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Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease turning into Lupus?
Autoimmune Diseases | Last Active: Nov 13, 2023 | Replies (23)Comment receiving replies
Hi everyone!
I have recently joined the connect group and not sure if it's ok for me to revamp an old post from two years ago, but I couldn't find many discussions on UCTD so I thought to give it a try.
I have been recently diagnosed with UCTD, based solely on symptoms, positive ANA and good response to prednisone. I have been on Hydroxychloroquine for the past 4 months and being ok, until out of the blue, I am experiencing new symptoms. I was wondering, from people who have been dealing with this diagnosis for longer than I have, if they have ever experienced flares that started with new and worse symptoms than the before. Also, has your disease changed the response to treatment or differentiated to a specific diagnosis? I have asked this questions to my rheumatologist, but all they can say is always "it could be" or "yes it could happen", so I thought reaching out to patients might provide me with more real life experiences.
Thank you to anyone who is willing to share!
Replies to "Hi everyone! I have recently joined the connect group and not sure if it's ok for..."
I had a positive ANA, and followup ENA showed Mixed Connective Tissue Disease which contains Lupus and 2 others that all overlap. So the test for Lupus was negative and came with a paragraph saying it was included in a combination disease. It was the first I'd ever heard of MCTD
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I have been on hydroxychloroquine and methotrexate for six years. Basically, my symptoms are 80-85% better, but I do occasionally have little flares. My flares are not new symptoms, though. Unfortunately, with a rare condition like UCTD, nobody knows what to expect. I think of UCTD as pre-lupus. We can cross that line anytime. Reassuringly, though, the majority of us do not go into lupus. Maybe you need a new or additional medication. Tell your rheumy that hydroxychlorquine isn't working well enough. What are the new symptoms that you are experiencing?