What’s the difference between Lupus and mixed/connective tissue disorder. I see in the different terms in the posts but we all seem to have a variety of ailments, symptoms and health issues that we share. I have MCTD and get symtoms of dry eyes, mouth and ulcers, joint pain especiallly in the feet with hand and feet swellings, loss of concentration and bad headaches…there is more but lets leave it at that for now. I am told I have MCTD. So what is the difference? Someone put straight 
MCTD is often thought to be slightly less severe than lupus Many of us will wander back and forth between the 2 diagnoses especially as our lab values change. In my mind they are one and the same with lupus being the BIG boogieman and MCTD being his sidekick
Haha. Thanks for that explanation. I am definitely the “side kick” at the moment; planequil is keeping a lid on things but I have some very bad bouts of awful skin flare ups and joint problems. But I thank my blessings that things are not as bad as some of my “friends” on here. Wishing you ALL well.xxxx
I have all of those symptoms and was diagnosed with SLE lupus. I find the plaquenil helps the lupus Andy fibromyalgia symptoms, buty face breaks out more. So I suffer through the face breakouts because it’s better than having pain.
I don't know that there is a difference, I was diagnosed with MCTD long before Lupus, now they tell me you have both whatever that means, when the doctor first told me I thought it was a polite way to tell me he didn't know what was wrong with me, remember this was back in the 80 s they didn't know much about lupus or mctd. I've always assumed they were one in the same, at some point for me anyway the names don't matter so much, Its all the same stuff Lupus.
The way that I have understood it:
UCTD: Something joint and autoimmune is wrong with you, but there isn't enough indication of what for us to pin the specific disease down for certain.
MCTD: You are showing signs of several joint-related autoimmune disease, but there isn't enough evidence to qualify that you have them for certain.
Lupus: You have met enough criteria for your doctor to declare that you indeed have Lupus specifically.
Doing a quick internet search, I found this, which may be more helpful in explaining things. It is notable that not all rheumys (or regular doctors, I guess?) follow the same patterns for diagnosing Lupus, which is why sometimes it takes several attempts to find the right doctor who will listen, pay attention, and follow through properly. My rheumy has told students (in front of me) that the 'required' four criteria out of the list of eleven was meant for a clinical diagnosis and not for actual diagnosis. He went on to explain to them how he might have a patient who doesn't meet four total criteria, but who to him clearly is suffering from Lupus. It was interesting to listen in on, to say the least!
Thank you Talencia for your reply. x
Thank you so much! Right after my daughter was diagnosed with Lupus four years ago, I was diagnosed with MCTD or what my Dr. called Lupus like. I have never felt like she has taken me very seriously. She told me that I had tested positive for both RA and Lupus but that I didn't have ALL the proteins for either. That was all she explained to me and she put me on Plaquenil. Over the past year, I have had increased problems with joint pain, especially in my hands and knees and with cognitive abilities, especially short-term memory. I keep trying to get her to listen to me but she just blows me off. In the four years that I have been seeing her, she has only taken my blood one time.
I stuck it out because she was the only doctor that I could find that would take my daughter, who was only 17 when she was diagnosed and she has been very attentive to her. But honestly, my daughter doesn't care for her either and won't even go in unless she is in a severe flare-up.
Any thoughts on what her diagnosis means would be greatly appreciated. I also have several other medical issue and I'm sick to death of doctors!
Thank you again,
Cathy In MD