Guest guest Posted January 15, 2001 Report Share Posted January 15, 2001 Welcome, Janick! Coming here for moral support is a great idea. We're behind you. We'll do all that we can to help you get through this. I don't blame you for worrying. Please try not to though. For now, try to concentrate on making sure you get the right diagnosis. Because so many rheumatic diseases share so many symptoms and there are so few tests to help make the diagnosis, coming to a conclusion about exactly what disease you have may be difficult in the early stages. Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion either. Were you told that your hypothyroidism may be a case of postpartum hypothyroidism? Or were you having symptoms prior to your pregnancy, too? Do you have an enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter)? Were you tested for thyroid antibodies to rule out autoimmune thyroiditis? As many here will tell you, short term prednisone use is OK, but long-term use is to be avoided if at all possible. I'm not sure what to advise you about how to alleviate pain without medications. Does that mean you don't want to be on any? Or do you mean to ask what can you do in addition to the drugs? ----- Original Message ----- From: " Janick Masse " <janou_pou@...> < egroups> Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 12:51 PM Subject: [ ] Newbie > Hello to all! > > I'm a newbie to the list, but I have been lurking for the last few > days, and have got to " know " some of you... > > Some info about me. I'm 31, mother of a wonderful 9 month old baby > boy and working as a pathologist (laboratory physician working mostly > with a microscope) in a large canadian university hospital. I was > diagnosed last week with severe hypothyroidism. However, I came to > clinical attention for a severe (unable to walk or get dressed), > abrupt onset, polyarthritis. Although I was told that polyarthralgias > are frequent in hypothyroids, according to the rhumatologist, > arthritis (ie objective synovitis with arthralgias) is not at all > typical of hypothyroidism. Hence, I'm presently under investigation > for probable rheumatoid arthritis, with a differential diagnosis of > lupus or rheumatic fever. The rhumatologist has put me on vioxx 50 mg > a day (until his clinical diagnosis is confirmed), which I have to > taper down tomorrow to 25 mg a day. The vioxx diminished my symptoms > about 80% until 2 days ago. The pains and stiffness are getting > progressively worse, and I'm really scared of lowering the dose of > meds... The rhumatologist prescribed prednisone " just in case " I > might need it before my next visit (scheduled for next Tuesday). I > took the week off from work last week, and came back to work today > (where I am as I type). > > I guess what I'm looking for here is moral support (cuz I'm really > scared that this diagnosis will ruin my career) and ideas on how to > alleviate the pain (other than medications). > > Janick > from Montreal, Canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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