Thank you. There's no magic bullet yet, so you have to take allopathic (your meds) and naturopathic routes to managing MCTD. There's not alot that they know yet, but over 20 years I've seen the understanding of the disease processes grow. Experiment with healthy foods and safe supplements in reasonable amounts. I'm not sure how young and active you are but you just need to manage the flares with ie short term prednisone and rest and Epsom salt baths so that you can get back to a healthier baseline where you can be active and build your strength and live more normally. This is the new normal and hopefully your family will understand and support you. Don't get disheartened, you're a spartan and can do this. Think powerful thoughts. Hugs