Hi, last night I had a lupus flare up, started with my fingers hurting in pain and then swelling in my knuckle? Is this classed as a flare?

[Mainshah]

Classed as a flare if so best way to deal with is? Physically and emotionally

[Shann07]

Hiya! I get these symptoms too, swelling of fingers and hands, sometimes fingers lock as in they close over to form a fist and will not open until morning when swelling has went down, its so painful. Yes this can def be sign of flare, watch out for more symp like muscle/joint stiffness too. I take plaquenil to control my symp but dr tells me meds will not prevent all symptoms as to do this the entire immune system would need to be shut down which obviously they cannot do as then even a small cold could kill you!! Oh! the wonderful world of lupus

[Ven_kat-1991 in reply to Shann07]

Hi Shanon, how would you overcome this

[Mainshah]

Hi Sophieh

Yeh that's what happened to me last night after 6 weeks of bin diagnosed, was is loads of pain until I took loads of pain killers :). And before I was told I had lupus I had joint pain/muscle, ulcers, water intention in feet and elbows, a horrible rash on my legs and the famous butterfly one across my nose and cheeks. I'm on steroids and hydroxychloroquine, works wonders.

So will a flare turn up when where it likes?

And when it does how do u get through it? What do u do? Or try to prevent it?

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK in reply to Mainshah]

Hi. Would you like me to send you one of our free information packs? It has a lot of information for someone like yourself who has been recently diagnosed. If you'd like a pack, please send me a private message or email [e-mail] with your name and address.

[Lupusbutterfly121 in reply to Paul_Howard]

Can u send me an ingo packet please newly diagnosed lupus paitent here

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK in reply to Lupusbutterfly121]

Hi Lupusbutterfly121 ,

Yes, of course I can. You can actually now request or download one from our website at lupusuk.org.uk/request-info...

[Shann07 in reply to Mainshah]

Its so difficult when youre first diagnosed so many questions to ask, this is a fab site for advice and support. To be honest im kinda newly diagnosed too, well 2 years to be exact, i suffer some awful symptoms, just bizarre things and yes they are all lupus related! I try my best to pace my life where if i try to do just normal things for maybe 4 days a week then for the other 3 i try to rest as much as possible, stay at home, saying no to friends that invite me out, because im knackered and my body is sore from doing just daily chores. Like today im not even dressed yet as i was working the last 3 days now im pooped, tired and sore my advice is dont over do things, respect this disease, you need to rest and look after yourself. Anti-inflammatories are good to take for pain, i take Naproxen. You will probably find you will start having lots of different symptoms and bad fatigue, a diagnosis of lupus is life changing, and you need to adapt your life around the new you! Dont get me wrong life can still be good but a little more challenging

[Lozano53 in reply to Shann07]

Ugh I feel all your pain, being the active person I am this change is literally killing me my best friend passed away and I cried so much because of her passing and the fact of all days I had no strength to help the family set things up or cook I was so miserable I wanted to scream. it's been a struggle, but on my good days I'm unstoppable.

Have a great day all!

[anbuma in reply to Mainshah]

i have the symptoms of lupus but my dr wont acknowledge it.i have the butterfly rash,nose ulcers,rash on my legs -which bleeds on washing-pain and swelling everywhere.was told fibromyalgia in 2005.btu things got lot worse over last 2 years.dr says I have IBS but know I dont -bowels are normal no diarrheoa or constipation plus the pain and swelling in my hands.i read here that the rash on the legs is a symptom of Graves disease(ihave lumps in neck and enlarged thyroid + sore throat)and have had swollen abdomen fro 2 yrs or more -no reason given -but recently mentioned bloating-=I believe it to be a cyst/tumour cos it s a solid hard mass and reason fro weight gain as weight lost elsewhere(thyroid??)

have gallstones which were found by a private dr and op is on 15th.my gp wouldn't have diagnosed them cos he refused to doa scan when I asked him.

[farmerfester]

try and control the lupus try not to let it control you pace yourself try &take you meds at regular times & not miss any if you are sun sensitive as i am the hydro will help in time you should manage to get facter 50+ on prescription

chin up and stay cheerie

[ribitribi]

Hello honey,

If that happened just last night you cannot say it is a flare. It is definetely a symptom of a possible flare but not flare.

You must relax, calm down, take your medicine as your doctor prescribed and if the symptoms continue and become worse after a period of 5-10 days then it time to visit your doctor, cause it will be a flare.

It is absolutely normal for people suffering with lupus to have pain from one day to another, but as long as the pain does not remain for more than a week then it is all fine. I usually have these symptoms when I am stressed or very tired. Lupus needs time...to learn how to control it.

I have lupus since 1996 and I am still learning, do not give up and never but never push yourself to do more than you can!

Cheers xxx

[brooklyn143 in reply to ribitribi]

So are you saying its not a flare unless it lasts for longer than a day? Curious, I am new to learning more about Lupus.

[madmagz]

Hi Sophieh

Sorry to see how much you are suffering at the moment, yes as others have said it does look like you are having symptoms of a flare at the moment - I hope for your sake it is a short one. I have had lupus for nearly twenty years now and have found that over time I've noticed certain triggers of my symptoms - the sun and other lighting that emits U.V. rays as I was found to be photosensitive, some high fat foods, certain yogurts that are supposed to be good for the immune system....our immune systems are already working overtime attacking us don't give them more energy to do more damage with these yogurts and yogurt drinks. I have also found that just doing a few pilates exercises in the privacy of my own home helps with my mobility, I used to go to a class but it was crowded and I picked up any sniffles and bugs so decided to do it at home.

I remember when I was first diagnosed it was such a confusing time, so many things to try to remember and so much going on in your body and at the hospital and doctors all at once you feel like your brain is going to explode - that's if you are not suffering from brain fog when you just have a numb brain and go into zombie mode!

Good luck love I hope you only have these few symptoms and they are short lived, I would certainly recommend a visit to the LupusUK website and maybe read about some of the sympoms you may recognise and can tell your doctor about it might help with your treatment. Keep your chin up

Madmagz x

[Mainshah]

Sophieh I'm trying so hard to cope with it, from me being to active use to not even take paracetamols if I was in so much pain (hated tablets.)

Now I have to so many I've lost count

It is challaging coz one day I'm fine and il do all the house work, laundrey, cook and everything and the next day I'm tired and can't get enough of sleeping and I hate that, hate that I'm tired and I can't do the things I won't to when I am? It's just so annoying. I'm also a girl that likes to push her self and get it dun I did that once and then spend few days in bed depressed and crying coz I had no energy to do anything else and body hurt so bad. But the flare or what ever it was seems to be gone feel better again.

[Mainshah]

Hi ribitribi,

The flare seems to be gone on its way and I feel better, I think your right I was really tired that night due to daily work at house. Yeh control that's how my doc but it out. The thing is I don't understand when my body is telling me to stop and that I'm over doing it? I just carry on and then suffer for a few day after?