I am 22 years old. Or 22 years young. My Mom was diagnosed with SLE when she was 22 years old. She started seeing swelling in her finger for no reason and went to a hand specialist to have it checked out. She came out diagnosed with Lupus.
I spoke with her about 3-4 months ago when I started to have ankle swelling for no reason. I didn't injure anything and when I went to the doctor, the doctor told me that I must have sprained it in my sleep... right...
2-3 months after the first visit, I went in because it was still swollen and the pain was still present. No recovery. The doctor asked that I have lab blood work done. Done...
Results came back normal. Except that I am anemic. X-ray even came back normal. No break, no sprain. Doctor wants to test for anemia again 1 month.
During this time, I have developed the same pain in my other ankle. It has started to swell, not as badly as the left one, and I have a bulge in my right knee. I thought it was fluid. It is so swollen that I cannot bend it to a 90 degree angle.
I have to have help getting up from a sitting positon because it feels like I have concrete blocks on every bone in my body. I feel miserable.
I told my doctor this and she doesn't believe me. She doesn't believe that my other ankle hurts and she doesn't believe that I have trouble standing up. I have showed her the proof! I am not crazy. I am trying to find a new doctor.
In the mean time, my mom is worried that I have Lupus. I am not familiar with it even though my mom has had it my whole life. I guess I just thought it was a part of life.
Does any of this sound familiar?
I went on the wrong-diagnosis.com and put in my symptoms and it came up with arthritis (think I'm a little young still) and Lupus.
If you can, go to see a rheumatologist, a Doctor that specializes in arthritis, lupus and joint problems will be more likely to diagnose/find Lupus if it is present than a general practitioner would be. As for being to young for arthritis, from what i understand, small children can have it. Whatever you do though, do not waste more time and money on a Dr. who doesn't believe you and take your symptoms seriously Take Care.
Tigger, Hi. I second what realisticchic suggests, that your best bet is to see a rheumatologist. As for age----well, I first had pain at age 13. Then I struggled episodically, with a wide variety of problems, for decades more.
You mentioned anemia. That ALONE can send you into a tailspin, as I know from eprsonal experience.
So it makes sense that you catch whatever this is SOON, so you get appropriate treatment. Of course, I hope that you do NOT have lupus. But if it turns out that you do, please know that many people remain mild, with appropriate care and treatment.
There are several excellent authors with hardcover lupus books, found in most libraries & bookstores. If you want to read up, you could look for them. Dr. Daniel Wallace is one, and Dr. Robert Lahita is the other.
Also, the SEARCH box above could elad you to useful info.
Also, the three "sticky posts" (permanent posts) at the top of the thread list contain useful info.
I'm so sorry to hear about what you have been going through. For the past year, I have had the same situation. I'm also 22, and my mom had lupus, and passes away about 1.5 yrs ago from complications from it. My whole life i have had health problems, and over the past yr everything got very bad. I had gone to one doctor who suspected lupus but didn't know what to do, so I went to another one who basically told me I was crazy. The last time I saw him was in Feb. I had to get a general physical for my new job, and I got a new doctor closer to me. I hadn't planned on even bringing my symptoms up to him because I couldn't deal with being told I was nuts again, but through his examination, he became very concerned for me after telling him of my health history and my family's. He thinks my old doctor was wrong for writing me off, and we're making a plan of action for an actual diagnosis. He thinks it's lupus.
Anyways, my point is that, even though you might feel crazy, you're not. You just need to find a competent doctor who believes you. I ended up in the ER one night with kidney problems and the doctor wouldn't even take me seriously. She said, 'you're young. you shouldn't have any problems - does your boyfriend beat you?'
You WILL find someone to take you seriously. There's a genetic link to this disease, and it should not be ignored. I understand how you feel though - too young to have all these health problems.
Keep insisting on a good doctor who takes you seriously. Try seeing a rheumatologist.
GOOD LUCK!!
Mom thinks I have Lupus 
Take Care.
