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Suggest Treatment For Pyelonephritis, UTI, Pleurisy, Tonsillitis, Night Sweats And Folate Deficiency

Posted on Mon, 7 Sep 2015

Question: I don't know if anyone can help me as I seem to have baffled health care professionals so far. I have a pmh of non specific colitis of the terminal illium, pylonephritis, reaccurent uti, pleurisy, reaccurent tonsillitis, night sweats, vit d deficiency, folate deficiency, b12 deficiency and fatigue. I have a family history of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. The other night my left hand was red and inflammed at the joints followed by it swelling up and it hurts. Does anyone have an idea what's going off with me I know there's something not right with all if this has happened over the last 4 years. Today I've had diahhorrea and vomiting and my mouth has also been inflamed for the last month with my tongue joining in for good measure in the last 5 days. See images.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (19 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please consult rheumatologist.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Thank you for the query.

Your symptoms point to some autoimmune disease. All mentioned by you conditions can be caused by a disease called SLE (systemic lupus erythromatosus). This condition is not similar in every patients so symptoms may vary. And for sure it can cause all mentioned by you symptoms.
SLE is a kind of autoimmune disease which means that your immune system cells (white blood cells) attack your own body. Presence of RA (rheumatoid arthritis) in family makes you prone to such diseases.

That is why I suggest you to consult rheumatologist. Specific tests should be done to diagnose this condition (antibodies called ANA and other). If this will be confirmed, steroid treatment can be started.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (2 minutes later)

thank you however my rheumatologist ruled this out in february and consequently discharged me, my GP has repeated anti CCP tests and thinks I currently have a bug as all other inflammatory markers have come back negative but is still waiting for the anti CCP.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (8 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Try to check the other antibodies.

Detailed Answer:
But you have a new symptom which is hand joints swelling. So it seems to be a good time to consult rheumathologist once again. Anti CCP is done to rule out rheumathoid arthritis. But how about the other antibodies like ANA and XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (7 minutes later)

will it account for the strawberry tongue also? I will make a gp appointment once my anti CCP is back thank you.

ive also just had quite a few ectopic beats in the space of half an hour should I be concerned I have been seen by cardiology and discharged with superventicular ectopics.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Strawberry tongue can be the part of autoimmune disease.

Detailed Answer:
Yes, strawberry tongue can be a part of autoimmune disease. Ectopic beats should not be the reason to concern. You may try Magnesium supplementation to make them less frequent.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (1 hour later)

thank you it doesn't help how anxious i get about it all and i do know too much being a nurse, i'm gona make a gp appt for before work one day this week with the gp that requested my anti ccp

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (7 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I do understand your anxiety.

Detailed Answer:
I do understand your anxiety. 4 years without proper diagnosis must be very hard. And for sure it adds some symptoms (anxiety can stimulate digestive tract as well as heart rate and many more. But your problem is so complicated that it is really hard to help you from the point of this service. You need proper tests.

I just hope that your doctor will focus on other diseases, not only rheumatoid arthritis (it does not give so much symptoms).

And one more thought. Some of your symptoms might be caused by HIV infection. So if you find this as a possibility, get tested. Just in case.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (9 minutes later)

definately not HIV had that tested a few months back, they have referred me to haematology though to look at my immune system which I wanted them to do not particularly sure if I liked the GP as he said some professionals would look at it and think I was a hypochondriac others would think strange a 26 year old girl and all these illnesses and when I mentioned my lips and gums being inflamed told me to go see a dentist yet the GP the week before thought the inflammation was to do with the ulcer that had gone septic on my throat. Its frustrating that my inflammatory markers haven't gone out of normal range either so they don't think its anything of note going off, thank you for talking to me though it does make me a feel a bit better talking to someone that has some idea what's going off and can bounce idea off to me

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Autoimmune condition does not cause inflammation marker elevation.

Detailed Answer:
Throat ulcer is actually just another symptom of lupus. Inflammatory markers (like CRP, ESR, or WBC) almost never do not get elevated in case of autoimmune disease. This conditions are just like an allergy (which does not cause this markers elevation either). As long as antibodies wont be checked, you can not diagnose autoimmune condition.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (3 minutes later)

thank you that has cleared things up for me, my best friend is also a nurse and she sometimes really winds me up because she thinks I should just accept that this is my body and I may never get a diagnosis

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (14 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
You should not accept this.

Detailed Answer:
You can not accept that. You have the right to feel good. You have the right to do not suffer and live your life. That is why you have to keep forcing doctors so they will find the solution.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar