.

I don't know what "genetic" test the doc is talking about as I haven't heard of any genetic test that can tell us whether or not we would be likely to have lupus (outside of some new things coming up in research :scratch:). Certainly not one that would be done by your local GP!

If your last ANA test was eight years ago and you are suffering from symptoms that you know are not normal then it is high time you had another. Eight years is a VERY long time.

I would ask for a referral to a rheumatologist and if your GP is not willing to work with you on this then I would see if you can't change GP. Sometimes that is even possible within the same practice and can make a huge difference.

You can find a list of the classification criteria for lupus at this link. It might help you to see if your symptoms fit.

http://www.thelupussite.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33123

Lupus investigation (and diagnosis) requires a great deal of experience. Lupus and other auto-immune diseases are extremely complex and a GP would rarely have the necessary knowledge let alone know which blood tests to get done.

Hope that helps a bit,
Katharine
 
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