Hello Connie
I am sorry to hear you are so distressed again, and apparently no further forward than you were several months ago. You are not alone in thinking for some strange reason that a diagnosis of MCTD is somehow worse than an SLE diagnosis. MCTD is the name given to a particular set of symptoms, that's all.
It says nothing about how the disease will progress if it does at all. It is as variable as SLE as regards how people are affected and how severely. In fact people with an MCTD diagnosis tend to have a better prognosis than those with an SLE diagnosis.
You really need to start taking care of yourself. What's all this about not taking your medicines yet?
An essential part of Raynaud's treatment is self management. You can get lots of tips here on practical tips for dealing with it. Plenty of people with an SLE diagnosis have Raynaud's too. Stress reduction is very important as it is universally agreed that it is worsened by high stress levels. Stress is hard to avoid of course, impossible in fact, but there are many proven ways of lessening its very harmful impact on our bodies ranging from simple breathing exercises to quite intense programmes.
I am familiar with that horrible paralysed feeling that high anxiety levels produce, going round and round in circles of dismal thoughts. Anxiety is linked with depression so consider if you would be helped by an antidepressant to tide you over and encourage a more positive frame of mind. Many of us take anti depressants as depression can be a symptom of disease as well of course reactive to the problems being unwell causes in everyday life. Anxiety seems also to be associated with lupus.
Here's to happier days very soon
Hugs
Clare
I am sorry to hear you are so distressed again, and apparently no further forward than you were several months ago. You are not alone in thinking for some strange reason that a diagnosis of MCTD is somehow worse than an SLE diagnosis. MCTD is the name given to a particular set of symptoms, that's all.
It says nothing about how the disease will progress if it does at all. It is as variable as SLE as regards how people are affected and how severely. In fact people with an MCTD diagnosis tend to have a better prognosis than those with an SLE diagnosis.
You really need to start taking care of yourself. What's all this about not taking your medicines yet?
An essential part of Raynaud's treatment is self management. You can get lots of tips here on practical tips for dealing with it. Plenty of people with an SLE diagnosis have Raynaud's too. Stress reduction is very important as it is universally agreed that it is worsened by high stress levels. Stress is hard to avoid of course, impossible in fact, but there are many proven ways of lessening its very harmful impact on our bodies ranging from simple breathing exercises to quite intense programmes.
I am familiar with that horrible paralysed feeling that high anxiety levels produce, going round and round in circles of dismal thoughts. Anxiety is linked with depression so consider if you would be helped by an antidepressant to tide you over and encourage a more positive frame of mind. Many of us take anti depressants as depression can be a symptom of disease as well of course reactive to the problems being unwell causes in everyday life. Anxiety seems also to be associated with lupus.
Here's to happier days very soon
Hugs
Clare
