New to all of this!! - Lupus Message Board

melissa123 · 11-01-2002, 06:17 PM

Hello, my name is Melissa!! I am almost(Nov 13th) 27 years old. I went to the dr last week for some blood work, kept feeling ill and achy!! I have been "achy" and tired for almost a year now but it has been getting worse!! Anyway...my blood work came back with something like Homogeneous 1:160, and the dr said its probably Lupus due to some of the symptoms I have. What do you all think!! I just feel nauseous, tired, achy, my fingers swell, my knee hurts alot and I get pains in my ribs at times that hurts like heck, my shoulder blades ache something terrible. Please help me, any advice is greatly appreciated!! I have three kids ages, 5,4,3!!! I am scared to death!!!

Denise F · 11-02-2002, 10:41 AM

First of all calm down. Is you're Dr. sure it's Lupus?
Is he doing more tests?
These sound like lupus but it could be other things too.
Start reading as much about Lupus as possible. The web
site of DR. Weil has some good suggestions for diet
and herbs type things and relaxation and visualization
techniques to start doing. Take the vit. combinations he
suggests too. This is a time to be good to your body
and give it all the help and rest it needs to aid
your body to heal itself. I had the same symptoms
that you have six years ago. I have been able to stay
off any of the lupus meds because of following
all the alternative types of treatments. Once you
have to start taking any medicine it seems to help
in the short run but in the long run you might have
to take more and more of it. Alot of the meds. can
cause the very symptoms they are trying to control.
As long as you have no internal organ involvement
you should be able to do alternative methods. Don't
panic you need to stay as unstressed as possible.
Good luck.

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melissa123 · 11-04-2002, 12:14 PM

Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me!! My dr is sending me to a rheumatologist on the 13th of December. Is that ana 1:160 high?? I thought numbers like 1:640 or something like that was high, I figured mine was ok!! I just dont know why I feel so week and sick all the time. My ribs hurt alot although I havent done anything to them. Is that part of Lupus?? Thanks again!!

Ann S · 11-04-2002, 07:35 PM

Melissa,
Besides researching Lupus, check out Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis too. The symptoms are very similar.
Take care, Ann

Denise F · 11-04-2002, 10:17 PM

It's hard to compare ANA lab results . I have read that
different labs run the tests different and have their
own numbers as to what is high or low.
My ribs hurt at times too. My Dr. said that it was an
inflamation of the connective tissue between the ribs.
Lupus is a connective tissue disease also. If your
pain in the rib is a sharp pain when you breath in
it could be pluerisy.
That is an inflamation of the lining of the lungs. That
too is common with Lupus. Sorry your going through
this. Take care.

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