Hi Mike,I'm terribly sorry for not writing back to you but I've really been sick. One of the drugs I'm on is Methotrexate and metho has many bad side effects - one of them are mouth/gum sores/ulcers and I get them often but this time it was much wor

[Guest guest]

Hi Mike,I'm terribly sorry for not writing back to you but I've really been sick. One of the drugs I'm on is Methotrexate and metho has many bad side effects - one of them are mouth/gum sores/ulcers and I get them often but this time it was much worse. Off the topic for a moment - when I was in the ER/hospital overnight on Labor Day weekend and they were testing to see if I had a heart attack or not they did the echocardiogram. When I came home my cardiologist called and told me he wanted to see me and he then told me that I have PH - pulmonary hypertension. The only real way to find out how bad it is is for me to have a RHC and angiogram done and none of my doctors want for me to have those tests done until I must because of my other health problems. I can't begin to explain to you what Sjogren's Syndrome is but I have it in my lungs and liver. Also have mixed connective tissue disease (which prevents me from healing internally - especially if a doctor caused internal bleeding) pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung disease idiopathic lung disease & asthma which really isn't that bad most of the time. Then I have another problem that has been controlled all of my life but it's still a problem. I don't remember what my PH numbers are for the moment but I remember that the beginning stages ends with 50 and mine is 49. The other number isn't that bad - it was in the high 30's. I saw my PH specialist in September and have a January appointment and hope I'll be able to make it but am not sure right now and hopefully will know more during the week. Back in late November I started getting what felt like the beginning of a flu but then I soon developed sores in my mouth. Usually they go away in days or at the most a few weeks but instead my mouth became inflamed and swollen and then the pain started shooting into my left ear and then into the top of my head on left side. I've been borderline dizzy as well. Then when looking inside my mouth, the entire gum area looks like I have a very large growth under my skin. Another one sits right above it and that is what has been pressing on my ear and into my head. My throat is and has been killing me and I'm sure all my glands on both sides of my mouth are very swollen since I can't swallow. I am going to see my dentist tomorrow and then my rheumy who is also my primary on Tuesday. Hopefully my rheumy if she doesn't know what it is will refer me to the right doctor because I have to get treated asap. Yes I know that the PH symptoms mimic other symptoms and then on top of that so does Sjogren's and Lupus and I honestly don't know how any doctor will be able to tell the difference. I have heard of many people who were wrongly treated for asthma when it really wasn't. Now more than ever, at least here in NY, doctors take less and less time delving into a patient's history to give a correct diagnosis. Instead they give the easiest one that will quiet/please the patient - sigh. Perhaps I do have asthma - but I honestly think my lung problems are related to Sjogren's & Lupus. All the best to you and a Merry Christmas to you and yours,Sharon From:"Diane LaValle" Subject:Re: Sharon & exerciseDate:December 2, 2011 4:09:00 PM ESTTo:"asthma " <asthma >What is PH??To: "asthma " <asthma > Sent: Friday, December 2, 2011 2:05 PMSubject: Re: Sharon & exercise Hi Sharon, I really do not know what Sjoren's is so I won't speak to that. I do know that I have mild asthma but severe breathing problems. A part of my issues includes PH. If you are concerned about this, your doctor can have an ultrasound of your heart to see if it indicates high blood pressure in the heart/lungs. The only true way to measure the pressure is to do a right sided heart cath. I've had 2. While they sound frightening, they really are not that painful or difficult. My pressure was slightly elevated so I have been diagnosed with PH. The difficulty with diagnosing PH is that the symptoms are too vague and mimic other issues. Shortness of breath after exercise and angina are symptoms of PH but also of manyother ailements. PH is very rare so I'd not stress about it too much. What I'd encourage you to do is have the doctor do non-invasive procedures such as the echocardiogram. See where that takes you. If it inidcates PH, go down that path. Wait to see if other, less severe diagnoses are ruled out first. Best wishes. Mike Subject: Re: Chip thanks for explaining the different functions of the inhalers, cortisolTo: asthma , "asthma " <asthma >Date: Friday, 2 December, 2011, 17:03 Chip, thank you for explaining what QVAR is. I meant to write in my post that I do not cough or have phlegm. Also it's hard for me to know whether the pain in my lungs could be from dryness (Sjogren's). Only at times do I wheeze. Most of the time my problems happen after I exercise and can't help but wonder if it's Angina or PH. I don't know how to recognize whether it is asthma or what ..... Thank you as always,Sharon