Nervous

So yesterday I got a call from my doctor and he told me levels went from 54K to 27K. And lately i have been having severe back pain, so i'm asuuming my positive lupus test i did a while back is finally kicking in. Joy. So he said there is a speacalist here where i live, a rheumatologist for my lupus pain. I've never had to deal with this in the (almost) 3 years i've had ITP so i'm just a little nervous. If anyone had or has lupus and is dealing with something like this i just want some advice on what to expect and all that jazz.
Thanks.
-Hannah

Back pain can be from lots of causes, why do you think it's lupus? Lupus pain can be anywhere but more commonly it would be joints. It could be muscles too but just a back muscle?
Erica

There really isn't one definitive test that can diagnose Lupus, but I'm assuming you mean the ANA? Having a positive ANA does not mean that a person has Lupus.

I agree with Erica. Back pain can be caused by a lot of things. Both Erica and I have Lupus, but there are many more symptoms that go along with it. I've had back pain that turned out to be a disk and had nothing to do with Lupus.

well actually about a week ago i broke my foot. the next day, my test results came back. my RA & lupus test came back positive. an dabout 2 weeks ago i did labs and thats when i found out that they went down to 2K. not tomorrow i have to check up on my foot and do labs again. and them i have to see an RA speacialist.

Hopefully you will find out more from a Rheumatologist. There isn't one Lupus test. Good luck and sorry to hear about the foot.

These are the criteria that need to be met for a Lupus diagnosis:

Typically, four or more of the following criteria must be present to make a diagnosis of systemic lupus.

The “Eleven Criteria”

1.Malar rash: butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose

2.Discoid (skin) rash: raised red patches

3.Photosensitivity: skin rash as result of unusual reaction to sunlight

4.Mouth or nose ulcers: usually painless

5.Arthritis (nonerosive) in two or more joints, along with tenderness, swelling, or effusion. With nonerosive arthritis, the bones around joints don’t get destroyed.

6.Cardio-pulmonary involvement: inflammation of the lining around the heart (pericarditis) and/or lungs (pleuritis)

7.Neurologic disorder: seizures and/or psychosis

8.Renal (kidney) disorder: excessive protein in the urine, or cellular casts in the urine

9.Hematologic (blood) disorder: hemolytic anemia, low white blood cell count, or low platelet count

10.Immunologic disorder: antibodies to double stranded DNA, antibodies to Sm, or antibodies to cardiolipin

11.Antinuclear antibodies (ANA): a positive test in the absence of drugs known to induce it.

lupusresearchinstitute.org/lupus-facts/lupus-diagnosis

yes i do have malar rash, mouth ulcers, and arthritis (that im aware of).

Sorry to hear that. Let us know how the appointment goes.