This was a fantastic report; thank you. I am usually over on the lupus/thyroid forums, but my doctor has been threatening me with a colonoscopy, and knowing what it and the prep might be like is...
Ha! I didn't realize you were on the other side of the ocean! (I'm in the U.S.) So it goes, eh? But thanks for responding, regardless. There's something nice about feeling like you're not the only...
Hey Casey-- I'm glad you made it back here! No worries on the delay. I know how life can take over. I'm surprised how similar our symptoms are. I have pretty frequent all-over itchiness, too, but...
Sorry I don't have a response, LC. I'm on Plaquenil, and after the first week's GI upset, I have had no problems with it. Did you take yourself off Plaquenil, or did your doctor tell you to go off...
Nope! You can have one and not the other-- they are two separate entities. I have Hashimoto's, but I do not have Celiac's....
Hey, Angelina, I'm happy you're going to try Plaquenil. I hope you have success with it! Regarding methylprednisolone (aka "Medrol"), I did not get dizziness when I took it, but definitely see how it...
The only way to know if Plaquenil will resolve your lesions is to give it a try. I've had great results with it, and my rheumatologist told me that Plaquenil often does very well at resolving...
Hey Angelina, UCTD stands for "undifferentiated connective tissue disease," which means I have some sort of autoimmune connective tissue disease (like, lupus, RA, polymyositis, scleroderma are all...
I take plaquenil for my UCTD, which manifested as muscle pain and skin lesions on my torso and legs. A few months into taking plaquenil, I'm barely getting any more skin lesions. According to my...
Bill, thanks for sharing that link-- I love Medscape for its really informative overviews of medical conditions. But yes-- I realize UCTD can be pretty much anything. What I meant is I don't yet fit...
You're right-- and that's where this gets complicated to explain even to savvy people on forums like this! I don't fit the technical diagnostic criteria for UCTD because I do not have elevated ANA....
Hey, PBP, I have "UCTD," too, though my rheumatologist and dermatologist think it has more feature of dermatomyositis than anything else. My major symptoms are persistent rash and skin lesions and...
Nancy, Were you taking the generic version of Plaquenil, hydroxychloroquine? I ask, because some people have reported that they had bad stomach problems while taking the generic, but the stomach...
Hey, Lisa, I'm glad you had a good day today! Regarding exercise, I'll be honest-- I struggle with it. The more I use my legs, the more they hurt, and that makes me hesitant to really get moving like...
A diagnosis with a connective tissue disease does not mean you must take steroids. However, steroids can be very useful -- and sometimes essential -- for stopping inflammation and reducing the damage...
A few extra doses of levothyroxine is not going to throw you significantly out of whack. I've messed up my dose a little bit before, and my doctor said don't worry about it, just get it right from...
There is an autoimmune reaction that can look like SLE called drug-induced lupus erythematosus (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug-induced_lupus_erythematosus). Wellbutrin isn't one of the drugs...
Oh, and I had terrible GI upset for the first four days I was on plaquenil. Then it went away, and I haven't had any side effects since. Like Lynnwood said, if the GI distress keeps up for ten or...
Pinkpee-- Sometimes we don't meet the diagnostic criteria for lupus or other defined autoimmune diseases, but we have enough symptoms pointing in that direction that a doctor may think treatment is...
Thank you! So sweet of you to share your kind thoughts. I'll chime in and wish everyone a great holiday weekend. Expecting snow (?!) here for the weekend, so I have plans to tidy the house, bake...
Bill-- I'm in Montana, so Mayo in Rochester and UW in Seattle are equidistant. Also, as you can tell from where I live, I have very, very limited options as far as medical care goes. Because nothing...
Regarding labs releasing test results-- HIPAA (the federal law governing release of medical records) gives all patients the right of access to their records, including lab results. However, I...
That is no fun at all-- I'm sorry, Joy! I hope the meds do their work quickly, and you feel better soon!...
Twelve days is a rather long time. I would call the office of the doctor who ordered the labs and ask for the nurse to call you back with the results. Sometimes labwork can get lost in the shuffle at...
Thanks, Amber! It is good to hear that the plaquenil might help the ulcers. They tend not to be that bothersome, but when I eat salty or acidic foods, they sting quite a bit. I know it may take a...
Ugh, Joy, that sounds yucky. I'm sorry. Do youhave to wait till Monday to go to the doctor's office, or are they open on Saturday? Let us know what the doctor says-- I hope you don't have to deal...
So, this week, my rheumatologist told me he thinks I have some sort of early connective tissue disease, called it UCTD, and I'm starting hydroxychloroquine on Monday. Today, I noticed a weird feeling...
Hey all-- My rheumatologist today echoed my internist and suggested that I let them refer me to a tertiary care center to try to figure out what exactly my diagnosis is (if possible; ha). He...
Welcome, Sugar Bush! I agree with Donna that this is a perfect place to vent and to get others' perspectives. I, too, find it hard to talk to friends about my medical issues. A forum like this...
Ooh. Good idea on hydration, Joy. No one has suggested that to me before. I'll try that before the next time I get blood drawn. Thanks!...
Howdy, all. So, I used to have "beautiful" veins, back when I got bloodwork every six months or so to check my thyroid levels. Each stick was easy and virtually painless, and the vials filled up...
Welcome, Silver! You've definitely come to the right place if you're looking for a kind and supportive group of people. Do you know what connective tissue disease your GP thinks you have? What...
Wow, CaseyR. You're definitely my symptom twin. Cool. And my doctors seem to be on the same page as yours-- that this is some sort of autoimmune thing that they can't name, and they'll treat...
Wow, Casey, you are the first person I've ever encountered who has had symptoms at all parallel to mine. Nice to meet you! And yes, my doctors are treating my symptoms. I have tramadol for the pain,...
My internist (who is my primary care doctor) recommended her to me because he was concerned that the stress of all this was getting to me. She's a MSW/LCSW (Master of Social Work/Licensed Clinical...
Thank you, Lynnwood! I have started seeing a chronic illness/chronic pain counselor, who is very helpful in dealing with the emotions and stress that come along with all this. And my doctors have...
Well. Now both my C3 and C4 are markedly low. But I still have no positive antibody tests-- normal ANA, Ro, Jo, Mi-2, SSA, SSB, and on and on and on. Still no diagnosis. Curious to see what my...
For what it's worth, my doctor said it's safe to take up to 100mg at a time of tramadol if I'm having particularly bad pain, up to 400mg total in a day. He warned me that it's important not to go...
Lulu-- I'm no doctor, but I do have Hashimoto's, and when your TPO antibodies are high (and 279 is high; it does't matter "how high" I don't think), you're likely looking at a Hashimoto's diagnosis....
Oh! Lynn, sorry for not answering your question about what "CTD" meant. I can be a little spacy sometimes, and I didn't even notice the "PS" to your post. My bad! From what my doctors have told me...
Anytime! Keep us posted on how everything goes. Hopefully, the proper dose of Synthroid will help balance whatever health issues you're having....
Bill, thank you again. That was very helpful. It sounds like you've been through a heck of a lot, and I very much appreciate you sharing what you've learned. I'm trying to do exactly what your...
Thanks for the info, Bill. I think CPK is one of the enzymes they're testing right now. I'm still unsure about whether I want to get a muscle biopsy. It sounds more invasive than I'd like. After...
There have been mumblings among the doctors about referring me to Mayo, but I'm unsure about dealing with that expense and taking time off work. We'll see how desperate I get. It would be worth it if...
Hi all, I'm new around here. I'm female, in my early 30s, and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis six or so years ago, but that has been well-managed with Synthroid, and I haven't had any...
Howdy, I'm Elbee. I'm in my early thirties and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in my mid-twenties. Honestly, I didn't realize I was sick. I didn't notice any symptoms until my thyroid swelled up like...
I take Synthroid and have been for about six years now (as thyroid replacement after having Hashimoto's destroy my thyroid's ability to function properly), and I have never had a problem with it. I...