Hi, LymeRebel - Just this very afternoon, as I was laying down in bed, tears were streaming down my face because, yes, I do feel like I am dying. I swear that I can feel this illness draining the...
Hi, Everyone - I know we are approaching a major holiday weekend, but if anyone is online the next few days, I sure would appreciate any thoughts or experiences you are willing to share with me....
Hi, Heather - I just saw your post, and even though I don't have much time to spare, I wanted to reach out to you even if my reply is brief. When I was diagnosed with MCTD, my primary symptoms were...
Hi, Jess - I only have time for a quick response, but I wanted to say, yes, a rheumatologist can *prescribe* IVIG treatment, but your insurance issues may not end there. Hopefully the rheumatologist...
Oh my goodness. I am soooooo grateful to you all for steering me away from UCSF! Thank you for saving me time and energy that I don't have! I have been going from fancy specialist to fancy specialist...
Hi, there! I see that the Infectious Disease Department at UCSF diagnoses and treats Lyme, and I am wondering if anyone on this site has sought help from UCSF for testing and treatment. If so, did...
Hi, Everyone - I am new to the CFS/ME "club", and looking to more experienced folks for advice on which infection to treat first. My CFS doctor tells me I have a heavy bacterial and viral load, but...
Hi, Everyone! I am headed to a new CFS doctor, for a first-time appointment, a bit later on this month. I am hoping that he will run an exhaustive battery of blood work, and I'm wondering if my use...
Hi! I am new to this area of HealingWell, and I'm hoping it's acceptable etiquette to ask for assistance in finding a CFS doctor in the San Francisco Bay Area (or an hour or so drive outside of the...
Lynnlaurie - May I ask how your doctor (pulmonologist?) came to your diagnosis. I have been suffering from persistent pnuemonia in the middle lobe of my right lung, of unkown origin. My pulmonologist...
Hi, Everyone - Looks like I am no longer be responding to the ususal front line oral medications, and my doctor said that IVIG is an option, as well as Rituxan and Cytoxan. I like the idea of a more...
Hi, All! I was wondering if any of you have been diagnosed with scleroderma esophagus. I am hoping to connect with someone else who suffers from this condition and ask them some questions about (1)...
Hi, All - I have learned so much from all of you (more than from my GI doc!), and I'm hoping you could please advise me on my self-directed PPI taper. A breif back story is that I was put on...
Hi, MystaRay - I am hardly an expert, having been thrown into the land of GERD via a recent diagnosis of Scleroderma Esophagus, but I wanted to respond to your note, as no one else has yet. You...
Hello Friends! I hope you can please help me. I've been so sick for so many months now, it's hard to know which symptoms are from illness, which are from medications, and which are from the withdrawl...
Dear Snowcone - Any chance you might be in the midst of a prednisone taper? Muscle stiffness and severe pain can be a sign of withdrawl. I just happened to be doing some reasearch on prednisone...
Hi, Everyone - The issue I'm having with my legs started out as numbness, tingling, cramping, and general sense of weakness. My quads and calves will get sore walking down the block or up the stairs....
Hi, All - I've been on Wellbrutrin XL 300 MG + Celexa 15 MG for over a decade. It took three years to find the right "mix" for me, so imagine my utter dismay (and now despair) over having to give up...
Hi, There! I am relatively new to GI issues. I began treatment for GERD in April 2013 (first omeprazole 20 mg, now protonix 40 mg). In March/April of 2014 I developed all sorts of odd and terrifying...
Hi, Lulumax - Yes, this is a GREAT place to post your quesiton. There's a wonderful man named Bill on this site who has lived with MCTD longer much than I have, and I bet he will respond to your...
Hi, Joie, Laura, and Barbara - I'm not sure if you'll check this thead again, but I just wanted to thank all three of you for taking the time to write me such supportive repsonses. They really...
Hi, there! It's taken two weeks to get this diagnosis worked up, but it looks like I have an opportunistic infection in my right lung. I'm currently taking antibiotics for bacteria, although the...
Hi, Everybody! During my fabulous run with MCTD/SLE, I've had bouts of pluerisy and percarditis, but now I seem to have developed the triple whammy: serositis. I've seen my rheumy, and I've upped my...
Hi, Barbara - I've been meaning to write to you for some time to thank you for such a supportive response to my post. Thank you for taking the time to reply and for offering to let me contact you...
Hi, Jen719 - If/when you have a chance to explore the head pain issue with your doctor, would you be willing to share the outcome? I was getting weird head pains in February, and attributed it to a...
Hi, Beth - I feel badly for having struck up a conversation with you last week, and then basically going silent for over a week! Sorry about that! After being on medical leave for 6 months, I...
Hi, Bet17 - First of all, my sincere condolences on the loss of your mother. I can't even imagine how difficult that must be. For such a tragic event to then be followed by such a severe lupus flare...
Hi, All - Tomorrow I'm supposed to pick up a new RX for colchicine. My rheumy described it to me as an anti-inflammatory, to be used to combat my persistent costochondritis, which has not responded...
Hi, All - I'm preparing for an appt. with my rhuemy on Thursday, and I was hoping to get some feedback from you all. I've been on CellCept (Mycophenolate) for 6 months now. My rhuemy and I had...
Thank you Lynnwood and Joy for taking the time to share your experiences with me. I *really* appreciate it! I'm not that worried about this particular two-week stretch, but I am tremendously worried...
Hi, Joy - Has your rheumy ruled out CNS Lupus? I just wonder if your central nervous system is being attacked, and if so, I am hoping there is treatment available to slow it down. :-( My very best...
Hello Fellow Lupies! I need to appeal to you all for some advice and/or any similar experiences you might be willing to share with me regarding private long-term disability insurance (not social...
Hi, Joy, Laura, and Bill - Thank you so much for your prompt responses! Joy: I have had my kidneys "spill" protein this summer, so I will ask my doctor if we can perform a kidney screen next month....
Greetings! I'm really on the fence about Celebrex and desperately seeking opinions from folks who might have experience with this medication. My rheumy gave me samples of Celebrex (200mg) last month,...
Hello! I actually "belong" to the Lupus forum, but I was hoping I could reach out to this forum for some advice/assistance re: my thyriod. On Friday morning, I had a thyroid nodule biopsy. The...
Oh, Angi! I just now read your note and my heart (really, truly) goes out to you. Seems like you just can't catch a break! I was also stunned to hear that there are only two rheumatologists in your...
Thoreau - How nice of you to be so supportive of your girl friend and so proactive about getting educated about lupus and the medicaitons used to treat lupus. In addition to the emotions that come...
Hi, Kaitlynn - Like the others who have responded, I want to encourage you to see a neurologist, and perhpas a different one? this summer I joined an (in person) Lupus Support Group, and at least...
Dear Lynnwood and Bill - Thank you both for your prompt and very helpful replies! I was in such a tizzy last Friday, and I really appreciated your responses! Bill, I especially appreciate all that...
Dear SamJul - I can *totally* relate. I have had costochondritis for the better part of 2.5 years, and there have been days where the pain and shortness of breath were so accute I could have sworn I...
I am so confused! I have been diagnosed with, and treated for, lupus for 2.5 years. In the process of securing a second opinion regarding a move to immunosupressent medications, the second opinion...
Hi, there! I just wanted to chime in that I have had pleurisy for the better part of 2.5 years. I did have a nice 4 month remission earlier this year that I never once took for granted! In the...
My heart goes out to you, Barbara. I wish that I could somehow ease your suffering. As I cannot, I will be sure to include you in my prayers this evening. My best wishes, Nina...
Dear Susan - I am so, deeply, sorry to hear about all that have gone through and are continuing to go through. Getting a proper diagnosis is an exhausting (and sometimes humiliating) effort. I am...
FW: Thank you for a warm welcome to the forum and your compassionate note. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with Imuran and CellCept with me. (I'm sorry your experience with...
Hi All! I am new to this group, and quite desperate for advice! I thank you in advance for reading my post and for any thoughts you take the time to share with me. I hope to be able to return the...