14th June 2006
Hello,
My troubles started in 1987, when I started college. I went through every possible symptom: severe (migraine-type) headaches, unspeakable pain throughout my body (I was eventually told I have peripheral neuropathy), several grand mal seizures (non-epileptic), extreme and unusual exhaustion, repetitive pleurisy, halting malaise, stomach ulcers, constant fevers, etc. Oh, and I had acute glomerulonephritis when I was in 3rd grade.
After going to over 25 doctors (and even having my tonsils out during one particular goose chase), a doctor just happened to request the Lupus Anticoagulant test. This came back positive. So, I was told that I had the LA.[list]
[*]Verapamil SR 240mg (morning blood pressure tab)
[*]Tegretol 200 mg 3 times per day (To assist with Pain Management AND the seizures)
[*]Vytorin 10/20 (Blood Lipid Reduction--taken in the PM)
[*]Coumadin 5 mg (In the PM to assist with the Lupus Anticoagulant)
[*]Verapamil SA 180 mg (Taken in PM for Blood Pressure)
[*]Elavil 50 mg (To assist with sleep AND--more importantly--pain relief)
[*]ProSom 2 mg (Taken nightly for sleep)
[*]Fioricet--only one strength--(For tension headaches PRN)
[*]Fioricet with Codeine--For the more intense muscle tension headaches PRN
[*]Duragesic Patch 75 mcg (For overall Pain Management)
[*]Dilaudid 8 mg (For Break-Through Pain)
[*]Actiq Lozenges 800 mcg (For Break Throuch pain)--1 box of 30 per month
[/list]. It still took several more years of trial and error for someone to put all of these symptoms together plus the positive ANA. Also, there is something to do with my "sedimentation rate" that helped point to my final diagnosis: System Lupus and the Lupus Anticoagulant. I probably left something out, but you get the idea!
BTW, I was sent to two different psychiatrists because my primary doctor really thought I was losing it or that I was a hypochondriac. However, the psychiatrists stated that I was doing reasonably well considering all of the health problems I was dealing with--especially the pain.
Now, I am on disability. I could no longer teach school, so I learned to be a medical transcriptionist. But, that also got to be too much. What has saved my life, though, is having a great doctor who deals with my Pain Managerment !! For the pain, I use Duragesic, Dilaudid, and Actiq. Without these particular medications, I don't know where I'd be. Plus, it took a long time to find the right medications for me.
Here is the list of medications I take (and the reason[s] I take them):
Thanks for your posts! It reminded me that living with autoimmune disorders takes support from everyone. I appreciate the sharing I found here.
Sincerely,
Jon (Conductor)
My troubles started in 1987, when I started college. I went through every possible symptom: severe (migraine-type) headaches, unspeakable pain throughout my body (I was eventually told I have peripheral neuropathy), several grand mal seizures (non-epileptic), extreme and unusual exhaustion, repetitive pleurisy, halting malaise, stomach ulcers, constant fevers, etc. Oh, and I had acute glomerulonephritis when I was in 3rd grade.
After going to over 25 doctors (and even having my tonsils out during one particular goose chase), a doctor just happened to request the Lupus Anticoagulant test. This came back positive. So, I was told that I had the LA.[list]
[*]Verapamil SR 240mg (morning blood pressure tab)
[*]Tegretol 200 mg 3 times per day (To assist with Pain Management AND the seizures)
[*]Vytorin 10/20 (Blood Lipid Reduction--taken in the PM)
[*]Coumadin 5 mg (In the PM to assist with the Lupus Anticoagulant)
[*]Verapamil SA 180 mg (Taken in PM for Blood Pressure)
[*]Elavil 50 mg (To assist with sleep AND--more importantly--pain relief)
[*]ProSom 2 mg (Taken nightly for sleep)
[*]Fioricet--only one strength--(For tension headaches PRN)
[*]Fioricet with Codeine--For the more intense muscle tension headaches PRN
[*]Duragesic Patch 75 mcg (For overall Pain Management)
[*]Dilaudid 8 mg (For Break-Through Pain)
[*]Actiq Lozenges 800 mcg (For Break Throuch pain)--1 box of 30 per month
[/list]. It still took several more years of trial and error for someone to put all of these symptoms together plus the positive ANA. Also, there is something to do with my "sedimentation rate" that helped point to my final diagnosis: System Lupus and the Lupus Anticoagulant. I probably left something out, but you get the idea!
BTW, I was sent to two different psychiatrists because my primary doctor really thought I was losing it or that I was a hypochondriac. However, the psychiatrists stated that I was doing reasonably well considering all of the health problems I was dealing with--especially the pain.
Now, I am on disability. I could no longer teach school, so I learned to be a medical transcriptionist. But, that also got to be too much. What has saved my life, though, is having a great doctor who deals with my Pain Managerment !! For the pain, I use Duragesic, Dilaudid, and Actiq. Without these particular medications, I don't know where I'd be. Plus, it took a long time to find the right medications for me.
Here is the list of medications I take (and the reason[s] I take them):
Thanks for your posts! It reminded me that living with autoimmune disorders takes support from everyone. I appreciate the sharing I found here.
Sincerely,
Jon (Conductor)