Hi Pollianna,
I know that you may feel as if your appointment is a bit of a let down right now but it is actually very rare to walk in and be given a "lupus diagnosis" straight off. For that to happen one would usually need the kind of sudden, extremely serious onset that puts people in hospital.
Right now you have someone taking your concerns seriously and who has admitted that you have something auto-immune going on. Insurance-wise it is actually better NOT to have a lupus diagnosis. The main thing, and you mustn't lose sight of this, is that you are now being treated and taking exactly the same meds as you would if you had had the word "lupus" attached to you officially.
Dr D'Cruz is right at the top of his field and if he feels that he can't give you an official lupus diagnosis then there is a good reason for that. No-one can analyse the history, symptoms and bloods better than someone of his experience.
Often, it will take time, sometimes years to determine which auto-immune disease is actually the primary thing affecting you but what's important is to be treated and to limit any further damage by taking the right meds.
When you take your plaquenil, you may well feel a little nauseus or suffer from extra "wind" for the first few weeks. It is important to take your meds WITH food. Unless you have extreme symptoms which would indicate an actual intolerance, it is worth sticking with it and you should see those slight side effects disappear as your body gets used to the med.
Plaqeunil will take a good while to reach it's full effect (often between 3-6 months) but I saw a big improvement in my dry skin, photosensitivity and hair much quicker. It is an excellent baseline med which should control the disease better, reducing the frequency and severity of any flares you might have.
Are you going for a follow-up appointment and, if so, when?
Hugs :hug:
Katharine
I know that you may feel as if your appointment is a bit of a let down right now but it is actually very rare to walk in and be given a "lupus diagnosis" straight off. For that to happen one would usually need the kind of sudden, extremely serious onset that puts people in hospital.
Right now you have someone taking your concerns seriously and who has admitted that you have something auto-immune going on. Insurance-wise it is actually better NOT to have a lupus diagnosis. The main thing, and you mustn't lose sight of this, is that you are now being treated and taking exactly the same meds as you would if you had had the word "lupus" attached to you officially.
Dr D'Cruz is right at the top of his field and if he feels that he can't give you an official lupus diagnosis then there is a good reason for that. No-one can analyse the history, symptoms and bloods better than someone of his experience.
Often, it will take time, sometimes years to determine which auto-immune disease is actually the primary thing affecting you but what's important is to be treated and to limit any further damage by taking the right meds.
When you take your plaquenil, you may well feel a little nauseus or suffer from extra "wind" for the first few weeks. It is important to take your meds WITH food. Unless you have extreme symptoms which would indicate an actual intolerance, it is worth sticking with it and you should see those slight side effects disappear as your body gets used to the med.
Plaqeunil will take a good while to reach it's full effect (often between 3-6 months) but I saw a big improvement in my dry skin, photosensitivity and hair much quicker. It is an excellent baseline med which should control the disease better, reducing the frequency and severity of any flares you might have.
Are you going for a follow-up appointment and, if so, when?
Hugs :hug:
Katharine
it's gone down now but still positive I think my little body saw the needle and screamed help me .....find the Rf!!! lol 
