What triggers your lupus?

[artemis5]

That's something I've always been intrigued with. Everytime I get a flare up someone asks what strted it. And usually I have an answer but whether or not the answer is indeed correct or just based on my 'sensation' I cannot tell.

We all now the 'typical' triggers such as UV, stress, hormonal changes etc. It's the cellular damage that activates our immune systems and the reasons that can happen are plenty. But have you actually been able to single out one trigger that is present everytime you have a flare up?

I think I now what triggered my first lupus flare. I was 20 years old or so, just arrived in UK. I went to see my GP for the first time and she said that she didn't have any records of my previous vaccinations. Since I'm from EU it was not that much of a problem but she suggested that I should have MMR done since measles was a bit of a problem at that time and I was at uni so the perfect grounds for disease spread. So I got MMR and a few weeks later I got my first lupus arthritis. Incidently MMR can cause reactive arthritis in some patients so the doctor was not that concerned. I got naproxen and was told to wait. And since then everything got worse... but that's another story.

So MMR for me. I thin sun is a major one for me too, and physical exersion and definitely infections. Sadly since I gave birth to my daughter the last two are always an issue so my lupus is getting wrose and worse.

So what do you think, that are your triggers?

[nicky1234]

hi

i had 4 babies in 5 years and was steroilised aged 22.

at the time just thought i was exhausted cause of young children.

when i was 23 my beloved nan died. and i carried on and did not grief proper

grief has to come out some how, when i was 24 got what would be my first real taste

of what was to come tennis elbow. so my trigger was grief

now i have loads of different illness's and with me any change of wheather is a trigger

also if i eat tomatoes or get to stressed.

ps when i was a kid had the usuall growing pains constant sore throats and blinding headaches caused when out in the sun.

[Melinda]

I was the menopause that triggered my SLE. A few years ago i developed SCLE, a type of skin lupus, after i had the swine flu. A coincidence perhaps, but my immune system must have been quite low.

I find it interesting that you developed lupus after having the MMR. During the seventies, before the MMR, i took my children to have their single measles jab. The GP refused to give them it because they both had eczema.

[lowicklady55]

For me it's if I do too much housework. I get a sharp pain across the middle of the back, and think, I shouldn't have done that. As a teenager I always had migraines on the monthly cyle. As I had menopause quite early at 42 I don't have so many now. My mum and gran also suffered migraines.

[ijeasike]

my monthly period triggers the pain and also when i over work myself the previous day i will have to pay the painful price the next day. but my first major breakdown was after my son came. it has been tough.

[brave]

HI<for me triggers are......intense sun,heat,stress,overexertion of any kind,alcohol (the odd glass of wine is fine )mental exhaustion,hormones ,theres been a def pattern over the last 16yrs ,and always triggerd by these ,its just so hard to avoid all triggers,for me its dealing with the recovery ,and excepting i cant beat this ,but i must learn to live with this ,im still in the batteling stage ,and often bring on flares through my own will,im learning...slowly!good health always ,brave