1 or 12 years untreated autoimmune disease, what are the consequences

[Atheistâ„¢]

I have had chronic hives for 12 years, but have had real bad lower abdominal pain for a year that doctors just cant seem to find the cause. I finally had a doctor run blood work and me sedimation rate was 60 on a scale of 1-20. I also had another test come back that I have a antibody that should be there, so my primary care doctor said he believes it is auto immune disease, and is sending me to see a roumotolgist. I only have one kidney which is my biggest concern because it is so vonerable. What could the consequences be of having this disease for so long with out it being treated? My roumatolgist can not see me till Nov 23rd. Im real concerned, so if anyone can give me any information to help me stay sane till the end of Nov. i would be so grateful, thank you.

[tinmuning]

First, you haven't been diagnosed with a particular autoimmune disease yet so it's hard to say whether you can spare waiting or not. The sedimentation rate result is non-specific but it may suggest inflammation or other possible conditions like sickle-cell anemia and autoimmune diseases like Kawasaki disease.

As for the chronic hives which prompted you to seek medical consult, they are thought to be caused by an immune system (autoimmune) disorder and may be linked to another health problem, such as thyroid disease or lupus.

Just in case you have autoimmune thyroid disease, leaving it untreated raises risks of contracting certain stomach cancers by more than double as well as heart problems. Joint life-threatening complications can occur when the cervical spine becomes unstable as a result of untreated rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.