My husband has Lupus and he has not been very diligent at being proactive with contacting the doctor and doing his blood work. I finally got him to go to the doctor this week and thankfully everything is "fine" and looking "good". But he has been having some bad flare ups lately, and we forgot to ask the Rheumatologist about it, but during a flare up is there damage that is being done? How seriously should we take the flare ups?
This is question that really should be directed to his doctor since how we each have SLE can be very different even from what majority of people on this site might say is true for themselves.
Flares are just down right frustrating at times since we can feel so poorly. Best way I can describe it to someone is it is like have really bad case of the flu, only you run low grade fevers. Plus on top of having that all over achy feeling your joints can hurt and swell if you also have RA involvement which often goes hand in hand with SLE.
Sure most of us can say how we are positive we have been in a flare than go to do our lab work and comes back normal. Other times we feel okay and do our lab work and it comes back showing some organ involvement. So just can be frustrating.
So only really your Doctor who knows how SLE has been effecting your husband can answer this particular question. I am sure it is okay to call their office and leave this message so you can stop worrying and just know what is his truth. Do not be dishearten if the Doctor says they may not have black and white answer and say that is why it is important your husband stays up on his tests. I know I have been told that myself.
So please call! Often our imaginations get the better of us so asking is best thing. Sorry I could not just give you a black or white answer though i think it is always a good thing when our tests come back all good as in his case! Happy Holidays
Hi Wifey,
This link explains some about the flare ups and possible damage that could occur during them.
Hope it helps.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/lupus/medication-to-treat-lupus-flares.aspx
Ally
I REALLY CANT SAY I WOULD LEAVE THAT TO THE DOCTORS BUT I CAN SAY ONE TIME WHEN I WENT TO THE DOCTOR THEY SAID THAT THE LUPUS WAS MILD AND I FELT SO BAD I WAS FLARING UP ALL THE TIME SLEEPING AND JUST TIRED HAD NO MOTIVATION TO DO ANYTHING HAD TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK IT WAS A MESS, IM HAVING A FLARE UP RIGHT NOW, HAD IT ALL WEEKEND I GOT OFF OF WORK FRIDAY AND SLEPT ALL WEEKEND AND I STILL WILL TAKE ANOTHER NAP BEFORE BEDTIME THE SIVER LINING TO IT IS I HAD NO TIME TO SPEND ANY MONEY LOL
Hi Wifey2012, Your husband is just ike other men that i know (listening to this brought back so smile for my ex- finance had a serious problem with doing what the doctor says to do ) . Yes you guys should take every FLARE SERIOUS , it a message from your body in advance to let you know am getting ready to make you get alot of PAIN ...LOL-smile It's hard for us (those with LUPUS ) to express how / and when we are i pain , because there is a lot of explaining to someone how we feel when the FLARES start . There also is a mental thing that we go through when explaining the FLARES to loved ones , believe me , my family and myself went through this for about 3 to 6mths, B4 i got totally the results finalized from the doctor , it was the hardest moment of my life , alot of my family just didn't believe me from day one !!! , And then there were some that just use to say to me , "NOT YOU"- get out the bed ( i was an on the go type person ) , but that changed within months B4 the results . Sooooooooooooo to sum it all up just be patient with him and if you know your husband go through the pain with him cause it is REAL for him believe me !!! Wishing you guys the best .... Beverly L.
Hello Wifey,
I'm pleased your hubby finally made a move to at least see how is blood work was besides putting your mind at rest, although the flares was'nt mentioned.
"Allergic" besides" jujubeee" covered good ground on flares for you.
Where skin flares are involved you can get scar markings besides pigmentation marks and lesion scaring, where as we SLE there's organ involvement and what damage can be caused there but it's to how bad your hubby's Lupus is in his system.
If your hubby is stressed or depressed these issues alone can cause the flares to keep arising as Lupus really does thrieve off these symptoms.
((Hugs to you both)) Terri xxx