Are they the same thing?

My symptoms are: Extremely painful to walk, rashes, blood in urine, Anemia (had to get iron infusions), headaches, extreme fatigue, ect. I seen a doctor who did some x-rays, blood work & a physical exam. She recently called me & told me from my lab results came back & said i have either Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or Rheumatoid Arthritis. She said my blood work showed alot of abnormalities & even infection. She wanted me to start on a steroid right away. She put me on (10 mg pills of Prednisone) for 10 days until my follow up with a Rheumatologist. Okay my question: What is Lupus & Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Are these 2 illnesses simular? She will be calling me back within 5 days with the other test results. Has anyone personally experienced this? She said my illness is treatable but not cureable. I’m still pretty young & this is a shock to me & i’m having a hard time dealing with not knowing what i’m dealing with i guess my new doctor will be able to answer alot of questions later.
Thanks for the advice i will go look there.

If you’d seen me 5 years ago you wouldn’t believe me now..We were the ken and barbie couple w/ 2 beautiful girls, country club life…yada yada yada. NOW?…My husband is a dead beat dad, nowhere to be found, perhaps on the streets and addicted to CM. I stayed at home w/ our girls for 13 years so I have nothing to fall back on career wise. My inlaws are wealthy…yet the greediest ppl you’d ever meet and refuse to help us in any way. The only family I have is my mom who has been in the mortgage industry for over 30 years…so, you can only imagine how much she’s able to help us. I’m also unable to work due to an illness I’ve had for almost 5 years…psoriatic/spondilatic arthritis, which has taken me for everything I ever had in good health. I love my girls and they love me but I feel like I can’t go on 1 second longer like this. I’m only a $1 shy from being homeless. What can I do to help myself and my girls? (this is only a short version of a very messy situation that goes on)

I’m not talking about something life-threatening or that required around-the-clock care, just something that limited their mobility so that when you first met them you would probably not even notice that they had any problems, but the more time you spent with them the more their condition would affect what you do. Would you, as a young woman or man be able to be in a stable relationship and perhaps marry someone whose mobility was at a level that could be compared to a much older person- maybe they even have a similar condition as an older person such as Stills Disease/Juvenile Arthritis. Perhaps one day they would be able to walk fairly normally but the next day or even later the same day barely be able to walk at all?

I am studying divisions in society so please be completely honest & think carefully before you answer. I don’t need extensive demographic information, but if you don’t mind disclosing your gender & age (or rough age) this would
be useful.

Thank you for your insights!

I’m fourteen years old, fifteen in two weeks. I live in Australia, am slightly overweight and around six foot.

Whenever I walk, mainly when I’m barefoot, my ankle clicks, and it is very loud and noticeable. I mentioned this to my podiatrist, as I wear orthodics and he seemed to disregard it.

My fingers crack every few minutes, around ten minutes, when I bend them, they crack loudly and slightly painfully. When not cracking, when I bend them they are very hard to bend and slighlty painful.

My neck seems to crack every roll I do, and in a particular spot, around the back of my neck. This doesn’t so much hurt me as worry me.

Extra information: Fomer competitive gymnast, not exactly the best diet for a person of my height and structure, plays sport once a week (tennis in summer, hockey and rugby in winter). I also have an apparent low blood pressure.

Any help would be appreciative.

She has arthritis….she can walk that good….if i give her that stuff…will she start walking again? Shes a 14 year old boxer….will she ever walk again???

Is anyone familiar with Kathy Dickson from Conneitcutt on Lymes Disease and her discoveries many are suffering with Lymes Disease as well as her. You can see her on you tube type in lymes disease…she has four videos…very troubling what is happening so many people suffering and there is an answer… please take a look as Lymes Disease it is horrid and can damage even the brain… please get involved and listen to what she has to say… I know Lymes can look like plain old arthritis etc…. has many faces….. thank you for your time and your compassion to look at what this young lady is researching with documentation to back her up… very disturbing. Could be our children we need to learn all we can.

thanks again angel

I take an NSAID (prescription strength Alleve also known as Naproxen twice a day in a 500 mg. pill). Also I take another pain pill twice a day that is not a narcotic twice a day, and extra strength Tylenol every 4 hours – maybe 2 or 3 times a day. I take hot showers at least 2 to 3 times a day. I’m going to start walking as the weather here in New England is finally warming up, and I’m joining a gym as soon as I can afford it they’re all expensive in my town, one has a pool and it is really a lot to join. I plan to start yoga lessons as soon as I can to help too. What else can I do? This winter was bad – I got diagnosed at 19, it was bad for about 4 years after that – since last August it has been flaring up. I’m going to be 46 at the end of June any help would be appreciated… I have a rare form – it is not RA fortunately as I know how debilitating that can be. I take cod liver oil for Vitamin D to strengthen my bones too and Omega 3 capsules daily too along with Glucosamine….

For six years now I have been fighting for a diagnosis…I have been finally told I have fibromyalgia among other things like poly cystic ovarian disease and arthritis in my spine. Is there anything else that could be causing all these symptoms?? I am sick of living with chronic pain and fatigue…I feel like I am trapped in an old womans body!! Every damn urine test I take they give me antibiotics and tell me I have a UTI even when I don’t have any symptoms…I go in with a headache and come out with a UTI…I mean seriously can a person honestly have a UTI every time they take a urinealyisis?????!!!!!! Every time they draw blood my WBC count is always high!!!