23 and worn out!!!
by Brittan
Hi guys! I’m brittany I’m 23 almost 24 and have two beautiful kids ages 1 and 2…about 7 months ago maybe even longer I believe I got horrible horrible back pain sometimes when I bent over it shoot like a shot of pain up my back…and gradually I just started feeling worse and worse losing more energy. My hips would then hurt then my knees and eventually my ankles…on the bad days especially after I’ve walked a lot or cleaned my house spotless the pain will be so bad that I literally feel on fire…I went to the doctors they thought it could be RA or Lupus so I did a bunch of labs which came back ( can’t remember everything which seems to be a constant thing to happen that I can’t forget something as soon as ive heard it or at least chunks ) I think she said my cholesterol was really low my b12 was really low and my vitamin D but everything else seemed fine, so I’m like what’s causing all this crap like before then i had never been to the hospital or doctors (never the hospital) until I had my kids now I have all these problems…on the really bad days I’d almost feel like I had the beginning stages of the flu with the body aches and fever 101-102. So eventually I went back because I was tired of laying on the couch all day not being able to really play with my kids…she was clueless so referred me to a rheumy…on the first time she prescribed medicine for my chronic migraines imatrax I think and melexiocam (excuse the spelling) …second visit a months worth of tramadol until my visit with the rheumy which ive gotten another refill because still haven’t heard from him…also been noticing I’ve been getting a lot of mouth ulcers I usually just get them when I bite my cheek but now they’re just popping up out of nowhere…oh I’ve also recently passed out (in aug) standing in line for six flags I just collapsed in front of everyone and knock my head on the floor woke up really confused and didn’t remember falling or anything I just remember being so hot. But hopefully I’ll get answers soon because not knowing is torture
Hang in there… autoimmune disorders can take a long time to diagnose. Hopefully you can get in to the rheumy soon and he can get you on something to help with symptoms. Not all bloodwork is accurate…for instance i went to a rheumy in dallas and had bloodwork done he said everything was perfect. Went to new rheumy 2 weeks later for 2nd opinion and my bloodwork showed evidence of lupus. Its all going to play itself out but you are your biggest advocate and don’t stop pushing for answers. Mouth sores, fatigue, joint pain, memory loss all this shows something is going on just gotta find the right doctor to help u figure out what it all means. Best of luck and prayers your way.
You need to let the doc know that the rheumy hasn’t called to set up an appointment. It could be a 3 month wait to send him/her as a new patient. Make a list of what hurts and the mouth sores when you go so you don’t have8 to worry about your memory failing. You could try a very mild toothpaste (biotin, squigle) so it doesn’t aggravate the mouth sores. It sounds painful. Lupus etc. can start being active or flare from a car accident, an illness, a trauma (I got the mumps)
Jane I had called like last week about the rheumy and she was like they’re not answering idk why and that she would call when she got something…still no call I guess I will have to call up there again…I’ve just became really intuned with my body after having kids and it’s like something is definitely wrong I can’t even go shopping with my mom and Halloween was torture I thought I would die from the pain
A good Rheumatologist will be able to tell you what it is, sure sounds like lupus from here. Until you have an appt you should be taking a quality vitamin D…I take 5000iu per day. And since your doc already said your b12 is low, have them give you a shot of it, maybe weekly. One more thing…stay OUT of the sun! Even if you are out with your kids. It will make you feel worse. Keep us posted!
Thanks fly girl! Yeah I just need somebody to tell me what’s going on because it’s starting to affect my life more than I realise…I have noticed I feel like complete crap when the sun is out and I’m outside and down here in Texas the heat is so hot it’s smothering…thanks guys I’ll keep you updated!
There are some frequencies of light that are known to aggravate lupus. Two big sources that put out those frequencies are the sun and fluorescent lighting. It might help you to avoid those. Lupus can be tricky to diagnose, and it takes time. The symptoms that you described certainly seem consistent with lupus as my wife experiences it.
You did not mention having a significant other, but you did mention your mom is close, and that you have children. I would suggest that as you go to your Rheumatologist and other specialists that you get a HIPAA waiver for someone close to you whose judgment that you trust. This will allow them to discuss your symptoms with the doctor in a way that you might not be able to. This is not something that my wife and I have in place, and I am no longer in a position to help her when she needs it the most because of it.
Lupus husband- yes I’m married so maybe I do need to look into that just in case…but yes I feel like I’m a vampire because I don’t go outside during the day unless I have to which sucks because my kids love playing outside
Fly girl- yeah I’ve noticed like even being inside like at at resturant or at home when I’m sitting by a window letting in lots of sunlight I can’t explain it I just automatically feel flushed and have to switch spots
I can relate to that! A couple months ago was in a restauraunt at a table by the windows, the light wasn’t really bothering me, but usually light, heat and noise all put me over the edge…anyway the waitress came around to pull the shades and instantly I felt calm and just breathed a sigh of relief. I was getting overloaded without realizing it. Eventually it would have caught up to me though. Sun glasses and hats are on me when ever I leave the house.
