Hi again.
I just wanted to add something:
I think it is possible that one can have theese autoimmune disorders sort of "hanging around" or "lurking around" for a long time before they turn out with symptoms.
With me for example, I had positive ANA, then negative, then higher positive again. Then one day, all kinds of different symptoms and problems brake loose.
I have a 12 year old history of herniated cervical disc, and at that time MRIshowed "degenerated disc disease, and spondylosis, as well as left arm radiculopathy. For those of us that are so "lucky" as to have had received such a "price" as peripheral neuropathy, the chances are we have had other conditions for a long time.
Now, 2 years with neuropathy, symptoms are showing up like swollen red joints with migratory pain. X-Rays shows degenerative joint disease.
So, yes, I think we are experiencing some relations between arthritis and neuropathy. On my EMG and NCS, it showed up with entrapment neuropathy in the form of Carpal Tunnes Syndrome.
Almost 2 years ago now, I had an episode of sudden extreeme pain in left arm. I never realy usually complain. I usually refer to "the pain scale" that if it is # 10, then it is the kind of pain in reference to child birth. And this was a # 10. The spinal/ortho doctor said it was a "Brachial Neuritis".
So it was all down hill from there on.
And, as I said, now my joints are starting to join the party.
My rheumatologist is a good one. She too, goes by her "instints". Just as nurses, we know something does not look right. She is good in examining, she listen to her patient, and she investigates all the different aspects she can think of. Almost all my blood work, and I have had a lot repeated over and over again, comes out negative. The ANA, has gone up and down a bit. Joints are swelling, I have vasculitic rash on skin, I have hair loss, I have receding gums,( now requiring gum transplant) I have RA nodules under the skin, I have nodules in lungs, I have a bilateral bronchial web stenosis, tightening in the chest, (with pain), CAD, and my GI system is not working due to gastrophoresis (due to autonomic neuropathy?)
So my conclusion is, I think all theese things are related, in a way or another. Often if one has one autoimmune disease, one can often also have another.
Take care, and thanks for reading