RE: RA or Lupus or both?

[Guest guest]

I was just diagnosed with both Lupus & RA. My bloodwork has been out of whack

too. I figured it was because I have been on Plaquenil less than a month. I look

forward to reading everyones posts every day.  Have a good day.

 

~~~ ~~~

From: ldydewinter <kgrounds@...>

Subject: [ ] RA or Lupus or both?

@...

Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 5:18

 

I was diagnosed with RA two years ago. Like Mimi, the blood test I just had is

all out of whack! I have the lowest vitamin D and iron that the doctor has seen

with a walking, breathing person. She wants me to go to have a colonoscopy to

make sure it isn't my colon making me anemic? This seems sort of silly to me. My

new Reumy is also thinking I may have Lupus instead of RA but I don't understand

why. What tests are different in Lupus than in RA? I have cero negative RA but

have the all symptoms. Then I developed this plaque like rash on my chest and

neck this past spring. I have one tiny spot under my ear that refuses to go

away. Is that the Lupus sign? The rash was never on my face.

I'm so totally wiped and depressed. I just want to hide under the covers but I

have to go to work.

G

[Guest guest]

, Welcome I too have RA and Lupus. My blood work was a little off when I

first started on the Plaquenil and Prednisone my doctor said it was due to the

prednisone. I belong to both this RA as well as a separate Lupus support

group. You get a lot of help. Welcome Vivian

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

You sound like me. The rash does not always happen on the face. I was

diagnosed with Lupus October 2009 and in April 2010 with RA. I never had

the facial Lupus rash. However, now that I started on the RA medication

Cimzia it has flared my Lupus and now I have the facial rash. The feeling

totally wiped out and depressed is what took me to the rheumatologist and

that is when I was diagnosed with Lupus. I am sure your doctor will check

you for that. All my Lupus lab include an ANA with is positive. I hope

they can figure out how to help you. Hang in there it will be OK. Vivian

-----

[Guest guest]

,

It's unusual to have both SLE and RA (both diseases in coexistence).

It's not uncommon to have some symptoms of each.

In lupus, the ANA is almost always positive; however, only a small

percentage of people with a positive ANA actually have lupus. Perhaps

30 to 40 percent of RA patients have a positive ANA, but that doesn't

necessarily mean they have lupus, too. If the ANA is negative, the

odds are that it isn't lupus.

As with RA, lupus is largely a clinical diagnosis, but lab tests and,

sometimes, a skin biopsy can be very useful in making the diagnosis.

Not an MD

On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 12:18 PM, ldydewinter <kgrounds@...> wrote:

> I was diagnosed with RA two years ago.  Like Mimi, the blood test I just had

is all out of whack!  I have the lowest vitamin D and iron that the doctor has

seen with a walking, breathing person.  She wants me to go to have a colonoscopy

to make sure it isn't my colon making me anemic?  This seems sort of silly to

me.  My new Reumy is also thinking I may have Lupus instead of RA but I don't

understand why.  What tests are different in Lupus than in RA?  I have cero

negative RA but have the all symptoms.  Then I developed this plaque like rash

on my chest and neck this past spring.  I have one tiny spot under my ear that

refuses to go away.  Is that the Lupus sign?  The rash was never on my face.

> I'm so totally wiped and depressed.  I just want to hide under the covers but

I have to go to work.

> G

>