Can someone confirm these symptoms

[TEBUKHOSI]

I easily get confused, short span concentration, sometimes co-ordinating between my mind and the rest of the body seems slow. I want to say something but end up saying something different. forgetful. Gaining weight is not easy and recently I seem to age faster. my skin is dry. sometimes my vision is blurred. Are these symptoms consistent with Lupus?

[Bruson234]

Don't quote me on this, but, I do believe that Lupus Neuritis , parkinsons and ALS have very similar hand-eye coordination problems. Forgetfulness, attention problems etc.

[Wenwen]

If you are in high dose of prednisone or similar medication, it could be the medication

[TEBUKHOSI in reply to Wenwen]

I only started taking antidepressants recently. before that I was not on any medication

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK]

Hi Tebukhosi,

Welcome to the LUPUS UK HealthUnlocked Community!

Have you discussed your symptoms with your doctor? We are not medically trained here so we cannot say whether you may have lupus or not. Whilst some of your symptoms may be fairly common in lupus, it is not necessarily the only potential cause.

Confusion, difficulty in articulating thoughts and memory impairment are common symptoms that are associated with lupus; it is referred to as ‘brain fog’ or ‘lupus fog’ by people with lupus. Stress, anxiety and fatigue are a few examples of the causes of brain fog, you can find out more about this in our blog article ‘Coping with Brain Fog’: lupusuk.org.uk/coping-with-...

The eyes and skin can be affected by lupus but it is important to remember that lupus presents differently in everybody therefore it is rare for two people to share the exact same symptoms. The symptoms and diagnosis of lupus are discussed in our free information pack which you can download or request here: lupusuk.org.uk/request-info...

Here is a link to our guide on ‘LUPUS: and the skin’: lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u...

‘LUPUS: The Mouth, Nose and Eyes’ factsheet: lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u...

[TEBUKHOSI in reply to Chanpreet_Walia]

Thank you for responding. I have a problem when it comes to convincing doctors to test me for lupus. The last doctor I saw told me I am depressed and gave me antidepressants. For loosing my hair I was referred to a dermatologist who said I have alopecia and said my hair is gone forever. At the end of the day I have to see a lot of specialists for the different organs that are affected and each one tells me I have a problem but they do not know what is the cause. When I suggest to lupus they look at me like I have totally lost my mind. Thank you for the links

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK in reply to TEBUKHOSI]

Hi TEBUKHOSI,

You are welcome.

In order to get a diagnosis of lupus an initial antinuclear antibody (ANA) test is performed. This test does not provide sufficient evidence to confirm a diagnosis of lupus but does allow for your health practitioner to identify whether or not you could have an autoimmune condition. If the test results are ‘positive’, further specific testing will be required.

You are entitled to request an ANA test at your GP surgery.

You may like to read our factsheet on ‘LUPUS: The Symptoms and Diagnosis’ here: lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u...