Shower and baths

[jensen_lynne]

Does taking a shower or bath makes lupus worse?

[Barnclown]

In what way?

For instance, I have simultaneous raynauds & erythromelagia affecting my Neuro-vascular system. Any exposure to relatively colder or warmer temperatures in the air or in water makes the raynauds & erythromelalgia flare. So water temperature when bathing & showering has to be carefully regulated.

Also, I avoid soaking for long in any water unless it's treated with an emollient like emusliderm because my skin is so dry & hyperreactive to water

Finally, when I'm in a lupus flare, or have an infection, my dysautonomia is playing up, so I tend to start fainting in the shower and when I stand up in the bath

Hope something in there helps

🍀🍀🍀🍀 coco

[maggielee]

When I was at my worse and I had a rash spreading over half my body, water was not my friend, I was In . & out of the shower, as my system kept trying to heal my skin and made me sensitive and my skin was dry and itchy, imagine it is what is happening to your system, especially your skin... the water did t make the lupus worse just made symptoms harder to deal with...So i hope not to have that uncontrollable rash again, so hide from the light and take my medicine (I hadn't been diagnosed yet when I was at my worse). Thus waters OK just have to watch dryness ....ml

[jensen_lynne in reply to maggielee]

Does it make your rash more noticeable in the shower or bath and does your skin start to peal after you get out of the shower or bath? Do you feel hot and sick when you get out?

[maggielee]

Interesting questions, the pigmentation of my skin changed in the areas that healed itself so its noticeable when I get hot, it becomes redder, but this can occur if I just get hot. As my body when generating new skin cells, I was shedding skin both in and out of the shower (avoided baths). So not what I would describe as peeling.... If you feel sick and hot when you get out, watch your blood pressure could be dropping and or your dehydrating is not enough fluids, a coo!er temperature may help. Often folks who go into saunas or hot tubs can experience this is feeling sick and it relates to overheating....similar temperatures can occur in a very hot shower or bath. Can discuss with a doctor if this is a regular occurrence or your concerned. ML

[jensen_lynne]

What temperature should I use to take a shower or bath, lukewarm for lupus?

[maggielee]

This is try and see how you feel, start lukewarm sounds sensible.....go from there. ML