VeeJ

Dear Mousemau, Joint pain is common in lupus but also in other diseases & conditions. In lupus, I've read, it tends to be symmetrical, meaning two-sided (e.g., both knees, both ankes, both wrists, etc.).

Have you ever seen a rheumatologist? They use standard criteria, of which you generally must have "4" of the "11" listed, at sometime in your life, to be Dx'ed with *systemic* lupus (SLE). (There are milder forms of lupus, called "subsets", in which you could have fewer than "4", though.)

You can read up a bit on these diagnostic criteria, various types of lupus, tests, etc. right from the Board here:
(1) The "sticky posts" at the beginning of the thread list
(2) The "Resources" tab above will get you into general medical sites, after which you can look for lupus; plus there's also a search box above, too
(3) Hardcovers in bookstores & libraries by several authours are particularly good. One author is Dr. Daniel Wallace, and the other is Dr. Robert Lahita.

I've also read that in early stages, mild lupus & mild MS can look enough alike to be hard to differentiate. Lupus patients who also have antiphospholipid (sticky blood) syndrome can have additional neuro problems; and people with "CNS lupus" can have very serous problems indeed.

I had neuro-like problems in the years I was seeking answers but these were mild (tingling, slight numbness, huge headaches). But I also had photosensitivity, recurrent nonscarring torso rashes, anemia, swollen joints, etc.---stuff when put together paints a picture of lupus with some systemic impact but without major organ involvement (e.g., kidneys, CNS, heart, lungs).

Hope this helps frame your thoughts a bit before you read &/or post more questions. All best wishes, Vee