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May 10th = World Lupus Day

K

kitten

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This is very important to me, as I personally have Lupus.

Don't know what Lupus is? Consider checking out the WebMD page here. It has a brief topic overview on it.

May is also National Lupus Awareness month.

Every day, 1.5 million Americans (enough people to fill thirty baseball stadiums) struggle with the often disabling and life-altering impact of lupus. Lupus is the result of an unbalanced immune system that can become destructive to any major organ or tissue in the body. Lupus is unpredictable and potentially fatal, yet no satisfactory treatment or cure exists.

Why is awareness of lupus important? To save lives! Consider these facts:

* Lupus can attack the body for years before the disease is diagnosed. Symptoms of lupus mimic common illnesses and often are dismissed as nothing serious.
* More than half of the people with lupus suffer four or more years and visit three or more doctors before receiving a correct diagnosis.
* Awareness of lupus is lowest among women 18-24 –- the age group most likely to develop the disease.
* Late diagnosis and delayed treatment contribute to poor outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality.
* Lupus is a serious disease that can damage vital organs, such as the kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain. The disease can cause seizures, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages, and organ failure leading to significant disability or death.
Click to expand...

From The Lupus Foundation of America

Thank you for your time. :)
 
Well, I suppose it's a good thing that at least more people know what Lupus is due to House.
 
Then I think today should be

Send Kitten a Hug Day.

Officially.

I'll see about having the paper's drawn up.

And then send her a hug via PM
 
It's a good cause, Kitten. Sorry to hear you are a sufferer... It's a serious disease and doesn't get enough press...

About 5 years ago, I was given a drug for high cholesteral (which wasn't even necessary then and certainly not now) that had the side effects after 1 month of rashes from the sun and hair loss for me. When I went to the doctor, she gave me a benadryl injection and sent me on my way. She didn't relate it at all to the drug and of course it didn't clear up.

So I did some research on my own (you know how doctors HATE when you do that) and brought her the info about how in some rare cases this particular drug can cause Lupus. They call it "drug induced Lupus" actually... They ran some blood work and sure enough the antibodies were there. So I quit the drug but it took over six months for the antibodies to disappear from my bloodstream entirely. Lupus is one of those auto immune diseases that aren't specific in the bloodwork but all the symptoms were there, so...

Anyway, my point is that I did do some research and know that this is a serious disease that I could have died of if I hadn't done some research on my own. Fortunatley, drug induced lupus is a simple cure but the other is not...

So, good PSA thread!
 
Image said:
It's a good cause, Kitten. Sorry to hear you are a sufferer... It's a serious disease and doesn't get enough press...

About 5 years ago, I was given a drug for high cholesteral (which wasn't even necessary then and certainly not now) that had the side effects after 1 month of rashes from the sun and hair loss for me. When I went to the doctor, she gave me a benadryl injection and sent me on my way. She didn't relate it at all to the drug and of course it didn't clear up.

So I did some research on my own (you know how doctors HATE when you do that) and brought her the info about how in some rare cases this particular drug can cause Lupus. They call it "drug induced Lupus" actually... They ran some blood work and sure enough the antibodies were there. So I quit the drug but it took over six months for the antibodies to disappear from my bloodstream entirely. Lupus is one of those auto immune diseases that aren't specific in the bloodwork but all the symptoms were there, so...

Anyway, my point is that I did do some research and know that this is a serious disease that I could have died of if I hadn't done some research on my own. Fortunatley, drug induced lupus is a simple cure but the other is not...

So, good PSA thread!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've heard of drug-induced Lupus- They thought I had it for awhile, but even after changing all my meds, it didn't go away. So I started getting treated for it. :(

I've gotten worse, but I'm nowhere near the dying or internal-organs failing stage (thankfully.) I'm taking preventative drugs and we're hoping that it doesn't get to that.
 
From WebMD:
http://lupus.webmd.com/guide/lupus-systemic-lupus-erythematosus-symptoms

If you have lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE), you may be extremely tired, have skin rashes, or have joint pain. If the disease is more serious, you may have problems with your kidneys, heart, lungs, blood, or nervous system.

Lupus symptoms depend on what body organs are affected and how seriously they are affected.

* Fatigue: About 90% of people with lupus have mild to extreme fatigue.4 Even mild cases of lupus cause an inability to engage in daily activities and exercise.5 Increased fatigue is a classic sign that a symptom flare is about to occur.
* Joint and muscle pain: About 95% of people with lupus have joint pain (arthritis) at some time. About 70% of people with lupus report that joint and muscle pain was their first sign of the disease.4 Joints may be red and warm, and may swell. Morning stiffness may also be felt. Lupus arthritis often occurs on both sides of the body at the same time, particularly in the wrists, small joints of the hands, elbows, knees, and ankles.6
* Skin problems: Most people with lupus develop skin rashes.6 These rashes are often an important clue to the diagnosis. In addition to the butterfly rash over the cheeks and bridge of the nose, other common skin symptoms include skin sores or flaky red spots on the arms, hands, face, neck, or back; mouth or lip sores; and a scaly, red, or purple raised rash on the face, neck, scalp, ears, arms, and chest.
* Sensitivity to light: Exposure to ultraviolet light (such as sunlight or tanning parlors) typically worsens the skin rash and can trigger lupus flares. Sensitivity to light affects more than 50% of those with lupus, with fair-skinned people with lupus tending to be more sensitive.4
* Nervous system symptoms: The majority of people with lupus develop nervous system problems, most commonly headaches, depression, or anxiety. Memory loss is less common.
* Heart problems: People with lupus may develop inflammation of the heart sac (pericarditis), which may cause severe, sudden pain in the center of the left side of the chest that may spread to the neck, back, shoulders, or arms.
* Mental health problems: People with lupus may develop problems such as anxiety and depression. Such problems can be caused by lupus, the medications used to treat it, or the stress of coping with chronic illness.
* Fever: About 80% of people with lupus will sometimes have a low-grade fever related to the disease. Over a third of people with lupus report that fever was a first sign of the disease.4
* Changes in weight: About 60% of people with lupus lose weight when their disease is active (flaring).4
* Hair loss: Up to 50% of people with lupus experience periods of hair loss, either in patches or spread evenly over the head. This hair loss is usually not permanent.6
* Swollen glands: Up to 50% of people with lupus eventually develop swollen lymph glands during a flare.4
* Raynaud's phenomenon: This condition is present in about 20% of people with lupus.7 It affects the small vessels that supply blood to the skin and the soft tissues under the skin of the fingers and toes, causing them to turn white and/or blue or red. The skin affected will feel numb, tingly, and cold to the touch.
* Inflammation of blood vessels in the skin (cutaneous vasculitis): Inflammation or bleeding from the blood vessels can lead to small or large blue spots or small reddish spots on the skin or nail beds.
 
I hate reading those lists, mainly because you say to yourself, "gee, I have that...."
 
Faneros said:
I hate reading those lists, mainly because you say to yourself, "gee, I have that...."
Click to expand...

True, except in this case, it's right for me :p I have a lot of those symptoms. Plus a few extra of my own.
 
Faneros said:
so there is no cure? no treatments?
Click to expand...

There are treatments. Medications that help relieve the symptoms, but no, there is no cure. Some medications are also harsher than others-- Steroids, for example. Prednisone is often used to treat Lupus. I'm currently on Plaquenil and Enbrel.
 
I actually only had the sun triggered rash on my face and neck and the hair loss. Both only temporary. It was frightening enough...
 
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