I have a question i do have dry eye ,mouth so also is nose and ears is that is could this be sjogrens????

Thank you

My daughter diagnosed with SLE and other autoimmune diseases at age 12😢 💔💔. I can’t help but feel so guilty still after 20 years

I thought the body shuts down autoimmune conditions during pregnancy to protect the fetus???

Thank you so much . I am still waiting for my referral to rheumatologist in my area in eastern Canada. You give me hope and understanding

I’ve been on Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate for over 20 years. My BCN Medicare insurance has changed it from a tier one drug to a tier four drug. This is insane political move on their part. I just picked up my medication and I had to go through Good RX instead of my insurance. This is the only RA drug left for me. Totally unfair. Totally unnecessary.

I’m pretty sure my paternal grandmother had psoriatic arthritis. She definitely had psoriasis and wore a wig because of her scalp problems. She always wore big shoes or slippers and even gave me her piano because she said she couldn’t play it anymore. Of course she didn’t share her symptoms, but all the clues are there. Now my son has psoriatic arthritis and I’m waiting for a diagnosis - RA or PR?

This disease never happen to older persons..?

I have PR for 25 years. Sometimes a nightmare and most of times mild. Best way for treatment is light exercises and relaxing. Avoid of Intense activity and stress

I am 68 and we have traced autoimmune conditions to my paternal great great grandmother born in 1859 who had RA. It passed through her son to my grandmother (RA and lupus) through my father (no disease) to me (ITP, Crohns, Sjogrens) I have 12 cousins that share my grandmother and most of them some autoimmune disease.

My rheumatoid specialist is an unhelpful jerk. Just take the methotrexate, doesn't matter if it makes you horrible sick and feeling like concussion every weeks. No need to change diet, or take any supliments all that has nothing to do with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Idiot. But sadly only one around here. Sucks. Thankyou for all your videos and info. So hard to believe you are in same field as this guy.

My ccp just came back at 113 😔 but my RA factor negative… so confusing

I have Sjogren’s and that medication cause me to have hearing loss & ringing in my ears 🤦🏽‍♀️ I will never take it again !!!

My biggest issue is how stiff and painful my neck, shoulders and back of head are at night that affect my sleep. I've tried 10 different pillows and positions and it still hurts so much. Any tips/treatment suggestions?

I have been taking Prednisone for 12 years @4 mg. per day. To reduce intake i omit taking it at random to reduce the average intake.

I have Raynaud’s in my toes. I try to improve circulation to my legs and feet by doing squats, leg extensions, leg curls, calve raises. I put an infrared light mat on my feet and legs to improve circulation in my lower extremities. I eat a lot of raw beets to get nitrates in my body which can be converted into nitric oxide which improves vasodilitation. And I massage my feet. My podiatrist prescribed nitro paste to the toes. But, that doesn’t work. Presently I am looking into prayer, visualization, and Chinese energy called CHI. My primary doctor told me that one of the side effects of nifedipine causes headaches. I declined nifedipine. Amlodipine works like nifedipine without headaches, but amlodipine causes swelling in the feet. I am looking into bioregulators and peptides like BPC 157.

OMG, this was so helpful. I was told 8 years ago that I had MCTD, as well as CFS and Fibromyalgia. MCTD seemed to get lost with everything else. And then I was diagnosed with RA, so it seemed that MCTD was not important. I'm so glad I found this video, because the words Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder have always been in my mind. I feel rather overwhelmed at the moment, as I have so much else to deal with, as I also have Raynauds, Sjogrens, and Vestibular Migraine. I will be asking my GP how he factors in MCTD when he decides what I need to do next. Thank you, thank you, thank you, I now understand what it means. am so grateful!

It’s hydroxychloroquine beneficial for those who have severe osteoarthritis?

I have most of those symptoms. I've been trying to get help for years. I go from rheumatologist to the next and because some of my blood test show i have it but not all, no one will help diagnosis me with it, even though I have the symptoms. I'm starting to get more too recently. I just need help from someone that knows what they are doing!

I have most of those symptoms. I've been trying to get help for years. I go from rheumatologist to the next and because some of my blood test show i have it but not all, no one will help diagnosis me with it, even though I have the symptoms. I'm starting to get more too recently. I just need help from someone that knows what they are doing!

Can you do an episode on scarcidois ? My daughter just can’t seem to get a handle on her health, she hates steroids so on and on it goes,

It’s suppressing the immune system so think twice!!!

How about finding a cure for arthritis instead of putting your patients on medications for life?

I wish I had access to a kind, competent doctor like you.

I have been diagnosed with DM. I just finished presidone and thighs and arms are so sore and inflamed

I have one knuckle that is locked up in the morning. It is painful to force it to bend but once it does, it returns to normal movement. You didn't mention joint locking and I'm wondering if it's arthritis or something else.

I don't think my rheumatologist has ever checked those two factors. Could they show up in my annual (general) bloodwork, under a different heading?

Put me at risk with the fact that the doctors would not run the test on me that I needed To show that was what was wrong with me Yeah thanks Thank you all of you wonderful job I'm clapping for you all

What about autologous stem cell treatment? I had a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis that was changed to erosive arthritis after I didn’t benefit from biologic drugs. I had severe pain in my left thumb that was going to make it impossible to continue driving even with automatic shift. The procedure was a great success and I haven’t needed to repeat it yet, even after quite a few years. Sadly, it wasn’t covered by insurance, so I haven’t been able to have it done on my index fingers.

Nope. I have MS

Retinal changes??? How about permanent retinal damage, as in, blind spots in both eyes? Had I had any inkling that I might be one of the "few" who experience this, I would have refused to take it!

I was on Prednisone for 20 years. Best drug I've ever taken for pain. Maybe now the formula has changed. Prednisone saved my life. I've seen alot of videos lately saying it's not good. Rheumatologist work for big pharma. Dr's want us all on Beta blockers. All American doctors are bought and paid for

Maybe all switch to Carnivor diet...get off all sugars and starches?

Plaquinal ruined my retinas.

All my labs look like a healthy 30 year old. I am 70 yr old female, heliotrope rash, rash on forehead, chin, cheeks. I also have swollen joints, especially knees and ankles. My knees swell like basketballs when my face flares. I have had petechiae on my ankles. My thigh muscle hurt so bad, I have trouble walking and getting up from a chair. I have had symmetrical muscle /joint pain for years. Because my symptoms are not “on paper”, no one believed me. Until I saw a wonderful female dermatologists who Looked At ME! A skin biopsy said Dermatomyositis, Connective Tissue Disease, or Subacute Cutaneous Lupus. But because on paper my blood work looks like a healthy 30 year old, the rheumatologist says I have a “simple skin problem”, and my family says I am making up the complaints of muscle and joint pain. I need help and the medical establishment is failing me except for the dermatologist.

That's very good. Thanks

Can you do a video on Sjogren’s and how it affects the lungs? And other organs?

I wish all doctors were like you-taking time to explain with empathy for the patient.

I have Polymyositis and hydroxychloroquine has been a game changer for me!

I wouldn't mind hours of information on this subject. People(me) who are just finding about having lupus would love more content. My initial bloodwork just came back, and all signs show autoimmune SLE. I feel so lost and want all the literature I can grasp, especially since the seizure I had and can't get back or retain and memory.

I was on hydroxychloroquine 200mg 2 tablets daily for 9 months straight for rheumatoid and developed a severe case of gastroperesis (stomach paralysis) malnutrition and massive weightloss (good but not healthy). I stopped taking it and the side effects eventually went away. I decided to eat to my blood type (B negative) which eliminated inflammatory foods especially chicken, eggs and corn that I ate everyday not knowing that my body was rejecting it. I asked my rheumatologist if I should try the diet 1st and he told me no it won't work. Well, HE WAS WRONG!!! It's been 8 years and feel amazing. 🙌😊

My hands cramp,clamp,drop things open up,are weak,…..never seen or noticed a rash. Hands at times itch till raw

Commenters who have lupus : Do you have the butterfly face rash & if so, did it show up as the full 'butterfly' pattern at first, or did it start in a smaller area & grow into the full butterfly pattern?

I am constantly cupping my breasts under my shirt or putting my hands in my armpits to warm them. ❤❤ It works best after warm water.

I have 3 conditions that warranted the use of an immune supressing drug. I have Cytokine release Syndrome, Polymyalgia Rheumatica & Rheumatoid Arthritis. The go to Drug here in Canada is Prednisone. I tried this drug for 4 months & went off of it due to my being highly intolerant to it. then I was prescribed Pregabalin which I never did take due to the one side effect I couldnt accept which was the possibility of acute heart failure. Then there was Methotrexate which causes respitory issues which I already have due to a partial lung collapse after I had the vacine but didnt have this issue or any of the conditions I mentioned until a year after the vaccine. I Honestly do not trust these drugs now because of the toxicity they create & the possibility of organ failure. I cannot for the life of my understand how these are labeled as medicines when in fact they aare a very toxic drug. I do not know what to do at this point except to change my diet & lifestyle carefully & leave the rest in Gods Hands. So I chose to stat the AIP or Autoimmune Protocol & this has made a difference. So far I still have chronic inflammation but nothing as bad as it was prior to the predniosne but not as bad as when I was on predniosne. These drugs create an entirely different set of health issues while on them while trying to deal with the other condition that forced me to have to take the, I wish there was a better solution but so far I havent encountered it yet. I am going to give myself one more year on the AIP Diet to see how this is,if I feel its not enough Iwill then reschedule an appointment with the Rheumatologist.

Doctor wants me to start Methotrexate for RA but i think i would rather try this as appears to have less side effects

What is the benefit/ downside of using sulfasalazine versus hydroxychloroquine?

Nothing better than if you “droned on and on”. We love listening to all your valuable information. I’m 73 and it took 35 years for a dr to finally run blood work acknowledged all my everyday symptoms since I was in my early 30’s was Lupus. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from you. Now I’m having kidney symptoms but my PC dr just says the urinalysis is fine.

What happens if you cannot take this medication due to Long QT?

I wasn't worried about Hydroxychloroquine, really. Now, methotrexate on the other hand, I was terrified of because of my brother's problems he had while taking it. When I finally relented and started it, I was surprised and happy because I've had very few side effects. It just goes to show you how individuals react so differently to things.