Serositis

[Numptybrain]

Hi

I’m new here, been struggling with bilateral pleural effusion since may last year and now my second bout of pericarditis so my respiratory consultant is sending everything to a rheumatologist as he believes I have lupus but does anyone else have this please and what medication are you on etc.. Any information would be brilliant as I’ve never heard of it until now.

Thanks

Wendy

[Lizard28]

Hi, before I was diagnosed, I was in hospital for 2 weeks as doctors thought I had pneumonia. I was put on antibiotics but they didn’t help so I was given a high resolution ct scan which showed it was pneumonitis which is inflammation in the lungs. My bloods showed an extremely high rheumatoid factor so he referred me to rheumatology. She diagnosed me years later with MCTD and much later skin lupus. I’ve been on hydroxychloroquine for years now. It doesn’t cure it but helps keep the flares down. Your Rheumy consultant will do a lot of different blood tests before diagnosing you. My blood tests were never showing what mine wanted to see so it took about 13 years to get diagnosed properly.

[soul22]

Hi nice meet youSorry to hear what your going through,I had pericarditis before lupus diagnosis.

Mixed with sero negative rheumatoid arthritis ( means no joint errosion rheumatoid factor negative or irregular positive) same treatment

fibromyalgia Raynaud etc

I'm glad he's sending it all to a rheumatology consultant

All best

[Numptybrain in reply to soul22]

Thank you, it’s been a very long road for me as my GP suspected I had lips in 2014 but rheumatologist diagnosed osteoarthritis with fibromyalgia but obviously now things have progressed. I’ve already had a spinal operation as I had bilateral fractures of L5/S1 but I’m still struggling that way as more levels are severely affected but my lungs are restricted badly so it’s hard to do anything at the moment. I’ve just came out of hospital after another week stay but this time they gave me anti inflammatory to take and another 2 weeks of antibiotics as I’m still showing infection so I’m just waiting to see rheumatologist next month now and hoping he can help me.

[soul22 in reply to Numptybrain]

Bless you your going through alotThat's good hospital helped more this time,ouch on spine issue.

Hope surgery helps alot

All best for rheumatology consultant appointment hugs 🫂

[happytulip]

Yes! It's agony. I had total thoracic serositis with associated Pericarditis. I was put on steroids and Hydroxychloroquine as the deposit led to my SLE diagnosis. But the thing that really helped my serositis was a drug called colchicine. It's commonly used for gout and Pericarditis. I have been left which chronic Pericarditis and take colchicine 3 times a day. If I miss dose I notice it.

I hope that helps.

[Numptybrain in reply to happytulip]

Hi and thanks for the reply, the consultant whilst I was in hospital this time has put me on colchicineas I can’t take ibrufen, just waiting to see rheumatologist now to see if he agrees with diagnosis.