Posts by Laura James8

Amy Jones20 said:Hey everyone 🙂 ,

I’ll try to make this quick, though honestly, it's kind of a lot. So, basically... back in 2003, I had this massive "episode" where my joints just completely locked up on me. My hands were the worst—wrists, fingers, everything—and then my ankles started acting up too. Even the simplest little things felt impossible, like trying to turn a key in a lock, which was a total nightmare 😁 .

They ran every single test under the sun for autoimmune stuff, from MS to Lupus, before they finally landed on a "suspected" diagnosis of sarcoidosis. It wasn't even a definitive thing because the results weren't even positive, they were just sitting right at the upper limit of normal...

I was put on a trial of corticosteroids, and thank god, I responded really well to them, and over time things actually started looking up. After a few months, the pain just vanished...

Since then, I've been going in every six months for checkups with Dr. Sentić. My last one was just this past August, and they pulled my blood for all sorts of things, and thankfully everything came back totally fine.

But, there's always a "but," right? I'm five months pregnant now, and about a week ago, these joint pains started creeping back in—mostly in my hands. In the mornings, my fingers feel almost completely stiff.
Now I'm stuck wondering what to do. I feel so stupid calling the doctor again when my labs were perfectly fine just a month ago, so I keep thinking maybe something was brewing in my system that should have shown up on those tests by now...

Honestly, I'm panicking a little... it's not nearly as intense as when I first got sick, but still... I'm not exactly thrilled about this.

I don't know if this is just a normal part of pregnancy and my body changing, or if everything is about to go sideways on me again...

Has anyone else gone through anything like this?

Thanks in advance for any help....😘

I deal with an autoimmune condition myself and am actually getting ready to conceive, but I know I need constant monitoring. Seriously, just call your doctor and explain what's happening. She won't think it's weird at all; if anything, she'll expect it...👍 :top

Sandra Reyes said:I wouldn't even touch that medication for a migraine... I'd toss it out the window immediately..
And man, what are you even talking about with the whole diet thing? It's not that simple, okay? Your body just hits a wall so fast and you need to eat just to stay upright—you need actual energy to function! I know, I know, I'm supposed to be careful with what I eat, but honestly, none of this stuff seems to be doing squat for me anyway.😎

I took that stuff maybe 15 years ago. Honestly, I’d think twice before taking it for anything that isn't a massive, life-altering issue. In my case, it was a total medical screw-up by my doctor. Even now, all those nasty side effects are still messing with me.

Hold up, if you're from Monterey then you're honestly better off heading over to San Francisco to see Dr. Martin, Perkins, or Krstulović at the immunology department over at Mercy Hospital, but seriously, get all those blood values checked out first—and for goodness' sake, make sure they run an RF test for rheumatoid factor too. Don't be paranoid about it, it’s just smart to get it done, and hey, maybe once you know what's up, you could try hitting the gym or getting some light exercise in or something like that.

Terry Jones13 said:I've been dealing with ankle pain for a while now, and since I play recreational soccer, it’s becoming a real issue. Almost every time I strike the ball, I get this sharp pain that makes it hard to even stay on my feet. It happens after sitting for long periods too. When I'm on the field, I have to be careful not to kick too hard just to avoid aggravating the joint. The sensation is exactly like a sprain, except the pain doesn't go away... This has been going on for about three months now.
If anyone has any advice, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

Look, why don't you try asking your doctor to run some immunology tests? Like, check for ANA (antibodies), C3, C4, anti-dsDNA, and just get a full blood panel done. Seriously, if you aren't finding a way to fix this and it's been dragging on this long, it probably isn't just bad luck. In Washington, D.C., there's an immunology department over at the Mayo Clinic, so just head over there and see what they say.