Headaches, Fatigue, Ulcers And Joint Pain. MPV And Hematrocrit Levels High. Had Polycystic Ovaries. What Is It?

Posted on Wed, 27 Jun 2012

Question: I am a 33 year old white female. I have been suffering from headaches, fatigue, and aches and pains in my joints and bones. I went in to my doctor, and she ran some blood work. My WBC came back at 3.2, and my MPV and Hematocrit levels were high. My MCHC levels were low. Last year my XXXXXXX test came back positive, but I don't believe she did the test again this time. I have also had a chronic rash on my torso, and I often get ulcers on my tongue. My grandmother had an autoimmune disease, and my mother has dermatomyositis. I have felt that I probably have some sort of autoimmune thing that flares up every now and then, but with the new blood work and the way I have been feeling, I am wondering if I should seek a more definitive answer. FYI, I have high blood pressure (but weigh 125 lbs) and polycystic ovaries. Other than that, I am a very healthy, active person. I never even get a cold. Any thoughts on what could be going on and if I should be concerned at all?

Answered by Dr. Mahesh Koregol (1 hour later)

Hi,

Thanks for query.

Let me take the issue of XXXXXXX (Anti Nuclear Antibody) positive situation here first.

The immune system makes an abundance of proteins called antibodies. Antibodies are made by white blood cells and they recognize and combat infectious organisms in the body. Sometimes these antibodies make a mistake, identifying normal, naturally-occurring proteins in our bodies as being "foreign" and XXXXXXX The antibodies that target “normal” proteins within the nucleus of a cell are called antinuclear antibodies (ANA). ANAs could signal the body to begin attacking itself which can lead to autoimmune diseases, including lupus, scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, polymyositis/ dermatomyositis, mixed drug-induced lupus, and autoimmune hepatitis.

In light of your symptoms of chronic rash on your torso, joint pain, ulcers on tongue coupled with positive XXXXXXX and strong family history it is certain that you may have an autoimmune disease called Lupus.

Lupus is a rheumatic (having to do with the muscles, joints, and connective tissue) condition that affects 1.5 million people in the United States, including an estimated 10,000 children. Nearly 90% of those diagnosed with lupus are female.

The three main types of lupus are:

1. Hence I request you to start consulting a rheumatologist who specializes in treating patients like you and will provide you tips as to how to keep with short & long term crisis of this disease.

I am writing tips about managing lupus below:

There is no known cure for lupus, but the symptoms of the disease can be controlled. Often a patient with lupus has a health care team that includes specialists who can help treat the symptoms. That team may include:

•a rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in conditions of the joints and connective tissues)
•a nephrologists (a doctor who specializes in kidney diseases)
•an advanced practice nurse
•a social worker
•other consulting doctors, like a dermatologist, psychologist, or infectious disease specialist
Part of managing lupus is preventing flares — times when the disease gets worse. During a flare-up, a person with lupus may feel much more tired, sick, feverish, and achy than usual. Almost all lupus patients take medication to control inflammation and reduce the risk of flares

I hope I answered your queries. Please accept my answer if no further queries.

Regards,

Dr.Mahesh Koregol

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E