Re: __Not sure what to do

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Hi ,

What I'm wondering, first of all, is are fibromyalgia and lupus mutually exclusive...you can't have both? I know they are commonly misdiagnosed as each other.

Yes you can have both, I do... I have SLE... The pain is manageable but someday's its terrible, I have learned to cope with it... It has ruined my teeth... I have lost my gall bladder as it was diseased, they believe due to the Lupus, I had no stones... Trying to determine if it's the Lupus, Fibro or CFS that's acting up at the time is the hardest thing for them to determine... I am on plaquenil for the Lupus as it is out of remission again... It is a hard drug on the system as it takes time to get into the system and usually causes much vomiting in the beginning, the first time I was on it the nausea and vomiting stayed with me the first 3 months... This second time it took me 6 months of nausea and vomiting to get my system used to it again, then you have to have a field visual test every 6 months as the med can cause blindness... If she just has the mild form of it she should cope well with it with all your care you do for her...

Keep us posted, you do such a wonderful job taking care of your Grandma...

((( Smiling Hugs )))Helen

Hello all,I've got more news to share about my grandma, and honestly, I'm concerned about what to expect now. I think I told you in my last post that she's been having episodes (about 2 or 3x month) when she is not herself. She will say things that don't make sense, forget who people are, not recognize someone she's known for years (like my mom)and then when it's over, usually an hour or so later, she doesn't remember anything that's happened. Well, we brought this up with her neurologist a week or so ago, and he has set up a round of tests. He didn't say all of what he's looking for, but did mention dementia. One of the tests he ordered was an ANA. We got the results of that today, and it was positive for lupus. I don't know much about that condition, so I read some at webmd. From what the article says, it's a manageable condition, and the treatment for mild lupus sounds similar to what we've been doing for fibromyalgia. Pain medicine when it hurts, rest when she's tired, good food, exercise when she feels like it, and if she gets a rash, use cortisone cream. I know the worst part of it is the damage to the person's organs. What I'm wondering, first of all, is are fibromyalgia and lupus mutually exclusive...you can't have both? I know they are commonly misdiagnosed as each other. Secondly, is this description of the condition fairly accurate? I understand that there are varying degrees of pain, etc., but is it a manageable condition, like they say?Of course, if there's any other information I should know, please let me know either by posting or by email.Also, we went to her gastroenterologist a couple of days ago, and he feels my thoughts about gastroparesis are likely right. He hasn't said conclusively, he's got her scheduled for a scope test next week, but he did prescribe erythromycin for her, and it seems to be helping.I'm hoping that the medicine will continue to help, because since she's been on it, she hasn't been nauseated but a little bit. If it will just help with the constipation, I'll be tickled. She's only been on it for 3 days, so I'm guessing it hasn't had quite enough time.Any information you can share on any of this would be appreciated.

"When life's problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate."

My Ailments:angelbear1129-Helen 1-F.M.S.--Fibromyalgia 2-C.F.S.--Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 3-S.L.E.--Systematic Lupus Erthematosis 4-M.V.P.--Mitral Valve Prolapse 5-Hypethyroidism/Graves Disease 6-Hyatal Hernia 7-Acid Reflux--(Gerd) 8-Migrains 9-Polyneuropathy 10-Osteoporosis 11-Osteoarthritis 12-Hypertention 13-Degenerative Arthritis in head,neck, shoulders, spinal column, arms 14-R.L.S.--Restless Leg Syndrome 15-Hypoglycymia 16-I.B.S.--Irritable Bowel Syndrome 17-Arrthymia's 18-Emphysema19-M.P.S.--Myofacial Pain Syndrome20-Polymyalgia21-T.M.J.--Temporomandibular Joint Disorder22-Corneal Leukoma23-Chronic Sinusitis24-Idiopathic Edema25-PSVT--Paroxysmal-Supraventricular Tachycardia26-Cataracs-beginning WHAT HAS HAPPENED: Blind in Left Eye--eye accident-age 3 Rheumatic Fever--almost died-age 17 Pericarditis--almost died-age 17Endometriosis--age 13 onLight Stroke--age 27Goiter Bad/Graves Disease--almost died-age 28Full Hysterectomy--age 40 Gall Bladder out Diseased--almost died-age 48Carpal Tunnel, Left Wrist Anemic twice real badMake your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now.