General Medicine

» mmdunk - Lupus flare duration?

My 30 year old daughter has been having a flare for almost 1 year, is this normal? Her rhemitoligst (SP)has prescribed predisone and this has not helped only made her sicker (she has had gastric bypass surgery and now is told that she should not take predisone). How can I help her get better? She is getting married in early November and I so what her to be happy during this time, not sick all the time.

-- posted by mmdunk

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» Elaine Moore - Lupus flare duration?

In response to Lupus flare duration? posted by mmdunk:
Hi,
Could your daughter's flare be persisting because of the stress of planning a wedding? If so, stress reduction techniques might help.
Or could she have started using oral contraceptives? If so, while recent reports show that oral contraceptives are safe in systemic lupus, estrogens typically cause flares and this could be causing problems.
If your daughter's symptoms aren't well controlled and she can't use prednisone, she could ask about using a different type of immune suppressant or a course on intravenous immunoglobulins.
Diet is also important for reducing flares, and avoiding saturated fats, sugars and any foods she might be allergic to will also help. Let me know if you have more questions. best, Elaine

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» mmdunk - Lupus flare duration?

In response to Lupus flare duration? posted by daisyelaine:

Hi again,
My daughter just learned that she is not to take predisone, she was taking it and it was not helping (at least not very fast). Can you tell me what other means she can take to try to get this flare back into remission? What stress reduction techniques can she do to try to releave the stress? She already has been using contraceptives although not oral, she is using some sort of ring I can't remember what it is called. It is being used as she was having a constant period since the weight loss surgery and this has stopped that. But, I would say that she was using it before this resent flare. I would like any information that you could give me on Lupus and how she can get it back in remission. Thank you

-- posted by mmdunk

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» Elaine Moore - Lupus flare duration?

In response to Lupus flare duration? posted by mmdunk:
Hi,
Prednisone reduces inflammation and suppresses the immune system.
There are other medications such as Budesonide, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate or cytoxan that could be used in place of prednisone. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, such as ibuprofen, naprosyn, Lodine and Daypro aren't as potent as the other medications, but they offer benefits by reducing inflammation.
According to the Life Extension Foundation, www.lef.org using DHEA reduces the dose needed for steroid use.

Anti-malarial compounds such as Plaquenil are also being used in lupus. They take a few months to kick in but work by reducing inflammation, and they protect the skin from UV light damage. They also block the cytokine immune system chemicals that contribute to damage in lupus. Other drugs used in lupus include Thalidomide and Prestara.

Since your daughter has lost weight, the amount of estrogen present in the ring could now be too high and be contributing to her flare. She should ask her doctor about this and about using a different immunosuppressant.
Stress reduction techniques include meditation, yoga, light exercise like walking, and behavioral modification therapies.

LEF also recommends lifestyle changes, especially avoiding the environmental triggers that can worsen lupus. These include aromatic amines in hair dyes, alfalfa sprouts, silicone and silicone dust, hydrazines found in some mushrooms and tobacco smoke, and tartrazines used as food dye preservatives, particularly FD&C yellow.
Patients with lupus must also avoid ultraviolet light even on cloudy days.
Exercise and rest are important and so are the stress reduction tips I mentioned.

Diet in lupus has been extensively studied. The general recommendation is to add essential fatty acids such as EPA and DHA in fish oil or flaxseed oil. Avoiding salt, sugar and saturated fats are important for reducing inflammation. Probiotics are also recommend for improving immune system health. And antioxidant vitamins and minerals are important for reducing the effecgts of oxidative stress. Hope some of this helps, Elaine

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» angiegould - My mom and Lupus and Crohns

Hello, I am horribly worried about my mom. She began a flare up in January of 2006 - unbeknown to the doctors as they were attributing her hospital stays and symptoms to her crohns, after an attack on her pancreas and more testing, different docs it was diagnosed as Lupus (she still has the crohns and has since 1986) The Lupus diagnosis took about 5 months. It is now October and she is still very tired, she walks around very slow like she is 80, she is in pain all the time, and she cant seem to shake the flare up at all - they switched her from an anti-malerial drug to prednisone but she seems to have horrible cravings with the prednisone (sugar) which isnt normal for her. My mom is 57 and until this year she was active and despite having a full clostomy (spelling) she lived a rather normal life.... any ideas for her to get out of her flare period? Are some people always in a flare up? What induces (if anything) a remission period? - Its so upsetting to see this happening to her. I am trying to help her learn to be an advocate for her own wellness. Can you give me some advise for her?

-- posted by angiegould

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» Elaine Moore - My mom and Lupus and Crohns

In response to My mom and Lupus and Crohns posted by angiegould:
Hi Angie,
I'm sorry to hear your mom isn't feeling well. Your mom might want to have her blood sugar level checked to make sure she isn't developing any metabolic problems such as insulin resistance. Certain supplements such as cinnamon capsules, glutamine, and chromium help stabilize blood sugar levels, and diet is very important. Glutamine, an amino acid, is also particularly good for intestinal healing in people with Crohn's disease.
You might want to look at info on the glycemic index. The index rates foods according to their effect on blood sugar levels. Certain foods like carrots, potatoes and bread can cause spikes in blood sugar that cause cravings. Sometimes, sticking to foods with a low index and adding slightly more protein can help overall.

You'd want to consider if any triggers like cigarette smoker, chemical cleaners, or food preservatives might be triggering chronic inflammation. Reducing dietary sugar and saturated fats will help reduce inflammation. A diet emphasizing whole and raw foods can also help.

The supplements I mentioned in the earlier posts in this thread are also effective and would be worth a try. Your mother should also be having regular biochemical profiles to check her kidney function. She may also be intolerant or resistant to steroids and you might want to ask her doctor about other medications for reducing inflammation.

Today, there's lots more available info, better medications, and more options for reducing flares and keeping autoimmune conditions in control and remission. It's great that you're taking the time to help your mother figure this all out. When you're not feeling your best, it can be hard to come up with a healing plan. Best to both of you, Elaine

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» angiegould - My mom and Lupus and Crohns

In response to My mom and Lupus and Crohns posted by daisyelaine:

Hi again Elaine - one HUGE thing I forgot to mention is that she is always so tired, she cant seem to get enough sleep, and its been this way since January of this year (10 months) the fatigue (she says) is overwhelming... - thanks for the other comments/advise.
Angie

-- posted by angiegould

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» Elaine Moore - My mom and Lupus and Crohns

In response to My mom and Lupus and Crohns posted by angiegould:
Hi Angie,
Because people frequently have more than one autoimmune disease, it's always a good idea to test them for thyroid disease. Because some meds like corticosteroids falsely decrease TSH levels, people on these medications need to have a FT4 test to evaluate their thyroid status. And whenever fatigue is present it's a good idea to have a test for the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) to see if there's an underlying viral connection or a possibility of chronic fatigue syndrome. Ideally, our doctors would run all the tests we need, but often we need to prod them and remind them of our symptoms before this happens. Best, Elaine

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