Is lupus a possibilty?

[Sophlily]

I’ve been getting achy and painful joints in my hands for about two years now. It’s always come and go and can occur in the morning or evening. When it’s really bad it only aches in my left hand about where my wrist is. I saw a doctor a couple months ago and she ruled out rheumatoid arthritis and carpal tunnel. I don’t really have any other symptoms for lupus except for Raynauds which hasn’t been super bad since two years ago. I don’t have a butterfly rash, just naturally pink/red face. I get extremely mild small patches of hives for like a day. I’m just wondering if it’s even a possibility if all I’m experiencing is the joint pain and fatigue. Don’t know what else it could be.

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK]

Hi Sophlily,

Welcome to the LUPUS UK HealthUnlocked Community!

Joint/muscle aches and pains and experiencing extreme fatigue are two of the most common symptoms associated with lupus. To find out what other symptoms are associated with lupus, download or request our free information pack at lupusuk.org.uk/request-info... - It is important to remember that lupus presents differently in everybody therefore, no two people will share the exact same experience i.e. experiencing a malar (butterfly) rash.

Raynaud’s phenomenon is a common problem that occurs in the cardiovascular system of people who have lupus, appearing in approximately one-third of cases. We published a blog article on coping with Raynaud’s phenomenon which you can read at lupusuk.org.uk/coping-with-...

According to The Lupus Encyclopedia, hives can occur in people who have SLE due to inflammation caused by lupus itself. It can also be caused by a person being exposed to something he/she is allergic to. The encyclopedia states that hives improve when the systemic inflammation of SLE is treated for example with steroids.

We published a guide on ‘Lupus and the Skin’ which contains information on the different types of rashes that are associated with lupus and how they can be treated: lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u... . Also, we published a blog article on ‘coping with itchy rashes’ which you can read here: lupusuk.org.uk/coping-with-...

To find out what criteria and tests need to be met in order to make a diagnosis of lupus, click here lupusuk.org.uk/getting-diag...

Please keep us updated, wishing you all the best.