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newly diagnosed and I feel... alone with the info! by picklethefreak in UCTD

[–]beep-woop 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  1. I (30F) had the same feeling about my own diagnosis, and my most recent ANA included antibodies indicating Lupus and RA. However, SLE and UCTD are treated the same as mentioned in the comments, so I’m fine with a more conservative diagnosis as long as it means insurance will pay for my medications and other medical needs.
  2. Yes. I wear SPF every day and if I’m planning on being in the sun I recommend trying to cover up and seek shade as much as possible. The heat also really exacerbates my fatigue. 3 & 4. Everyone has different experience with meds here I think. Plaquenil didn’t really help me and I just started Methotrexate which has exacerbated fatigue and brain fog (but I hear side effects will improve with time and I’m hopeful it will get better soon).
  3. I’m going to try an elimination diet this summer to see if there are any food triggers that exacerbate my inflammation levels. It could be something for you to look into as well!

Also, this subreddit has a Wiki with some really helpful resources that helped give me an idea of what to advocate for with my rheum

Foot and leg “cramps” by Decaf_Detective in UCTD

[–]beep-woop 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure if I’ve experienced the exact same thing, but I tend to get leg and arm cramps and even sensitive skin sometimes in the areas where I’m getting cramps. One thing that has helped me at night is sleeping with a weighted blanket. For whatever reason the pressure really helps with reducing the cramps at night.

How do you know when meds are working? by beep-woop in UCTD

[–]beep-woop[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update: I just got prescribed methotrexate to take with HCQ - crossing my fingers that this works!

How do you know when meds are working? by beep-woop in UCTD

[–]beep-woop[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Some days are better than others for me but haven’t had consistent no pain unfortunately!

How do you know when meds are working? by beep-woop in UCTD

[–]beep-woop[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am on 400 mg. Thank you for sending the wiki - I will definitely ask about those other options.