Finding out what I have.

The proper specialist is rheumatology if you can get that referral for a consultation.
Check their background training and
collect all of your labs and records to prepare. A list of your symptoms timeline and all your medical history and treatment will be useful.Diagnosis can take
time in autoimmune diseases.

@dianne2026, Bless you. I would definitely try and get a referral to an Endocrinologist and request a complete Thyroid panel.

Praying for you. Blessings & Prayers....

here were the tests I had done to rule out several things. I suspected I had PMR. These tests led to various other scans and testing. Like seniormed suggested I went to Mayo dept of Rheumatology.
1.. CBC with DIFF
2. ESR
3. CRP, HS-CRP **
4. HBsAG
5. Interferon Gamma, Serum
6. Hep -B
7. Anti-Chromatin Ab, IgC (RDL)
8. CCP Antibodies IgG/IgA
9. 14-3-3 eta Protein
10. Antiphospholipid Antibody APS, APLS
11.RF test
12. ANA - antinuclear antibody
13. Aldolase - With CK, ALT, AST
14. Interleukin 2 and 6

They only one medicare would not pay for was the IL-2. It was expensive so I did not do it.

10 years is long enough! Find a good Rheumatologist & and Endocrinologist which can be hard but that’s the key in getting a good diagnosis with the right tests which leads to the right treatment. I’m 67 & have had Lupus, Hashimotos & diabetes for 30 years. No picnic getting diagnosed back then; took 8 rough years. I was dismissed by many Drs. telling me I was just a busy Mom or just depressed. I learned over the years to advocate for myself, fire Doctors who would not listen & respect me & to learn about my disease. Now there is so much information but going to a reputable source is very important. Mayo Clinic & Cleveland Clinic is a good start.
Do a good search on Rheumatologist and Endocrinologist that are in your area. Read their backgrounds. See what other patients are saying through reviews. Teaching hospitals in my experience have many good specialists. And if you are close to any of the Mayo Clinic Hospitals or specialty clinics I would pursue that. They’re one of the only hospitals that were able to help me this last spring when I got so sick with a new autoimmune disease, GCA. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital at Mayo & they assured me I wasn’t going home until they could figure out what was wrong with me. And they did!
Good luck on your health journey ahead I hope you find answers soon. And remember, don’t let anyone, not a Dr. or even a well meaning family member ever make you feel like you’re an inconvenience. You deserve to be heard!

I have multiple autoimmune diseases beginning with Scleroderma 15 years ago following endometrial cancer. Fortunately I have an excellent Primary Care Physician who ordered an autoimmune panel after seeing me struggle with digestive health problems for several years. It took 6 months to get an appointment with a rheumatologist to explore further. Since then I've been diagnosed with Sjogren's; Raynaud's; Myositis; Long COVID and most recently Hashimoto's. I recognized the Raynaud's several years prior to the Scleroderma diagnosis, but my PCP at that time refused to test, saying that "Why bother?" as there was no cure.

I recognized the symptoms of Hashimoto's after doing my own research. Once again my PCP ordered the test with no hesitation. It was a high positive. Please never feel apologetic for requesting testing. You know your body better than anyone else, including your doctor. Early diagnosis can prevent organ damage that cannot be repaired. Experience has taught me that I must be my own advocate and that persistence is the key.

I hope you get a thorough series of tests, as many autoimmune patients have multiple diseases and symptoms tend to cross barriers. I wish you the best.

You must learn to advocate for yourself. No one else will do that. I was misdiagnosed for 25 years on one disease, 30 years on another and an average of 15 to 20 years with joint replacements. I think the key is to keep searching out for a good doctor(s) that are supportive. I’ve had many doctors who are not. I had one Doctor Who wrote for an entire back surgery then got angry with me and wouldn’t do the surgery. I was beside myself upset for three years until I met a new surgeon who rolled his eyes and I said why? And he told me that he did the other surgeons revision surgeries. Later, I found out that that other surgeon also had a lawsuit for negligence. He was top drawer and on television commercials. I had a whole arthritis department at UCSD dismiss me with a variety of “you don’t have this and you don’t have that” well then, What DO I have? It was not 25 years of seeing doctors that led me to the diagnosis of gout. It was a member in this group that told me about a supplement which made me ask my doctor why the supplement worked which led to a uric acid test which led to 25 years of arthritis, pain vanishing overnight with a supplement. My 25 years of pain and stiffness was not from the osteoarthritis which shows up in all the x-rays but from GOUT. They didn’t solve my pain. A total stranger led me to the diagnosis.Never stop advocating for yourself never stop seeking answers until YOU are satisfied. Good luck.