New.....And so very frusturated

Hello all. I've been lurking around for a few weeks now and i thought it was time to write something. For the past three years ive been sick on and off (sometimes out for a week not being able to do hardly anything). I would always go to the ER because i'd be in so much pain in my abdomen and they would do tests and never find anything wrong. Since September things have REALLY been weird. I started taking my temp everyday and when i wake up my temp is usually 97.8-98.3 but it always goes up to 99.5-100.1. I also have this awful headache that is on the back of my head. Such an odd place to have a headache. And here are the other things that have began to happen:
-dizziness/ feels like room is spinning
-trouble with my memory (calling a friend telling her i am coming right over to pick her up to go to the mall and then forgetting about her and just going to the mall for example)
- Nausea (almost constantly)
- Upper abdomen aching/dull pain with occasional SHARP stabbing pains on the right upper abdomen
- Feelings of tightness in upper abdomen
- Sharp pains in knees, elbows, wrists, fingers and toes but not all at the same time. They alternate throughout the day (this is my least favorite symptom......it hurts!)
- Weight loss (lost 20lbs since july) without really changing my eating habits/diet
- Chills randomly throughout the day
- Sharp pain in chest when i cough
- Feels like it takes a little extra effort to breathe/ chest feels tight
- Occasionally fatigued

I think thats it. Anyways, i'm going to the doctor tomorrow but what do you guys think? I've been sick for a loooooooooong time and everyone always tells me im a hypochondriac. I called my parents tonight (i'm 22) to tell them whats been going on and they just brushed it off like "oh your just stressed out and making it worse then it is". Soo frusturating! I know i'm not imagining this! It is very real and i'm so upset that nobody believes me because the doctors never find anything! Everyone thinks that I make it up or something. Its ridiculous. And the more i read your guy's post the more i think "i feel like that too!". I'm not sure if lupus is what i have, but i think its possible. What do you guys think? Any other suggestions would be fabulous!! Thanks guys

Jana

Carol
Thank you so much for writing to me. Its amazing how one person can make you feel so much better. Thank you thank you thank you. I wrote down all my symptoms and when they started so i'm ready to go. And i'm prepared to be in for the long haul here. I've already gotten the run around so bring it on! I've read so many of you on here how it took years to find out whats wrong. I'm guessing i should expect that too. However most symptoms you guys have i experience too so i hope its ok that i come here even though I dont have a diagnoses!

Hi Jana!  Welcome to the forum! I see you got a nice welcome from Carol . . . I agree . . you do have something going on.  This disease is really hard to diagnose or guess at because it mimics so many other diseases.  I'm glad you'll see the doctor tomorrow and so glad you started posting girl!! Feels better just to talk about , doesn't it??   There are some really good suggestions from all the members here that are listed in one of the posts in "Lupus Resources" . . . there is a link at the end of my signature. The Spoon Theory, that Carol was talking about is at   www.butyoudontlooksick.com . . . check it out!!  It is well worth the read and it may help others understand what you are feeling. I hope you'll give us full details when you return from the doctor tomorrow!! Blessings!

Hi Jana . . . I saw your new post, but I was wondering what happened at your Dr. appointment. I also wanted your other symptoms to show so others would kind of know your background when they answer your new post. Any bad headache that is worse than you've felt before or very different should be checked by a doctor. Most often it is nothing, but if you suspect lupus, you could also have APS which causes thick, sticky blood and can cause a stroke and other major problems even at a young age. Better be safe than sorry. Keep us posted!! Blessings!

Jana, a referral to internal medicine is probably a good idea. A good internest will be really thorough and will hopefully look at things a GP might not. I do know how incredibly frustrating this must be. It's sad that it takes many of us years to get diagnosed. Part of that is because the symptoms we have are present in a lot of illnesses and part of it is because these diseases can progress very slowly and you can have symptoms for a while before anything shows up in your labs. Hang in there and don't give up.

Jana,

Welcome to the forum. I'm so sorry for what you're going through, and at your age! I've been accused of being "depressed" when I've actually been too fatigued to move, and for a long time no one took me very seriously either. Don't apologize to anyone for what you're going through.

I hope you find a good doctor who can help you get to the bottom of what's going on. And I'm happy you're here.

((((hugs))))

Pat

Jana--
One thing I would suggest is that you get your anti-thyroid antibodies (TPOs) checked because your symptoms sound endocrine related and even if your TSH (thyroid level) is normal you can have very high antibodies and have autoimmune thyroid disease (graves or hashimotos) and it can be destroying your body. It causes low temperatures and my head hurst like a fever and I get chills with a severe low temperature. I also have other endocrine deficiencies and you may as well but the thyroid is a place to start. I would ask specifically if your doc could run this one particular blood test for anti-thyroid antibodies(TPOs) because I've always been euthyroid (had relatively normal TSH -- thyroid level-- and have a lot of now permanent damage and my antithyroid antibodies were really really high). I take thyroid supplemet and I'm doing much better and it's brough them down some. Trouble breathing (apnea and dyspnea) are signs of thyroid disease. Arthritis is common with thryroid disease as is neurological damage. The abdominal symptoms you describe could be anything from irritable bowel to celiac disease to fatty liver to gi infection and you need to see a gi doc about that or at least make your primary care run some tests. I got an endoscopy and I've had colonoscopy and one time it was colon cancer and last time it was an unexplained inflammed bloody spot of unknown cause, we are still working on that. I was tested and came up negative for celiac. Also, could be a medicine side effect or part of a sun allergy along with the joint pain. Try staying in for a day and see if your symtoms are less, sometimes mine down't hit me till the next day even. Hope you feel better.

Jana,
Welcome to this forum. It's really great here, the people are very helpful, and it's always nice to be able to vent to people who know exactly how you feel. I've been where you are, frustrated with no answers, there was always a reason behind my pains, fatigue, etc. I was diagnosed with lupus when I was 16, I'm now 23, and still am treated like a hypochondriac when I go to the ER or see a new doctor. they treat me like I know nothing, and am making it all up. It's very frustrating when you know something's wrong, and nobody can tell you what it is. I hope everything works out for you, keep us posted.
Erin