Could it be Lupus???

07-06-2013, 08:06 PM

Hello,
I'm a 26 year old female, 5'3 and 110 lbs. I run for fun so I'm in fairly good shape and I eat a Paleo diet (veggies,lean protein, fruits, nuts, No dairy, or wheat or anything with gluten or legumes).

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 10 years old and am taking .75 mcg of levothyroxine.

In 2010 I was diagnosed with mild-moderate Crohn's disease that I've been able to keep quiet with my diet (except for a bout 2-3 flare ups per year in which I take 4 Pentasa 2x/day until its over-I dont take it every day) Since I was diagnosed with the Crohn's I have had severe joint and muscles aches, joints everywhere and muscles in my lower abdomen and thighs all the way down to my calves.

The last 4 months I have been very fatigued but thought it was because i have an 18 month old. I finally went to the Dr. and she did some blood work and all my functions looked normal except my kidneys. Glomerular Filtration was 49 and Creatinine was 1.3, CO2 was 34.

I received the results in my email (kaiser) on friday at 6:30pm so no dr was in and now i have to wait until monday ;(
Has anyone had things that seemed to be connected somehow? Could it be lupus? And is there some sort of Dr. that deals with people with multiple issues like me? i feel as though i go to so many different dr.s that they arent all on board ;( I want to meet people who are having lots of issues so i can get tips and support!
thank you

07-09-2013, 02:04 AM

Hi & welcome. I'm only a (dumb) patient, but I imagine lupus is one possibility. The specialists who handle it, and its rheumatological AI "close cousins", are RHEUMATOLOGISTS. You may find basic info on lupus in the "sticky posts" (permanent info posts) located right above the user threads. They're simple, a good place to start your reading.

This may sound out of left field, but how was your Crohn's diagnosed? I'm wondering for several reasons. First, I had GI problems for 20+ years; yet repeated diagnostic tests (colonoscopies, etc.) ruled out Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac, etc. Years later I finally saw some rheumatologists. (First was a dufus, the 2nd was/is anything but.) Anyway, I was stunned to learn that 40% or more of people with lupus have substantial GI problems, yet my drs. had been looking at (and ruling out) straight-GI conditions & hadn't considered lupus, at least not to my knowledge.

The 2nd reason I wondered about your Crohn's dx: in one lupus hardcover, the rheum/author says that Ulcerative Colitis can co-exist with lupus, but not Crohn's, not really. He says that worldwide, only several cases of Crohn's have EVER been reported with lupus.

Yes, my varied problems were connected, probably from childhood onward. Had I realized this earlier---and appeared credible to my suburban doctors---I'd have gotten help sooner. The main thing for you to know now is, if this is lupus---and I hope it's not---many people do pretty well in this day & age, with proper treatment and ongoing follow-ups. Did you reach your doctor yet? Send us an update when you can, OK? Best wishes, Vee

11-07-2013, 04:34 PM

Hi LaurenCapp
I was wondering if you ever found out about your test results. I was reading your post and though I been tested for Crohns I was curious about the symptoms you have with your lower abdomen muscles feeling sore. I have been having this for about a year as well as joint pain and a lot of muscle tightness. I can't even cross my legs most days, and my abdomen and everything is completely swollen. Do you know if that is a Crohns related? Have you had anymore insight? I thought it was from working out but I have cut back to see what real symptoms I still have. I thought all of my joint pain was related to crossfit and spin class.

Thanks,
Sarah

Could it be Lupus???

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