Lupus Awareness May – The symptoms and signs of lupus (under the Arthritis umbrella)
The symptoms and signs of Lupus (under the Arthritis umbrella)
There are no hard and fast rules – systemic lupus erythematosus SLE can develop a different combination of symptoms, with various parts and/or organs involved.
The most common symptoms -
Fatigue
Low-grade fever
Loss of appetite
Aching muscles
Mouth ulcers
The butterfly rash
Hyper-sensitivity to sunlight
Inflammation of the mucus lining of the lungs
Pericarditis of the heart (inflammatory condition)
Raynaud’s – poor circulation to fingers and toes
Complications involving organs, the severity of the disease will depend on which organs are involved –
The Skin only – discoid lupus. The skin rash is often found on the face and scalp. Inflammation is typically red with no pain no itching, however these rashes can scar but more often than not heal with permanent scarring. can scar more often than not. When the scarring occurs on the scalp, hair loss is possible, generally not permanent. It is thought that about 7% of discoid cases can develop into SLE.
About 50% of SLE sufferers develop a red, flat facial rash over the bridge of their nose, called the butterfly rash becaise of it shape. Most patients with SLE will develop arthritis during the course of their illness. Arthritis in SLE commonly involves swelling, pain, stiffness, and even deformity of the small joints of the hands, wrists, and feet.
Sometimes, the arthritis of SLE can mimic that of rheumatoid arthritis.The more serious this inflammatory condition is when the brain, liver, and kidneys are affected. White blood cells and blood-clotting factors also
can be characteristically decreased in SLE, which can increase the risk of infection and increased risk of bleeding.
Inflammation of muscles causing muscle pain and weakness.Inflammation of blood vessels that supply oxygen to all the cells in the body causing a derterioration to nerves, the skin, or internal organs.
Inflammation of the lining of the lungs causing pain.
Inflammation of the heart can cause sharp chest pain.
Inflammation of the kidneys can cause fluid retention, high blood pressure, and even kidney failure.
Inflammation of the brain can cause personality changes, strange thoughts, seizures or even a coma.
Damage to nerves can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness of the involved body parts or extremities.
Some patients with SLE also have Raynaud’s phenomenon poor circulation to fingers and toes. The tips can look as if the blood has completely drained out, often accompanied by pain and numbness in the exposed
fingers tips and toes.
Lupus Awareness May – Drug induced Lupus the bad news and the good news
The Bad News – It has been reported the there are dozens of medications that can trigger systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The drugs most lightly to cause “drug-induced lupus” -
Hydralazine for blood pressure
Quinidine and Procainamide used for abnormal heart rhythms
Phenytoin used for epilepsy
Isoniazid used for tuberculois
D-penicillamine used for rheumatoid arthritis
The Good News - These drugs are known to stimulate the immune system and cause SLE. Usually drug-induced SLE accounts for about 5% and generally the symptoms subside when you stop taking the medications.
Read MoreCan lupus affect pregnancy?
The people most at risk of getting lupus are women of child bearing age. So how does lupus affect pregnancy?
If you have lupus and are considering getting pregnant, you will need very close supervision during your pregnancy, during the delivery and the postpartum time.Women with lupus seem to have a higher risk of miscarriage and flare-up.
Due to the nature of the disease there is an increased risk of blood clots. Your physician might prescribe blood-thinning medication through and for up to 6 to 12 weeks after the pregnancy.
Lupus antibodies can be transferred from mother to baby, the newborn baby could have the disease – neonatal lupus.
What does this mean?
It could mean low red blood cells, or white blood cells, or platelets
Skin rash
Problems developing electrical system in the heart – the risk of heart block is 2%
Generally at the age of 6 months lupus clears as the baby has metabolized their mother’s anti-bodies.
Read More
Conventional drug treatment for systemic lupus
Sonia Jones ND from the Haven Spa and Health Clinic
They say there is no cure for systemic lupus.
Goal is to relieve suffering, reduce inflammation and protect the organs.
Many patients with mild symptoms may need no treatment or only intermittent courses of anti-inflammatory medications.
Conventional treatments for more serious illness involving damage to internal organ(s) may require high doses of corticosteroids in combination with other medications that suppress the body’s immune system, immune-suppressants.
Patients with systemic lupus need more rest during the periods the disease is more active.
Poor sleep patterns develop, contributing to fatigue. During these periods, carefully prescribed exercise is still important to maintain muscle tone and range of motion in the joints.
NSADs Non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs are helpful in reducing inflammation and pain suffered in muscles, joints, and other tissues. These could be anything – aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and sulindac.
NSAIDs common side-effects but can vary from person to person – stomach upset, abdominal pain, ulcers, and even bleeding ulcers. Sometimes to counteract these side-effects medication are prescribe at the same time as NSAIDs, such as misoprostol.
The story on corticosteroids is altogether quite different from NSAIDs in reducing inflammation and restoring function when the disease is active. Corticosteroids are used when internal organs are affected. This medication is extremely powerful, and has some serious side-effects when given over prolonged periods of time, and the doctor will try to monitor the activity of the disease in order to use the lowest doses that are safe. Side effects of corticosteroids include weight gain, thinning of the bones and skin, infection, diabetes, facial puffiness, cataracts, and even deterioration and death of tissue in the large joints.
Then there are the anti-malarial medications (like hydroychloroquine) used to treat the fatigue, skin, and diseased joints. Side effects are less common – diarrhea, upset stomach, and eye-pigment changes. Research has found it decrease the frequency of blood clots.
Medications that suppress immunity – immuno-suppressive drugs, are also called cyto-toxic drugs. Immunosuppressive medications are used for treating patients with more severe lupus disease. All immunosuppressive medications can seriously depress blood-cell counts and increase risks of infection and bleeding. Another side effect of the drugs are liver toxicity, or possible impair kidney function.
At the 2007 national Rheumatology meeting, there was a paper presented suggesting that dietary supplements with essential fatty acids help patients with lupus by decreasing disease activity.
Take a long hard look into steroids and immunosuppressents – learn everything you can about them and try everything ease first. Taking these two types of particular medication is a very big discision – we have seem people who’s side- effects have been worse than their condition. There quality of life in some instances is worse – some side-effects are truly serious.
Read MoreDiagnosing Lupus (a form of arthritis)
The combination of symptoms can vary enormously from one patient to another depending on which organ/s are involved. Making it quite difficult to diagnose Lupus (one of many diseases that full under the arthritis banner/.
The American Rheumatism Association set out 11 criteria and if a person has 4 or more it is thought that they probably have Lupus
The butterfly rash over the cheeks of the face
Discoid skin rash – patchy redness with hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation that can cause scarring
Photosensitivity – skin rash reacts to sunlight exposure
Mucous membrane ulcers of the mouth, nose or throat
Arthritis – two or more swollen tender joints of the extremities
Pleuritis or pericarditis – inflammation of the lining tissue around the heart or lungs, usually associated with chest pain upon breathing or changes of body position
Kidney abnormalities – abnormal amounts of urine protein or clumps of cellular elements called casts detectable with a urinalysis
Brain irritation – manifested by seizures and/or psychosis
Blood-count abnormalities – low counts of white or red blood cells or platelets, on routine blood testing
Immunologic disorder – abnormal immune tests include anti-DNA or anti-Sm [Smith] antibodies, falsely positive blood test for syphilis anticardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, or positive LE prep test
Antinuclear antibody – positive ANA antibody testing antibodies in the blood.
Other tests have been suggested in helping evaluate
Testing of the blood to detect inflammation –
Sedimentation rate
C-reactive protein
Blood-chemistry testing
Direct analysis of internal body fluids
Tissue biopsies
Read MoreThe symptoms and signs of lupus (under the Arthritis umbrella)
Sonia Jones ND from the Haven Spa and health Clinic
There are no hard and fast rules – systemic lupus erythematosus SLE can develop different combination of symptoms, with various part and organs involved.
The most common symptoms -
Fatigue
Low-grade fever
Loss of appetite
Aching muscles
Mouth ulcers
The butterfly rash
Hyper-sensitivity to sunlight
Inflammation of the mucus lining of the lungs
Pericarditis of the heart (inflammatory condition)
Raynaud’s – poor circulation to fingers and toes
Complications involving organs, the severity of the disease will depend on which organs are involved –
The Skin only – discoid lupus. The skin rash is often found on the face and scalp. Inflammation is typically red with no pain no itching, however these rashes can scar but more often than not heal with permanent scarring. can scar more often than not. When the scarring occurs on the scalp, hair loss is possible, generally not perminant. It is thought that about 7% of discoid cases can develop into SLE.
About 50% of SLE sufferers develop a red, flat facial rash over the bridge of their nose, called the butterfly rash becaise of it shape. Most patients with SLE will develop arthritis during the course of their illness. Arthritis in SLE commonly involves swelling, pain, stiffness, and even deformity of the small joints of the hands, wrists, and feet. Sometimes, the arthritis of SLE can mimic that of rheumatoid arthritis.
The more serious this inflammatory condition is when the brain, liver, and kidneys are affected. White blood cells and blood-clotting factors also can be characteristically decreased in SLE, which can increase the risk of infection and increased risk of bleeding.
Inflammation of muscles causing muscle pain and weakness.
Inflammation of blood vessels that supply oxygen to all the cells in the body causing a derterioration to nerves, the skin, or internal organs.
Inflammation of the lining of the lungs causing pain.
Inflammation of the heart can cause sharp chest pain.
Inflammation of the kidneys can cause fluid retention, high blood pressure, and even kidney failure.
Inflammation of the brain can cause personality changes, strange thoughts, seizures or even a coma.
Damage to nerves can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness of the involved body parts or extremities.
Some patients with SLE also have Raynaud’s phenomenon poor circulation to fingers and toes. The tips can look as if the blood has completely drained out, often accompanied by pain and numbness in the exposed fingers tips and toes.
Read MoreDrug induced Lupus – a form of arthritis
It has been reported that there are dozens of medications that can trigger systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The drugs most lightly to cause “drug-induced lupus” -
Hydralazine for blood pressure
Quinidine and Procainamide used for abnormal heart rhythms
Phenytoin used for epilepsy
Isoniazid used for tuberculois
D-penicillamine used for rheumatoid arthritis
These drugs are known to stimulate the immune system and cause SLE. Usually drug-induced SLE accounts for about 5% and generally the symptoms subside when you stop taking the medications.
Read MoreArthritis & Pain Program at The Haven
