Hi All,
Are there any tips for dealing with Lupus in the sun. My symptoms are generally mild. Mainly stiffness and joint pains and fatigue - I am going on holiday soon does anyone have any tips or remedies to help with similar pain.
Also what are good travel insurance providers !
thanks a lot !
To quote my wife over the week end I’m a”knob” been painting fence and messing about in garden had factor 50 and hat on shirt and long trousers and joints are terrible can hardly lift my arms the muscles feel that week so when you go on holiday cover up and use the highest sun block you can and don’t over do it should listen to my own advice .if you goggle sun sensitive clothing there’s a site that supply light clothing that is for uv sensitive people enjoy you holiday hope this helps or at lest make you lag a little
Hi,
I just read something about Lupus and heat. I know about lightbulbs, sun, but never the fact that heat will cause a flare as well. I have had lupus for about 20 yes and stayed in the shade w hat and protective clothing and still got very sick with headaches, chills, body aches and fatigue. Even stays very hydrated. We live in the USA NY and always go on holiday to warmer climates in the winter. Stay hydrated as well. Enjoy your vacation!! It's quite a chore dragging all of the special clothing, hats and umbrellas. My husband is always upset about the weight of my luggage but otherwise he's the best. We stay indoors most of the summer until late in the day😉
Yes, factor 50 all the time. I don't ever sit in the sun and the beauty of hot countries is that there is always shade - look for the 'hard' shade - the rays still come through canvas umbrellas. I have a little parasol - bought it from Honeystore via Amazon - it's fabulous like my own little bit of shade. Much better than a hat that makes you sweat and flattens your hair. Probably sensible to avoid trips which go to places where there's no shade but we're all different and can tolerate didn't levels. Have a fab time!
Oh, and if your lupus is 'quiet' you can probably get the same insurance as the family, you just have to answer a set of questions. If not there's several that specialise in people with pre-existing conditions and most of them are not too pricy. I think there's adverts in the Lupus mag.
Parasols are the fashion statement abroad but wondered if you'd get a funny look in the UK, I often wondered? With Lupus, you never win, either too hot or too cold.
Has anybody ever used cooling jackets? I might need it this year. I need to start looking for one of those heating jackets for winter, too...
A lot of us find that we are made unwell by being out in the sun unprotected - the extent to which we are affected varies from person to person. I cannot spend very much time out in the sun otherwise I feel headachy and 'woozy'. Obviously we have to use sun lotions etc and cover up well - you might find these pages from Lupus UK useful:
lupusuk.org.uk/going-on-hol...
Please make sure that you are covered by your travel insurance - you do need to declare all your medical conditions otherwise you risk making your insurance invalid if you have to make a claim. There is a list of travel insurance companies on the Lupus UK website (link in the holidays article above).
I've just taken out insurance for our summer holiday with Age UK (you don't have to be an OAP!) and I am going to buy myself a UV protection parasol too - hats just get so hot and uncomfortable. I always tend to cover up my skin with light floaty clothing rather than baring it to the sun plus sun lotion of course.
Hope you have a good holiday!
I was house-bound last summer...... will see what happens this summer. I own a couple of parasols, (using for rainy days) but I was simply overwhelmed by the heat.
Opthamology appointment re Hydroxychloroquine 
Fatigue has reached a whole other level, after 10.5 years. Scared it’s narcolepsy….
Lupus and Radiotherapy
