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Waiting on results and followup

Hi Everyone,
I am grateful to have found a forum I can relieve some of my worry on. I have two autoimmune diseases, hashimotos and celiac disease. I am in my early 40's but have been sick for awhile. I have had an elevated ANA for about three years until my last appointment when my ANA was 1:640. My doc did igg tests and I came up positive for leaky gut. everything except fish came up positive. I am gluten free and eat pretty well.I do not feel like this is the root of my problem. I feel like something is going on causing lots of symptoms... I have experienced extreme joint pain, extreme exhaustion, red eyes, dizzy spells, periods of nausea, hands have felt "lame", and the pain carrying things with weight (ie milk jug) is extremely painful. I have also experienced night shakes/sweats and forgetfulness. I have forgotten my zip code at the gas pump! forgetfulness, restless leg and arm and back pain. I have had such bad joint pain I felt like my big toe or finger was broken, the doc looked at it ( no xray or test)and said its gout (I never truely thought I had gout) and gave me indocin to help. I know this is a long list, it has led me to do research in search of answers that explain what is wrong with me. Recently, i got flu like symptoms, the pain became so bad I was truly frightened.I was extremely nauseous, which is not common for me. I was scared, I didn't know if I had the flu....I also had diarrhea. I woke up the next morning and my fingers were very swollen and hot, my toes hurt, and my stomach was still upset. Went into different doc on emergency visit, she said RA. My hands still ache and I have an overall feeling of not great, but she prescribed prednisone and this has helped immensely.
I am so anxious, I never expected RA. I thought Lymes disease or Lupus... Do you think it is RA? as a side note my RA test results have come back at 7 and 10 in the past with 14 being positive. This has never been addressed since under 14 is considered negative. I am very nervous, and cannot believe how fast and furious this came on. Overall I have been searching for answers for years, I will be grateful to know what it is, its just hard to take in... Thank you for any responses and reading!

  1. Hello proudarmywife ~

    We're glad you've found this forum too! It sounds like you have really been going through a lot recently, and I'm glad that you are doing your own research and getting the medical care you need. Unfortunately there is no single test that can definitively diagnose RA. I'm guessing the RA test you are referring to is your rheumatoid factor, which can be an indicator but not definitive. It is possible to have RA with a negative rheumatoid factor. An RA diagnosis is a combination of lab tests, xrays, physical exam, and medical history. For that reason it is really important that you get yourself in to see a qualified rheumatologist as soon as possible, particularly if the doctor at your emergency visit thinks you have RA.

    Best of luck to you and please remember that we are here to support you!

    ~Mariah~ (Site Moderator)

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