What else am I missing?

[ITUnurse]

Hi

I already have a collection of chronic conditions (hashimotos, ADHD, endometriosis) which are on optimal treatment.

However, I still have the following symptoms which have not abated in years: Joint pain and stiffness - ankles and hands / wrists particularly, balance issues, feeling really unwell after the sun (like I have heat stroke but every time), itchy and red eyes, itchy and red skin (although intermittent), chronic mouth ulcers, abdo pain, constipation and frequent peeing. I have fatigue also but improved with medications I’m on. I have chronic tonsillitis and probable sleep apnoea but don’t think that is related.

I’ve had a whole raft of blood tests in the past which detected the thyroid issues, also have had low vitamin D.

I am a nurse but no expert in chronic illness. Rheumatoid arthritis runs in the family (but a previous blood test apparently ruled this out).

I have had many arguments with GP over recent ADHD diagnosis which has been life changing but now I am more on top of it it has highlighted even more so my physical symptoms.

I plan a GP appointment soon but want to be armed with information.

Thanks x

A lot of us ADHD peeps also have hypermobility/EDS and CFS/ME too.

also mast cell issues maybe?

@Phrenologistsfinger

Thanks for your reply. I will look into EDS/hyper mobility.

I have a diagnosis of CFS, forgot to put that but like many diagnoses it’s a diagnosis of exclusion and made me feel a bit fobbed off

reading up on mastocytosis - very interesting

Lupus? The sun thing made me think of it, but I'm no expert either

Tell your gp you want a referral to a rheumatologist. They can diagnose eds/hyper mobility, arthritis etc. Your gp is not qualified to diagnose or adequately treat these.

is your vitamin d at optimum now? - ideally 80-100 as many symptoms can be helped by supplementation. for some it can literally be life changing

I would guess lupus as well. It has similar symptoms to fibromyalgia. A rheumatologist would be the person to see.

I’m going to request this, whilst I haven’t brought up these symptoms at new GP surgery every previous GP would diagnose one thing and rob me off basically

I supplement daily (ish) as live in a grey part of the UK. They are very awkward about testing vit D levels in my area but will ask

Try googling seronegative rheumatoid arthritis x

Try googling seronegative rheumatoid arthritis

I was going to say that. I have that. I was undiagnosed for 8 or 9 years. When I finally got referred to a Rheumatologist , she told me around 40 per cent of rheumatology patients are seronegative - ie it doesn't show on bloods.

When my knees had swelled up like balloons, I had fluid extracted and sent to lab in Manchester, and that did show RA. On methotrexate now,, and it is the best flippin' drug ever. It all took a long time