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autoimmune
How long might a person have lupus before it's diagnosed?
It CAN take 10-15 years to get a diagnosis. Lupus, as in most auto-immune diseases, is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can mimic other diseases and no two people have the exact same symptoms. I, for example, have mixed connective tissue disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Sjogren's Syndrome. My symptoms include swollen, painful joints, muscle spasms (all over), dry mouth, eyes, throat, skin, nose, muscle pain, peripheral neuropathy, IBS, brain fog and a host of other symptoms. I got my MCTD diagnosis almost 6 years ago, Hashi's diagnosis about a year or so ago, and Sjogren's this year. Looking back, I had symptoms going back 10 years or more. Be insistent with your doctors. Make them do the tests. My first rheumatologist was a doddering old fool, who used sarcasm to hide his incompetence. If you feel you aren't being heard, change doctors. So many of us are being told it's "all in our heads" by doctors who lack the knowledge or the inclination to find out what is really going on.
Which illness do you think is causing the muscle spasms? Muscle spasms are painful....correct? How often do you have these?
Hi Karajo. I'm not sure which disease is responsible, lol. I have had muscle spasms for a couple of years now. I take 20 mg of Baclofen 3 times a day and that usually keeps them at bay, but lately I am having some anyway. They can be really painful. Right now I have a lot of pain right between my shoulder blades. It is constant and it is driving me nuts. I am at UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch) and every time a doctor graduates from the program I get a new doctor. The last one was a woman and I really liked her. The new one is a guy and I am thinking I may have to slap him around a little, lol. He asked me last visit who put me on the Baclofen and the Tramadol. He said he wouldn't have put me on them. I told him to just leave my meds alone, I am doing well enough that I don't want him to go fiddling around with my meds. I don't take the Tramadol unless I am in a flare, so I don't know what he was getting his panties in a wad over. It isn't like I am eating them like candy.
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