Symptom Patterns and Symptoms Coming and Going

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions concerning symptoms. I have noticed that over the past few weeks, rather than experiencing flare-ups that last for weeks at a time, I almost always have mild symptoms and experience frequent "mini flare-ups" that last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. These usually occur 1 to 3 times a day. Although short, these flare-ups are like being hit by a train. During that time, I am often nearly useless. I pace myself in order to try and keep even my shorter flare-ups hopefully a bit more mild when they strike. Has anyone else ever experienced a symptom pattern like this? I have not experienced a flare-up that lasted a long time for a while now; however, these mini flare-ups are still quite impactful. Is it also to be expected that symptoms might come and go, even without a notable cause? I have experienced this numerous times as well. I have also noticed that, during a flare-up, I may not experience all of my symptoms but rather certain ones, and those may be different the next flare-up. For a quick background: I am 24, but have had issues since I was 15. I have had 3 positive ANAs (all homogenous ranging from 1:640 to greater than 1:1280). 4th ANA was negative; however, I was very symptomatic at the time it was tested. Due to 3 positive ANAs and how debilitating my symptoms can be, I am checking that box. Symptoms include: numbness and tingling in limbs, face, and mouth; pins and needles in same areas; pain and stiffness when walking; muscle pain and fatigue; joint pain; excessive daytime sleepiness; memory difficulties; random sensations of burning, itching, and stinging; headaches; tremors in hands; occasional fine motor and coordination challenges; dry eyes; intermittent fevers and chills; challenges with temperature regulation (I can go from burning hot to covered in goose bumps in the space of 5 minutes with very little change to the external temperature around me) etc. Should I expect my symptoms to follow a pattern, or is it normal for them to randomly come and go? What about flare-up length? Could it be expected that they could at times last only a few hours, and at other times a few weeks? Thank you.

[SLS2103]

I'm still classed as newly diagnosed and I feel a bit like you, with many of the same symptoms and I've not wuite got the hang of predicting flares yet, so I hope someone else may be able to help you with that.

However, there are some apps (mostly free) that you could download and try to keep a log of your symptoms. There's Flaredown and Lupus Corner that I've downloaded, but not got around to trying yet.

All the best.

Sarah x

[Hidden in reply to SLS2103]

I’m definitely going to check out the apps. Thank you so much!

[stiff19]

relate 🤗

[MusicalFurbaby]

Hi BrooklyneDeanne, welcome! Yes, I get constant mini-flares, I often feel like I’m coming down with the flu every couple of weeks, or sometimes several times a week. It gets worse when I haven’t slept well, or when I am otherwise sick (like a genuine flu) whereby the usual joint pain and headaches are far worse than normal. Same goes for fatigue too. Then every once in a while I get a distinct flare where I feel like I’ve been run over for a few days, sometimes resulting in seeing a doctor or even a hospital admission, depending on the type of symptoms. Those flares—chest pain, severe breathlessness—are certainly easier to spot. But most of the time, I have a mild sensation of feeling ‘off’, not quite right, not quite myself. I move sluggishly, I run out of energy fast, and I can’t seem to concentrate for very long. Any time I feel worse than normal without a clear reason, I would class that as a mini-flare. Hope this helps—it takes a long time to work out your own patterns!

[Hidden in reply to MusicalFurbaby]

This helps so, so much!! Thank you for sharing. I honestly thought I was going a little crazy!