Waiting for my first appointment with Rheumatologist

[Atomheart]

Good morning. I'm new here and don't as yet have a diagnosis. I first went to my gp in March with multiple joint pain. I've had blood tests but tested negative for RA. The gp referred me for an urgent appointment with a Rheumatologist and I have an appointment in July !!

Since my initial visit to the gp I have had numerous, seemingly, random symptoms. Sore, puffy eyes, face rash, very dry skin on hands and feet, tiredness. Lots of others. I also have a sore patch underneath my nose which seems to blister and dry out but doesn't go away.

I basically feel unwell a lot of the time. I did ask the gp if I could have Lupus but his reply was "you don't have Lupus". I've written everything down to take to my appointment and hope I see someone who can help.

Does this sound like Lupus to you ?

Thank you for reading.

[Hidden]

There are many diseases and conditions that can present with these fairly non specific symptoms - but if your bloods are negative then probably UCTD, seronegative RA, Sjögren's, Hashimoto's or Graves are the most likely autoimmune diseases that can cause these symptoms but not show up in Rheumatoid Factor or ANA.

It would be a good idea to get copies printed off of your blood results (you might need to be assertive about this but hopefully not) and look out for ESR, PV and CRP. Something is probably showing if your GP referred you to rheumatology.

Be sure to photograph all rashes and any other features such as swollen joints to show the rheumatologist, just in case they have disappeared by July.

It's good that your GP has referred you to rheumatology - and bizarre as it may sound to you - July is actually very soon for rheumatology services in most places in the U.K!

The wait will hopefully give you time to learn more and look for potential triggers for your symptoms, such as sunlight, cold, certain foods and over the counter medications etc.

Take care

Twitchy

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK]

Hi Atomheart ,

I'm afraid that we are not medically trained here and are not in a position to say whether your symptoms could be caused by lupus. As Hidden has said, whilst some of your symptoms may be fairly common in lupus, they are not exclusive to the disease and could be caused by various other conditions.

It is good to hear that you have been referred to rheumatology for further investigations. If you need any tips on preparing for this appointment please have a look at our blog article here - lupusuk.org.uk/getting-the-...

Let us know how you get on.

If you need any more information about lupus and how it is diagnosed, you can request or download one of our free packs at lupusuk.org.uk/request-info...