“Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis?”
I was recently diagnosed with Lupus. This was from trauma to my elbow which is swollen beyond the swelling. It continues to swell and the doctor has removed the blood twice. The second time the blood was very thick. There has not been a third time and my elbow is still swollen. One week later I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis with a score of 162. My doctor said in 35 years he has never seen a score of this high. It just does not happen. I have been to various doctors telling them I hurt so bad but none will believe me.
I am 73 years old and desperately need some kind of pain medication. I have begged for pain medication because I hurt so bad I cannot walk on my own. My neurosurgeon told me he will fix my back after both my knees have been through replacement but I am trying to tell him it is my back that hurts so bad. I cannot function. I can do nothing on my own. I hurt everywhere and cry all the time due to the pain. Now added to this are my knees of which both need a knee replacement. My orthopedic doctor has never seen knees as bad as mine and I had been trying to find someone to help me. Now I have been sent to a rheumatologist who is questionable because he has a one-star rating of people saying do not bother to go to him.
Now I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in 1999. About 5 years later I started having attacks where I started uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea that would last for 6 hours. Now I am rethinking all this and wondering if the Celiac Disease was correct. Have I really had Lupus all this time instead of Celiac Disease? I was the branch manager of southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas until I got so sick I had to drop out of doing it. I am in such bad shape right now and hurting so bad and there is no one who will help me. I Iive in a rural area where there are zero decent doctors and I am traveling for two hours to see my Internal Medicine doctor. My Rheumatoid Arthritis number is 162 which my doctor has never seen in 35 years of practice yet no one is willing to give me something for pain and I hurt so bad.
At my age, it is doubtful that I would ever be drug dependent but even if I am I have such few years left why does it matter? I cannot go anywhere. I cannot clean my house. I cannot spend time with my children or grandchildren. I cannot even take a shower. Having Lupus alone is bad enough but I am hit with two additional autoimmune diseases. There are three hospitals in this area and if one doctor lets one go as a patient you cannot get in with another doctor of the same hospital. I have been let go by all three because the doctors have no idea of what to do with me so they fire me as a patient. I am now forced to have to go two and one-half hours away one way to get to my doctor. He is unable to write any pain meds for me as this state limits patients for pain medications and if anyone really needs them it is me. A 73 year old woman who is hurting and will continue to hurt. I am not sure they will continue to allow my doctor to see me as I am too "needy" a patient which is not my fault but where does one find a doctor at my age with my diseases?
I am 73 years old and desperately need some kind of pain medication. I have begged for pain medication because I hurt so bad I cannot walk on my own. My neurosurgeon told me he will fix my back after both my knees have been through replacement but I am trying to tell him it is my back that hurts so bad. I cannot function. I can do nothing on my own. I hurt everywhere and cry all the time due to the pain. Now added to this are my knees of which both need a knee replacement. My orthopedic doctor has never seen knees as bad as mine and I had been trying to find someone to help me. Now I have been sent to a rheumatologist who is questionable because he has a one-star rating of people saying do not bother to go to him.
Now I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in 1999. About 5 years later I started having attacks where I started uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea that would last for 6 hours. Now I am rethinking all this and wondering if the Celiac Disease was correct. Have I really had Lupus all this time instead of Celiac Disease? I was the branch manager of southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas until I got so sick I had to drop out of doing it. I am in such bad shape right now and hurting so bad and there is no one who will help me. I Iive in a rural area where there are zero decent doctors and I am traveling for two hours to see my Internal Medicine doctor. My Rheumatoid Arthritis number is 162 which my doctor has never seen in 35 years of practice yet no one is willing to give me something for pain and I hurt so bad.
At my age, it is doubtful that I would ever be drug dependent but even if I am I have such few years left why does it matter? I cannot go anywhere. I cannot clean my house. I cannot spend time with my children or grandchildren. I cannot even take a shower. Having Lupus alone is bad enough but I am hit with two additional autoimmune diseases. There are three hospitals in this area and if one doctor lets one go as a patient you cannot get in with another doctor of the same hospital. I have been let go by all three because the doctors have no idea of what to do with me so they fire me as a patient. I am now forced to have to go two and one-half hours away one way to get to my doctor. He is unable to write any pain meds for me as this state limits patients for pain medications and if anyone really needs them it is me. A 73 year old woman who is hurting and will continue to hurt. I am not sure they will continue to allow my doctor to see me as I am too "needy" a patient which is not my fault but where does one find a doctor at my age with my diseases?
Female | 73 years old
Complaint duration: 20 years
Medications: Hydroxychloroquine
Conditions: Lupus/Rheumatologist/Celiac Disease
2 Answers
I am so sorry for your pain. Auto immune diseases run together so you could have more than one simultaneously. Getting pain medication is going to be a lifelong struggle for you. You can look to the government for these problems. First we were required to call “pain” a vital sign (which it is not) that must be assessed with each visit, even those for colds. Then drug companies produced highly addictive products. Addiction became a problem and the government got involved again. Now pain medicine is limited and physicians are afraid of losing their license. I suggest you get a primary care doctor who can follow you over time and negotiate pain management.
Good evening,
Your ailments are substantial as you describe. The autoimmune ailments are able to be modified and remediated with a combination approach. Plaquenil. Steroids. Immune suppressants. Biologics. And massage therapy and physical therapy help. The multi modal therapy approach is essential.
Your ailments are substantial as you describe. The autoimmune ailments are able to be modified and remediated with a combination approach. Plaquenil. Steroids. Immune suppressants. Biologics. And massage therapy and physical therapy help. The multi modal therapy approach is essential.
