Could this be lupus?
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Hi I'm a thirteen year old girl who has really suffered the past 6 months. Diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, memory loss, confusion, falling over, headaches, joint aches, weight loss, hair loss and mental fog. They've ruled out parasites, cysts, inflammatory bowel disease and celiac. My GP took a blood test for blood, inflammation, liver and kidney and all that,was found was a low white blood cell count so she referred me to a paediatrician who is making me wait 2 weeks and I'm getting sicker. My mums cousin
has cutaneous lupus erenthynosis and my mums grandma had lupus nephritis so it's possible I could of inherited it. What do you guys think. Sounds like lupus or not?
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pam_87693 Beingella
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Beingella pam_87693
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pam_87693 Beingella
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Beingella pam_87693
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Pots is likely but I have a normal heart rate. And EDS doesn't fit the bill as I can't even touch my these. Nothing bends.
Thanks for the help!
jujubeee Beingella
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A good doc will look at your clinical symptoms as well as your labs. There are other tests that can help dx lupus, like checking the complement levels, ANA, sed rate & wbc's. No two patients with lupus are alike. Lupus is thought to be caused by a combo of genetic and environmental conditions. So it's entirely possible you could have lupus!
The 11 clinical symptoms suggested by the ACR to help dx lupus are: (and you need just 4 out of the 11)
What are the diagnostic criteria for lupus?
To help the doctors diagnose lupus, a list of 11 common criteria, or measures, was developed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). ACR is a professional association of rheumatologists. These are the doctors who specialize in treating diseases of the joints and muscles, like lupus. If you have at least four of the criteria on the list, either at the present time or at some time in the past, there is a strong chance that you have lupus.
Malar rash – a rash over the cheeks and nose, often in the shape of a butterfly
Discoid rash – a rash that appears as red, raised, disk-shaped patches
Photosensitivity – a reaction to sun or light that causes a skin rash to appear or get worse
Oral ulcers – sores appearing in the mouth
Arthritis – joint pain and swelling of two or more joints in which the bones around the joints do not become destroyed
Serositis – inflammation of the lining around the lungs (pleuritis) or inflammation of the lining around the heart that causes chest pain which is worse with deep breathing (pericarditis)
Kidney disorder – persistent protein or cellular casts in the urine
Neurological disorder – seizures or psychosis
Blood disorder – anemia (low red blood cell count), leukopenia (low white blood cell count), lymphopenia (low level of specific white blood cells), or thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
Immunologic disorder –anti-DNA or anti-Sm or positive antiphospholipid antibodies
Abnormal antinuclear antibody (ANA)
I hope that helps Ella. And don't worry-having lupus isn't giving a life sentence. There's tons of research going on to find a cure and better medications-and many symptoms are manageable. If this doc doesn't refer you or your not happy and feel brushed off-a second opinion is something you may wanna do.
Best of luck to you- HUGS! JJ
Beingella jujubeee
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I have oral olcers, arthritis, leukopenia and malar malar rash. I also twitch weirdly like a seizure and fall over so maybe seizures. I also have chest pain that could be an inflammation.
Lupus is genetic, I developed early (like my step sister with SLE) and burn very easily in the sun.
I posted this yesterday and woke up today with inflamed muscles on my chest, abdomen and back. Not too fun.
Thanks for the support and I hope I get whatever it is, lupus or not, diagnosedc
jujubeee Beingella
Posted
Another way to get diagnosed is to see a dermatologist and have him take a biopsy of your rashes and he/she can run antibody labs to see if your immune system is overactive. Most derms are great and they will work with you-and get you IN during a rash flare-up. That's a great way to get diagnosed. For the nerve issues-I hope you can get your GP (general practioner) to refer you to a neurologist . They can determine if you are having seizures, what is going on and itreat/help you manage them. Just don't give up. You will enventually get heard.
May I suggest that you take an adult with you to the doctor to add validity to your symptoms. Also it's really helpful to keep a journal describing your symptoms. Sounds to me like your doing a GREAT job Ella advocating for your health!
Keep your head up! Attitude is EVERYTHING!
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pam_87693 Beingella
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