Lupus – AZ Autoimmune Arthritis & Rheumatology

The Dilemma of lab testing in rheumatology and chronic illness

What you’re looking at here are autoantibody results, diagnosis – lupus and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Her symptom cluster? A smoldering process cruising along for decades, with interspersed crashes along the way.Vague… flu like symptoms, odd skin sensations, episodic chest pain, widespread pain. Geez… it could be anything! Her physical exam is unrevealing, her other laboratory findings, […]

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Hyper-empathy hurts… is it in the way of your remission?

ankylosing spondylitis, Autoimmune, Lupus, Robust / Billy Mitchell

One of my observations so far as a clinician has been that many women on the autoimmune and hypermobility spectrum trend more towards hyper-empathy. What do we mean when we refer to the hyper-empath? The ability to express empathy occurs on a spectrum from low to high, the result of a number of different factors…

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What you need to know about positive ANA

ANA, Lupus, Robust / Billy Mitchell

Isn’t that the one that means lupus? The answer is yes and no. If you’re a patient who has long been tumbling down the rheumatology rabbit hole, you are likely already familiar the above answer. Rheumatology is heavy in the shades of grey. For the latest of you, prime yourself for the grey! ANAs are

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Lupus Links #3 Dr. Will Cole

Autoimmune, Lupus, Podcast, Robust / Billy Mitchell

Dr. Will Cole, leading functional-medicine expert, consults people around the world via webcam and locally in Pittsburgh. He specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing health programs for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders, and brain problems. Dr. Cole was named one of the top 50 functional-medicine and integrative

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Lupus Links #2 with Rheumatologist Dr. Maggie Cadet, MD

Autoimmune, Lupus, Podcast, Robust / Billy Mitchell

Hey everyone, in line with May as Lupus Awareness Month, we’ve got a specialist to chat with about Lupus and autoimmune disease! In this episode of Lupus Links, Rheumatologist Dr. Maggie Cadet, MD, teaches us all about lupus. Dr. Magdalena “Maggie” Cadet is a well respected clinical rheumatologist in New York City. During her fellowship, Dr. Cadet

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Oral contraceptives and lupus

Lupus, Period Problems, Robust / Billy Mitchell

Hormones and your immune system You might not be aware of the fact that among the many workings of your body hormones impact, the immune system is included. It’s not quite clear what the exact mechanisms are, but some of it might have to do with presence of certain receptors on the surface of immune

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Misleading chronic infection screening in autoimmune disease

Autoimmune, Lupus, Rheumatoid, Robust, Spondylitis / Billy Mitchell

Infectious disease serology Infectious disease serology are laboratory studies ordered by your physician to support the suspicion that an infectious burden is present. One example would be Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), which causes mono. Your physician might consider this test in a young adult with sudden onset of disabling fatigue, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph

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Livedo reticularis and what it could mean

Autoimmune, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Vasculitis / Billy Mitchell

What you’re looking at here is a lateral view of a knee. If you look carefully you can see something really interesting going on here. There you go. Is your nose touching your phone? Do you see it? This is called livedo reticularis. The blood flow in the smaller veins called venules that

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In medicine we treat patients, not pieces of paper

Lupus, Medicine / Billy Mitchell

One component of medicine in reverse This patient of mine had recently followed up with a rheumatologist for a checkup to see where her disease activity had been. She’s carried a diagnosis of lupus for 20+ years, by the way. She had concerns that she wasn’t feeling her best, but there were no

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Are you hurting yourself with Zinc Supplements?

Copper, Dialysis, Infection, Lupus / Billy Mitchell

There’s nothing wrong with educating yourself and taking your health matters into your own hands. But you do need to be careful when pulling the many different levers without guidance. A missed diagnosis I’ve been working with a patient on a student rotation I’m on at school

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