A few days ago I was at Patient First explaining to a very tired doc that "... my lungs usually feel like this just before a storm or other big change in the weather." All I wanted was some albuterol. He insisted that I take a 12 day Prednisone dose pak.
When I woke up today it was fall. It was raining and cool. I celebrated the fact that I had made it through the summer without a lupus flare. I felt the way you do when you have just a tiny bit of inflammation and you are on your third day of prednisone. GREATTTT. So, I went shopping at a local strip mall.
Not a big deal. The pharmacy, Marshall's, the dollar store, and the super market. The weather outside was so warm that I was perspiring heavily. It was so humid that my lungs were working overtime to extract the breathable oxygen. The stores were so chilly that I could feel my lungs spasm from the rapid temperature change. I went in the house and took my next dose of prednisone before I went back outside for the perishables.
I think that I am dodging a lupus flare. I think I am nipping it in the bud and avoiding a late night run to the ER with long waits and docs who do not have almost 20 years of my immediate care needs in their records system. There is no safe season for me, Every change of season brings its own triggers for me to take into account.
IS THE SEASON CHANGING WHERE YOU LIVE?
DOES THE PROCESS TRIGGER LUPUS FLARES FOR YOU?
DO YOU HAVE WAYS OF OVOIDING THEM OR MINIMIZING THE DAMAGE?
Weather changes always bother something. My lupus, arthritis or asthma I am proud to say the one thing I have learned over the last year is to really listin to my body and adapt before things are out of hand. At the first sign of trouble I am off to the doctor and starting treatment I have found this really help I used to hold out as long as I could before going now I just go and find things are going much better.
Its been really wet and rainy here this past week, the temp is in the 40-60 and I am FREEZING! I am not looking forward to winter I feel like its going to really affect me especially when it gets to that 20 and 30 below zero without the wind chill which than makes it like 50 below zero! I think I will be locked up most of the winter. I don't know if what I am feeling is from the weather or them lowering my prednisone dosage. Shortness of breath, chest pain beyond pain, joint pain you name it im feeling it. I have had to take a pain pill everynight so I can sleep and Tylenol throughout the day. I see one of my docs monday so its going to be a long weekend.......
Thank so much for the information! I will definitely be looking into that for this winter! :) My mom does do sewing so I am going to see if she can make skirts and line them with flannel or fleece.... I have already pulled out the leggings they are such a help already!
Fall weather is here where I live. Last weekend was rainy, and then this week has been warmer again. I was feeling out of breath yesterday, and I found myself needing to sit down while my husband was scheduling his next doctor's appointment. I didn't make it to the gym yesterday, and got a nap instead.
I spent yesterday in bed, and today looks the same after a mostly restless night from pain in my chest and the racing heart. The pain in my back hurts mostly this morning. From what you have been saying, it sounds like this back pain is the pleurisy. I really appreciate all your advices it helped me simply to accept the pain in my chest from the other day as another thing to deal with and not something to panic over. Frankly, I wish my doctor would just wake up one day with the right solution, but we all wish that. Lol. Mean while, your good advice after years of dealing with Lupus is a huge benefit to us all. I appreciate the good amount of sharing and raw honesty. I guess it sounds silly, but I am the type that just needs to know what it is or what the underline cause of an issue is so that I don’t worry over it. I don’t worry when I can understand. Silly, but true. I go to acceptance and solutions. I guess because I don’t like focusing on problems. I always focus on solutions. Which is how I keep positive. Thank you for sharing some of those solutions and preventions.
As for familiarity with ones lungs, I have always had lung issues. Bronchitis and I are practically best friends/mortal enemies since I was a babe. So I get having to listen to your lungs. Which is why I know that the back pain is really coming from my lower lung area. Which hurts enough for me to be pissed. Lol. Mad is better than sad, I say. Mad motivates. Lol. Sitting up in bed helps. Rest would be better. So I am hoping some of that tea your grandma makes will help.
The season is changing like Trisha said (we live in the same town) but I thought it was my knee replacement that was causing it. Sigh!! How do we ever know? We don't. I gave up yesterday and started on 30mg of pred and again today and see if it helps and then taper down. I am calling pain management doc Monday and see how he can help me with this too.
I love watching the colors this season so I am holding that as my positive outlook for now. Prayers and hugs to all.
I'm usually positive but today I am caving to feeling sorry for myself. I have non stop diahhea(iknow i spelled that wrong but I can't for the life of me think about how to spell it.) I guess i'll be calling my gastro dr on tuesday. Went to a one hour meeting last nght and i had to run to the bathroom 3 times.
I shouldn't complain you girls have much bigger issues than I, at least I can breathe.
The change of season hasn't bothered me
prednisone doesn't hurt me either. Isn't it strange what bothers one of us has no effect on others. I don't quite as sorry for myself as I did when I started to "write" Thanks everyone. I know you're there.
My GYN has rynoid disease (I am sure I spelled that wrong) and told me about hand and feet warmers. They stay warm for up to 6 hours. I am looking into where to buy them she told me walmart carries them.. I could not find them. I did find some online. For me if I get too cold it is not good. I love Autumn and the breeze blowing, the color of the leaves it is just beautiful.
April and October are my worst moths due to the daily weather extreme changes for spring & Fall. Really struggling.Its pretty common with all chronic illnesses.
Hi!, Yes to your questions!! The weather change put me totally in the bed, which I hate so very much. To stay warm, and want to function is so hard when the flares happens -I just get out of the bed only when it is time to eat or use the bathroom! Trying to sit with the family is very hard a lot of the time but sometimes I do make myself. Lupus, the pain, and taking the pills really get on my nerves , prayer helps me alot, I find myself waking up out of a sleep mostly and start back over! Well hope that you find away to handle/manage the problems /pains…Beverly L.