Hello,
My regular doctor had fifteen minutes for my appointment, and then he referred me to a Rheumatologist. I know no one can diagnose from a forum, I just want to gauge how concerned I should be. When I was preggers with my son I developed a red rash type thing on my face- across the nose and spread out over the cheeks. I assumed it was rosacea. It gets a little worse sometimes and a little better sometimes, but never goes away. It's not on any other part of my face. I also developed an inflammation of the eye. The eye doctor wanted my regular doctor to do bloodwork for systemic inflammation. He said that the tests were normal. Other things that were happening alongside that were occaisional bouts of dizziness, occaisional chest pain when breathing. I also got a little white bump inside my nose that wouldn't go away. It was aggravating. The doctor said that it was a pimple, but it took weeks to go away. The thing that stopped me short was when my wrist started to ache. It got worse and worse. I was wearing braces and ace bandages, and it still ached. It was bad enough that when someone shook my hand at church it sent a sharp, shooting pain through my wrist and hand. Then it started in my left ankle. I would wake up in the morning and my toes and fingers would be stiff. Also, I got two bumps inside my nose during this time. After two months the pain, morning stiffness, and the nose bumpswent away. Then the pain and stiffness came back, first, and worst, in the foot and then in the wrist. It felt like there was a toothache in my ankle and in the bones by my toes, as well as an ache all through the tendons. Hot water helped, but I was taking 4 ibuprofen to no avail. I was hobbling like an old woman. I looked up info on anti-inflammatory diets and cut out wheat, dairy, and coffee and it went away. I started eating normally and it came back, in the same foot, and its starting in both wrists. Also, when my hands are cold the tips and knuckles turn red, sometimes purplish red. If they are REALLY cold, the fingers will turn purplish red up to the knuckles. However, I don't think I have fevers. I'm tired alot, but not paralyzingly so. Boy am I glad this is anonymous, because I want to ask if lupus affects urine. I notice that my urine smells like motor oil. So, thanks to anyone who might give their opinion on this. I definitely understand that is an OPINION. I just don't want to be thinking about this for the next four weeks while I wait for my apt.