Palm Beach Rheumatology And Wellness Center

12/24/2025

Happy Holidays from the Palm Beach Rheumatology & Wellness team! ✨
We’re wrapping up an excellent year on a high note and celebrating the moments that made it so special. We truly know how to celebrate! 🎉
Wishing you and your loved ones a season filled with health, joy, and peace. Thank you for being part of our wonderful community. 💙

12/17/2025

12/09/2025

A major breakthrough is emerging in autoimmune disease care and here’s what you need to know about CAR-T for autoimmune conditions:

CAR-T is a personalized living cell therapy. Doctors take your own T cells, engineer them to target and eliminate the B cells driving autoimmune disease, and then infuse them back — essentially giving the immune system a reset.

The most common reaction is Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) — usually mild (grade 1) and manageable. Severe CRS is rare in autoimmune patients. Another potential complication is ICANS, a type of neurotoxicity, but early studies show it occurs in fewer than 5% of autoimmune patients, and usually at low grades.

As of 2025, published data includes fewer than 100 patients treated in peer-reviewed reports — with the majority being lupus patients. Smaller groups with systemic sclerosis and myositis have also shown promising responses.

One of the very first lupus patients treated has now remained in drug-free remission for over 5 years.

CAR-T isn’t a cure yet — and it’s still experimental — but it may represent one of the biggest breakthroughs we’ve seen in autoimmune disease.

11/07/2025

10/24/2025

If you’re living with an autoimmune disease, how many times have you scrolled past a post claiming,
“this supplement will fix your immune system” or
“this drink will cure inflammation forever”?

Social media has turned healing into a marketplace —
selling hope in bottles and powders.
And the more we see it, the more we start believing maybe that’s what we need.

But let me tell you something — I’m not here to sell you anything.
No affiliate links, no magic formulas.
Just the truth: real autoimmune healing takes science, patience, and understanding your body — not shortcuts.

Because your health should never be for sale.

10/15/2025

💜 If you have a positive ANA, here are signs to look for — be aware, not alarmed!

(This is for general information only — only a board-certified rheumatologist can diagnose lupus.)

⸻

🌡 Fever:
Do you get unexplained fevers (higher than 101°F / 38.3°C)?

🩸 Low blood counts:
Have you ever been told your white blood cells or platelets are low?

💪 Joint pain or stiffness:
Do your joints ache or feel stiff, especially in the morning?

🧠 Nervous system changes:
Have you ever had seizures, confusion, or mood changes that doctors couldn’t explain?

💋 Mouth sores:
Do you get painless sores inside your mouth or nose that come and go?

💇‍♀️ Hair loss:
Have you noticed patchy hair loss that’s not scarring or due to breakage?

🌞 Skin rashes:
Do you get a butterfly-shaped rash on your cheeks or red rashes that worsen with sunlight?

💓 Chest pain with breathing:
Do you ever feel sharp chest pain when taking a deep breath or lying flat?

💧 Kidney problems:
Has your doctor ever mentioned protein in your urine or “lupus nephritis”?

⚖️ Blood-clotting antibodies:
Do you have a history of blood clots or positive antiphospholipid antibodies?

🧬 Low complement levels (C3/C4):
Have your labs shown low complement levels (C3 or C4)?

🔍 Specific lupus antibodies:
Have you tested positive for anti–double-stranded DNA or anti–Sm antibodies?

⸻

✅ If you have several of these AND a positive ANA, ask your rheumatologist about lupus.
🩺 Only a qualified specialist can make or rule out the diagnosis.

💬 This post is for education only — not a substitute for medical care.
💜

10/08/2025

What my day looks like as a rheumatologist?

From lupus and rheumatoid arthritis to vasculitis and osteoporosis — no two patients are ever the same.
It took 5 years of medical school, 3 years of internal medicine residency, 2 years of rheumatology fellowship and 10 years of practicing medicine to do what I do today... and I still learn something new every day.
Rheumatology is one of the most complex and fascinating specialties in medicine — and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

09/28/2025

09/26/2025

When we make statements about health-especially concerning pregnancy and the well-being of a child-we have to remember the weight they carry. A mother often internalizes these messages with fear and guilt, wondering, "Did I do something to harm my baby?" This is because mothers naturally place their child's health above their own, often scrutinizing every choice they make.
That's why it's so important to be mindful and responsible with our words. If recommendations or warnings are not grounded in strong scientific evidence, they risk doing more harm than good.
Instead of empowering women, they may heighten unnecessary anxiety and self-blame.
Our goal should be to inform and support mothers, not to burden them with guilt over things that may not even be proven or within their control.

09/24/2025

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommends:

✨ Before Pregnancy
▪️ Keep lupus quiet & controlled for 6+ months before conceiving
▪️ Continue hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) – lowers flares & protects baby
▪️ Switch to pregnancy-safe meds → azathioprine, tacrolimus, cyclosporine
▪️ Test for antiphospholipid antibodies → ↑ clot/fetal loss risk
▪️ If Anti-Ro/SSA or Anti-La/SSB antibodies → baby needs close heart monitoring

✨ During Pregnancy
▪️ Stay on HCQ – reduces flares & steroid use
▪️ Start low-dose aspirin (81mg) late 1st trimester → ↓ preeclampsia risk
▪️ Close monitoring: kidneys, BP, fetal growth
▪️ Team up with a high-risk OB experienced in lupus pregnancies
▪️ Mild flares are common → usually manageable with safe therapy

⚠️ Avoid these meds: mycophenolate, methotrexate, leflunomide, cyclophosphamide
💊 If steroids are needed → use the lowest effective dose

💡 With the right plan, lupus pregnancy can be safe for mom & baby.

09/21/2025

What a perfect way to spend my Saturday morning walking in beautiful Palm Beach to support the mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children. 💛 The crisp morning air, breathtaking sunrise, sparkling water, and yachts drifting by made it even more special. 🌅Grateful to be part of something bigger—every step brings hope to children and families. 🙏✨