Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Lupus Question

Peeps,

I just found out my cousin was diagnosed with Lupus yesterday. They thought I had lupus when I was first getting symptoms -- could there be a connection? Is it possible there was a mis diagnosis?

Does anyone know the differences, and similarities between AS and lupus?

Anything you could provide me with could be benefical.

Thanks,

Amy:)

Hi Amy,
I would be interested to hear an answer to this question also. I have been suspected of it in the past. Hope you are doing well this week.
Take care,
Debra

hi amy!
i wish i had some info to offer. i know when i was first sick four years ago, the rheumy immediately and my ortho and PCP thought it was lupus or RA. but the lupus was negative and RA. i know RA usually has the RA factor. Lupus usually has a very high ana rate i think?? i could be wrong...VERY wrong so my apologies if I am. but i know my rheumy said some test had to be very high. there are two types as well. one that is induced by meds, that stops after meds are terminated. the other where you get the classic butterfly rash on the cheeks of the face. i think they usually have a lot of problems with their internal organs, like lungs, kidney, heart.

i hope you get some answers that you need!! mine was distinguished by positive ana, and hlab27, xrays, and family history, along with other as symptoms.

take care!!


Adios!
Buggie

What I keep hearing over and over (and do not like) is that most of the autoimmune diseases are very hard to dx, and there is no definitive test to conclusively rule out one or the other because of all of the overlapping symptoms (not that this is new information to anybody on here). My old PCP told me that you sometimes have to just wait and let your body tell you what it is going to do. I did not like that answer(being a very proactive person), but I am getting to the point where I think that philosphy does hold some weight. Anyway, the test that seemed to rule out Lupus for me in my PCP's opinion was the SED rate test. I do have a mildly elevated RA factor, but my first rhematologist showed me some statistics that basically showed that test to be seemingly useless by itself. After my high RA factor test, they did a SED rate test, and i was told that this was much more consclusive than the RA factor. This also ruled out RA for me. I have either not had ANA blood work, or if I did I assume it was normal because it has never been mentioned to me. To date, I still have normal SED rate values, and I still have joints pain and other symptoms (and the anxiety of not knowing does not help). With all that being said, I get the feeling you could go to 10 different doctors and get 10 different opinions on the weight and value of each test.

My sister just had some blood work done and she had high ANA results, and her PCP is sending her to a rheumatologist to look at Lupus as a possible cause of her joint pain (based on the ANA test results). Being that I am HLA-B27+ and have many of her same symptoms, I told her to make sure they test her for that.

One thing my rheumatologist who looked at Lupus did tell me is that in addition to blood test indicators, Lupus usually present other more obvious signs like the mylar rash, etc. Not sure how true this is, but it made me feel good LOL.

Anyway, good luck in getting a good diagnoses. I am struggling to find one myself, so I can relate to your questions about your dx. I know this is probably more confusing than helpful, but everybody on here has been so great in answering my questions that I try to add what little bit of knowledge/experience I have when I can.







Mike

" The best way to predict the future is to invent it." ---- Alan Kay

I have both lupus as well as AS.
Lupus is the opposite to AS in the fact that it is female predominant.
There are to types of lupus
t1 is systemic lupus erythemytis (sle)
t2 is diseminated lupus erythemytis (dle)
Both are autoimmune diseases of your connective tissue wether it is around a joint (AS)
or to your kidneys.
I was diagnosed with dle from a skin biopsy thinking that it was a skin cancer.
This did not change my diagnosis of AS, even though I believe that they are one and the same, this is where being hlaB27+ is keeping me with AS and being male.
They are very similar symptons to each other but sle can do much more damage to your internal organs than AS.
rat

Hi Amy,

My mother and her sisters carry the genes for AS and Lupus. Three sisters are diagnosed with Lupus. My mother was diagnosed with Lupus and RA. When she told me she had Lupus I disagreed because her symptom were to close to being the same as mine. About 5 years ago she had her knee replaced. About a two years ago the doctor told her the other knee was bone on bone and it also needed to be replaced. While she was going through the blood work I asked her to ask her rheummy to do the HLA-B27 test. Her feet are full of arthritis, knees, shoulders, ribs and low spine. After reviewing her bloodwork with the B27 coming back positive, the doctor also reviewed her records comparing her symptoms to AS and Lupus. Her new diagnoses is AS with RA. The doctor changed her medications and she has shown a great deal of improvement compared to the results she was getting was on the drugs for Lupus.

I know many of the autoimmune disease are hard to diagnose and are many times misdiagnosed in the beginning stages. The best thiing to do is get a second opinion from another doctor who is not familar with your current diagnoses and take things from there.

Have a great day,
Brent

Yes, Lupus was suggested to me several times over the last few years. I also have a rash which is from a sensitivity to something in UV light, which is slightly related to Lupus - and can be an early symptom of it in some people.
I think Lupus often presents the same as other 'arthritic' diseases.

I'll just add a friend of mine has Lupus. I dont know much about this, but she says her ana is not always positive ?? One sister has AS, and another has all 'AS type' symptoms but hasnt yet sought any medical advice.