I am 63 years old am I too old to have Lupus ?I have been diagnosed with FM, but pain in my joints, rash on my cheeks etc , could it be

[deja]

[Hidden]

Afraid not it seems, I am 68.

Good luck

[copdber]

Have you had any blood tests? have you seen a dermatologist? It is possible to have lupus I don't think age rules it out.

[deja]

I have had blood tests , I am not up on all these blood tests so don't Know which ones but GP said 3 were low , I saw a rhumatologist privately because I couldn't put up with the pain in my bones as well as my muscles the and constant exhaustion . I took a month off work because Last year I thought I had dementia as my memory and concentration are so bad . It was the Consultant I saw that asked for the bloods but my GP is insistant I have FM . I also have regular water infections and now have type 2 diabetis ......I am usually a very possitive person and get on with things ..still work at 63 ..but this has got me beat , I have had a month off work

[Melinda]

The lady who delivers meals on wheels to our neighbour has just been diagnosed with lupus. She's well over sixty.

[chrisj]

..and I'm 66 in 3 weeks time, diagnosed with SLE in 2005. What did your rheumatologist tell you? and which 3 tests were low? Ask they will tell you

[Purpletop]

It isn't like you 'get' lupus - as i understood it, if you are genetically predisposed to have it, it is already there, it is only a matter of whether it has started to manifest itself now and I don't think that is age-dependant.

[deja in reply to Purpletop]

Thanks for that , excuse my ignorance , this is all very new to me

[Purpletop in reply to deja]

Apologies, I didn't mean to sound patronising. I didn't know much either when I started with this and this site and its contributors have been amazingly helpful. As the others said here, diagnosis is not straightforward but we all want to get to it as soon as possible so that treatment can start and prove to ourselves that there is a medical reason for what we are experiencing. Good luck with everything.

[deja in reply to Purpletop]

No apologies needed but thanks anyway. I am more determined than ever to get the correct diagnosis be it FM or Lupus although I am convinced after reading the replies that it is Lupus I have

thanks

[Sutterby]

Me also also found out about 6months ago I am 59

[deja in reply to Sutterby]

How long did it take for your GP to make the diagnosis ? and how was it eventually made ?

[Looby]

Hi there Deja....welcome to this friendly and empathic site. I'm a 60 + "chick", too, and still coming to terms with a total change of lifestyle! At the age of 58, I retired (reluctantly) from a job I loved in Pharmacy - mainly because I kept catching illnesses, and the fatigue became too much.

You will see, when you've been on here for a while, that Lupus has many manifestations...and it can take a long time to obtain a definite diagnosis. Unlike diabetes, which is measurable - there are several factors which go to make a diagnosis, and there may be other existing conditions which will also impact on your immune system, energy levels, and state of mind.

It may be very helpful for you to obtain the DVD from Lupus UK (it cost me about £2) - I have shown it to my husband and close friends and it has helped them (and me) to understand what is happening. One of the difficulties is that on the "better" days, we don't look ill, and the red "flush" puts colour in the face. We are all different - for me, I never know when a "flare" is going to happen - and that means it is tricky to plan to do anything definite even a day ahead. The hardest thing for me is learning to pace tasks, or leave them to another day.

Fibromyalgia has similar symptoms to Lupus (but not all). The "all-over" pain and lethargy on waking and for some time afterwards (sometimes all day...), erratic sleep pattern, "brain fog" (as we call it on here), very often low mood and lack of appetite ....all are common to most of us at some time or other.

I felt frustrated recently because my Rheumatologist referred me to Physio (she still thinks I have FM.....even though my GP thinks I have SLE). The 12 weekly sessions (to exercise those tired muscles!) START at 9.30 a.m. in the morning. It would mean I'd have to get up at 7.00a.m. to get there, and usually I don't even function till at least 10.00.a.m........!!!!!

Whatever the docs decide to call it - your suffering is REAL. Keep a simple diary - (I mark mine out of 10 morning/pm/night) - on the "good" days I have a sunshine symbol, and when pain is really bad, a zig-zag symbol. When you look back, you may/may not see what activities trigger your symptoms, also whether medications are helping or not.

Hope you have a sympathetic GP and Consultant.....this counts for a lot! Take Care.....

[deja]

Thank you so much for this , until i came onto this site I really thought i was going mad , I work for a small charity and feel so guilty even thinking of resigning but .... When / if i am diagnosed with Lupus would the medication help me enough to keep on at work . I do quite a lot of driving and it's quite a stressful job

[Looby]

Hi there Deja - I've had a couple of really BUM days, so have not been able to get onto the PC.

The advantage of working for a Charity is that they are more likely to be understanding, and to tolerate flexible working hours (?). Driving when in a "flare" must be really difficult, as your concentration is impaired. Do you live quite a way from your place of work? Can you do some of it at home, maybe?

It takes a while to work out which medication "cocktail" will help to ease the symptoms and I've found that the Docs I've been dealt, have a rather "suck -it-and-see" method of prescribing! I nearly died when taking Methotextrate for about 6 months (however, it IS very effective for some people!). I've now been on Plaquinel for over a year. Initially - it helped a lot to decrease joint swelling and tiredness, but now I'm getting really crippling headaches, together with stomach bleeds, so have asked my GP if it's OK to reduce the dose (I have been on 200mg twice a day). He hasn't had much experience with Lupus/FM - so he suggested we "try it"...........It is quite frustrating, as am on other meds, and it is difficult to know which are working and which aren't. NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen) are good for muscular/tension pain - but you need to protect your stomach lining with those too.

Hope you are referred to a sympathetic Consultant soon, who will be able to answer some of your concerns.