But I have a question. My derm tested me for Anti Sm, Sjrogen's SSA and SSB and DSDNA and all came back negative. But this is after I had that cortisone shot. Derm now says that lupus isn't probable even though they had told me that they were almost 100% positive I had lupus rash. He is now saying I have "classic acne rosacea".......WTH????? I don't understand.
Can you have lupus and be negative for those antibodies? Could the cortisone have made those antibodies lower? I am more confused now than ever. These are good questions for my rheumy I know.
The clincher is the skin biopsy but still no rash to be seen. I don't think I'll get another one until I have a new flare, if/when that happens. So not sure what to think.
Rosacea does look a lot like lupus rash :>( One cortisone shot would decrease the inflammation markers but does not necessarily affect the auto-antibodies
My ANA, anti Chromatin and dsDNA are all negative after 18 months in Plaquenil but I don’t know if prednisone will do that too. I had to take that the first 8 months as well.
Interesting about roseacea, I had episodes of that about 10 years before I got symptoms of Lupus and was diagnosed. It was treated with a topical ointment. At the time I remember thinking “this looks just like a Lupus mask.” Maybe there’s an as yet unrecognized connection!
I saw the rheumy, he was very nice and reassuring that we will get to the bottom of this. Firstly he said that I definitely have Autoimmune Thyroiditis. He said secondly, I either have lupus or fibromyalgia, he is not sure which because my antibodies are negative. He sent me for a plethora of other labs.....25 tubes of blood!!! He said the definite answer is going to be in the skin biopsy. He said he hates to ask me to do that, because they have to test me in two sites and it's on my face. But at this point I don't care, I just want answers. So for the rash I wait......